MARTIN Barrass has a habit of playing roles more than once, and not only in his perennial posting as dame Berwick Kaler's comic stooge in 29 York Theatre Royal pantomimes.

Since July 31, it has been action stations for his return as Albert Perks, the station master in E Nesbit's The Railway Children, as The Theatre Royal and National Railway Museum roll out Mike Kenny's stage adaptation for a third time at the NRM.

Martin took part in the Damian Cruden's second staging in 2009 and this time he is performing in the purpose-built Signal Box Theatre, the 1,000-seat tented theatre first used by Cruden in the play's Canadian production in 2011 in Toronto.

This Perks of a job is but one occasion when Martin has re-visited a role. He set to work on recalling other occasions, and there may yet be others that did not spring to mind immediately. "I've done John Godber's Rugby League play Up'n'Under four times; I did John's Teechers at Hull Truck and Teechers The Musical at Hornchurch," he said.

"I did a tour and Hull Truck run of Amanda Whittington's Ladies Day and then the sequel Ladies Day Down Under; there was Stan Laurel twice in Laurel And Hardy with a 20-year gap at York Theatre Royal, and I was twice in And Did Those Feet, a play about walking to the 1923 FA Cup final at Wembley, at the Bolton Octagon with Mark Babych directing."

Any more, Martin? "I did productions of Alan Bleasdale's Having A Ball in Colchester and Perth and, oh yes, of course, Mr Toad twice in Mike Kenny's version of The Wind In The Willows at York Theatre Royal. Great fun!"

Martin also played hapless octogenarian waiter Alfie in the West End production of Richard Bean's farce One Man, Two Guvnors in 2012 and 2013, either side of his annual pantomime engagement in York. Not only had Bean, his fellow son of Hull, written the slapstick role expressly for Martin after seeing his pratfalls at the Theatre Royal, but he insisted Martin should be able to take time out from the Theatre Royal Haymarket to assume pantomime business as usual.

In turn, Berwick Kaler responded to Bean's character for Barrass by creating an old Chinese proverb variation in the accident-prone, doddery form of Wisehopper in 2013's Aladdin And The Twankeys, a scene-stealing cameo Martin reprised last winter in Old Mother Goose.

"It's so flattering each time because someone, somewhere, whether a director or playwright, said 'that really worked, to such a degree that let's bring it back'," said Martin. 'You do hear audiences saying, 'Do you think they'll bring this back?', which is extremely gratifying, and it's a win-win situation because the theatre accountants are pleased; the public are pleased; the actors are pleased."

There is a further benefit to being asked to reprise a role. "It gives you a chance to improve your performance, as you may have felt you could have done something differently, or you read a review by a critic you respect and who's passionate about the show and you think, 'Maybe he had a point'," says Martin.

"Or when you're doing a part with high emotions and high laughter, or maybe a nervous breakdown, or a sobbing scene, as an actor you have to think, 'how do I believably from being sober to drunk, to unbalanced, to unstoppably heading towards a nervous breakdown?', as I had to when I twice played Lenny Anderson in Having A Ball, where he's completely naked. And that wasn't the first time I had to be naked on stage, as I made my entrance naked in The Elephant Man at the Theatre Royal!"

Martin enjoys his theatrical second helpings. "You get a second chance to re-evaluate and, to me, that's great fun as an actor. It's the nuts and bolts of it," said.

He is happy to be stationed at the NRM once more for The Railway Children. "With Albert Perks, with Mike Kenny's beautifully succinct writing, it really moved me to tears, the birthday scene where he's mortified at the children bringing him all these presents from the village. It's tip-of-the-iceberg stuff. So moving," said Martin.

"Working with different actors from last time keeps you on your toes. You have to be aware of what each actor brings. And I remember a good note being given after a performance, maybe by Berwick at the panto, where he said, 'Don't play last night's audience'. That's good advice."

As chance would have it, the dame and Martin will be reunited earlier than usual this year because Berwick is to play The Old Gentleman in The Railway Children, once he reovers from a back injury.

Just as this interview was coming to an end, Martin suddenly jumped forward. "I've remembered another play I did twice," he said. "Playing Al in John Godber's April In Paris at Hull TRuck and on a tour."

The Railway Children pulls into the Signal Box Theatre, National Railway Museum, York, until September 5. Tickets: £10 to £32.50 on 01904 623568, at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or in person at York Theatre Royal’s De Grey Rooms box office in St Leonard’s Place.