TIMOTHY West returns to the Malvern Theatres next week with a starring role in The External.

Mr West was last seen at Malvern in the 1999 English Touring Theatre production of Ibsen's The Master Builder.

For The External he is joined by his wife, Prunella Scales, who is also no stranger to the Malvern Hills area, having been a recent visitor to the Ledbury Poetry Festival.

Mr West has nothing but praise for the quality of the venue, declaring himself a keen supporter of touring theatre.

"The Malvern audience is very sophisticated, a very appreciative audience but they don't half tell you when they don't like it, which is very good," said Mr West.

"London audiences are a much more casual bunch."

In The External, Mr West plays Sir Edgar Naseby, a leading and highly distinguished academic, whose respectable faade hides a drunken philanderer whose career is kept on the rails by the loyalty and frustrated love of his colleague Anne Hanson (Scales).

Sir Edgar has been harassing a student in his charge, who decides to flunk a paper and expose him. To avoid it means making sure she passes and that involves gaining influence over an external examiner.

"I liked it and I thought it should be done," said Mr West about the unsolicited script by new playwright Rodney Clark, in which he was also able to interest Ms Scales.

"It's a very nice part which I thought would suit her very well. We never look out for things to do together," he said.

The play opens on Monday (May 7) and runs until Saturday, May 12 in the Festival Theatre. Performances are at 8pm with a 2.30pm matinee on Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets range from £10 to £16 from 01684 892277.

On Friday, May 11 at 6pm, Mr West will read extracts from his autobiography and sign copies. Tickets are £5, including a glass of wine. Proceeds will go towards the Malvern Theatres Equipment Campaign.