YORK actor Ian Kelsey returns to his home city to play viperous talent-spotting agent Ray Say in a new tour of Jim Cartwright's bittersweet comedy The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice from Monday.

In doing so, he will be making his York Theatre Royal stage debut although the former railway carriage works coach builder did hand out sweets in the guise of Mr Toffee in the foyer before performances of The Railway Children many moons ago in his "first professional gig".

"I've seen many, many pantos and shows there but I've never performed there before," says Ian. "I'm a little bit jittery about the maybe more critical eyes of people I went to school with or who I worked on the railway with. I also hope I don't meet the Grey Lady [the Theatre Royal ghost]!"

Ian, 55, will be joined in Bronagh Lagan's production for Glass Half Full Productions by Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati as Mari Hoff and American actress and YouTube sensation Christina Bianco as Little Voice.

Heavy-drinking, louche Mari and reclusive LV are the contrasting mother and daughter in Cartwright's fairy-tale, where LV is left to her own devices, embodying the famous divas she plays on repeat in her room, from Judy Garland to Shirley Bassey, from her late father's record collection.

When manipulative Ray Say hears that cloistered nightingale sing, he foresees an overnight sensation and a route to a fortune in a story of the highs and the lows of small-town dreams, family rivalry and finding your voice in a noisy world.

"Ray's a bit of a leech really and so self-centred," says Ian. "He uses people. I think he has a good heart, or he had one, but it's clear he only thinks of himself when it comes to his relationship with Mari. He's not interested in her once he realises he can better his life through the singing talents of her daughter."

Ian jumped at the chance to play "king of the gutter" Ray in Cartwright's painfully truthful northern drama. "I'd not the seen the film or the play before, although I was aware of it and what it's about. But I just started reading the script and found Ray so funny, as well as horrific at the same time," he says.

"There's a speech where he just rips into Mari at one point and I was gobsmacked by what he says, but it's brilliantly written by Jim Cartwright. He's a fantastic writer and as you're reading it you can hear it being said. The rhythms are just how people talk in the world in which it's set.

"The characters don't have much money, but they aspire to live above their station, which is also really funny."

Can 6ft 3ins Ian relate to the intimidating Ray in any way? "I hope not! But when I'm reading a script, it really helps if I have someone in mind and all their nuances start to come into play. With Ray, I've got a couple of people in mind, although I don't want to say who they are of course.

"I've met proper northern gangsters, who act like comedians, but all the time you're thinking, 'you've got something in your boots'."

Since auditioning for Ray Say on Zoom and landing the role, Ian has resisted any temptation to watch Michael Caine's award-winning performance in York director Mark Hearld's 1998 film, set in Scarborough. "I don't want to be influenced by it, otherwise for the audience it will feel like I'm doing my take on his take," he reasons.

"But I've played quite a lot of roles that have already been iconic in the film versions, such as when I played Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, and that was ingrained in me because it's one of my favourite films.

"In that instance, you can't help but give a nod to iconic performances. I've done Danny in Grease and I completely pinched Travolta's walk, the Danny strut. You can't help pinching from the best."

On tour for the first time since The Verdict in 2019, Ian is enjoying his travels. "Live theatre is different every night and you're constantly trying to win the audience over. I learned so much doing September In The Rain about the set-up for comedy and it's such a brilliant craft because you're always learning new things. I don't think I've ever done a job where I've not learned something," he says.

"The thing I've been most looking forward to is taking my motorbike with me. One of the most difficult things about being on tour is filling the time between getting up and curtain-up. I'm not one for historical buildings and all that, and if you've been on the telly a bit you can't just go and sit in a coffee bar for the afternoon without being recognised. So, it's fantastic to just put a crash helmet on and go and explore."

The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice runs at York Theatre Royal from July 4 to 9, 7.30pm plus 2pm, Thursday, and 2.30pm, Saturday matinees. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

By Charles Hutchinson