A Passionate Woman, York Theatre Royal, until October 26

In his cast for Kay Mellor's comedy A Passionate Woman is Colin Tarrant, best known to millions for his 12 years as Inspector Monroe in The Bill, but best remembered by Jim for a stage role in 1983. "This show is my first time at the Theatre Royal, but I did work with Jim when we acted together in St Joan, nearly 20 years ago, in Coventry," says Colin. "We've kept in touch, and I'd been out of The Bill for about six months when he said he thought I might be suitable for this part in a play he was directing."

That role is Donald, neglectful husband of Betty, the passionate woman of the title, who responds to his lack of affection by climbing up into the loft.

Hooper's production opens tonight with Colin playing opposite Charlie Hardwick, latterly seen as Gerry's mam in Purely Belter and Sheila in Billy Elliot. Colin had not envisaged leaving The Bill this year, particularly as the show's producers had always accommodated his wishes to do stage work too.

"But I've done The Bill now... comprehensively! I was in the show from September 1989 to March 2002, and I didn't make the decision to go. The outgoing producer took the decision before leaving, and there were wholesale changes with the new producer bringing in a new regime. So that was that," he says.

Instead of The Bill, Colin can add to the diversity of his stage roles. While in the Sun Hill cop show, he had the opportunity to take breaks to star in three contrasting plays.

"In Hitting Home, at the Man In The Moon theatre in 1994, I played this in-house social worker who was, shall we say, dodgy - a bully who had these designs on some young ladies," he recalls.

"Then in 1996 I did a play about the Northern Ireland situation, The Soldier's Song at Stratford East, where I played the father of an IRA gunman, who didn't know his son was involved in the para-military."

Last year, something totally different again: Colin was cast as an insane psychiatrist by the name of Dr Drabble in The Dice House at the Belgrade, Coventry.

"The Bill producers were good enough to allow me to take time out; they never stood in the way; they thought it was fine for me to do plays, and I'd done around 15 years in theatre before joining show anyway."

The Bill behind him, he is enjoying the change from London, working in York. "Mind you, I feel a bit ring rusty as regards stage craft, but theatre is where I started, not telly," Colin says.

Ring rusty? Only he can judge that, but he was in lively spirit in the Walmgate rehearsals rooms. "Actors have this surfeit of energy; that's why they're actors. The irony is that they have gaps between jobs when they really want to be active all the time!"

With a nod of agreement, co-star Charlie chips in: "When I'm not working, my house is immaculate because I have to be doing something."

On the subject of houses, it is only through working together for the first time on this show that Colin and Charlie discovered they live around the corner from each other in South East London.

"We had no idea, but now I know where he lives!" says Charlie. "And I now I know where she lives!" comes Colin's riposte.

However, for the next month on the Theatre Royal stage, they will be under one roof.

A Passionate Woman, York Theatre Royal, until October 26. Box office: 01904 623568.

Updated: 08:54 Friday, October 04, 2002