FORTY years after he first acted in The Hollow Crown, Donald Sinden will be appearing in its latest staging at Malvern Theatres.

Just four actors and one singer appear in the play, which is directed by John Barton and uses song, speeches and poetry to tell the story of the monarchy through the ages.

Veteran actor Donald, 80, first appeared in The Hollow Crown in 1963, two years after it was created by Mr Barton, and he is interested to see how his portrayal of the characters differs.

He plays a number of different parts, from Henry IV to Charles I and describes the play as hilariously funny.

He said: "It is an astonishing piece, funny at times but with some more serious, blood-curdling moments such as the murder of Edward II."

The production toured in Australia for 12 weeks earlier this year, but the actors did not have the opportunity to explore the places they visited.

He hopes this will not be the case in Malvern, where he plans to make a visit to Elgar's grave in Little Malvern and other historic sites.

Donald's first trip to the town was a few years ago when he was acting in a production of Quartet at Malvern Theatres.

He thinks the venue is what every theatre should aspire to.

"It's a real pleasure to visit. You can park nearby, have a meal then see a play. It's so much easier than going to London," he said.

Donald's acting career began in 1941 when he joined a theatrical troupe entertaining the forces during the Second World War.

Since then he has appeared in numerous plays and on television, in programmes such as Never The Twain and Two's Company.

Stage acting is his first love but he claims he never gets nervous about it, unlike when he was younger.

He said: "Now the only thing that terrifies me is the fact that I will have been acting for 62 years next year!"