MALCOLM Storry, star of the Royal Shakespeare Company's latest production of The Tempest, is one of the least actorly actors you could wish to meet.

A big bear of a man, he ambles into the RSC's press office after a hard morning's graft on the complex technical rehearsals for the play, which has been playing to rave reviews but less-than-capacity houses at the circus-like Roundhouse in London, and plonks himself down in a comfy chair to devour his lunchtime prawn sandwich.

He is determined not to be viewed as "precious" or "luvvie", even to the point of apologising for asking for fizzy water rather than still, and grimacing when he is told that it comes with a "twist of lemon and lime".

When asked about how the play, in which he stars as Prospero, has changed in the transfer from London to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, he even says: "I hate to seem precious. It really is a rediscovery of the play.

"The Roundhouse required a reasonable amount of movement in such a space. The theatre here allows stillness and for the text of the play to come out which is really good."

The storm scene that opens the play has been simplified for the RST, though Malcolm believes it is no less impressive than the one at the Roundhouse, which one critic described as all hell let loose.

There is no doubt that Malcolm, who after many years of living in Stratford and prior to that Ettington, has just moved to Cleeve Prior, is glad to be home.

An RSC stalwart since 1978 (he met and became good friends with John Nettles on his first day), the 54-year-old admits he still pleasantly surprised that he has still got a naivete about verse.

"This play is an amazing piece of poetry," he says. "I concentrated on the verse and poetry when I went to the Roundhouse."

Unlike many actors, who will indignantly dismiss their reviews or deny ever reading them, Malcolm - who for the most part has had rave notices - acknowledges that he has learnED from some of the criticism.

"I try to be sensitive to reviews. There has been some constructive criticism," he says.

He says he is fortunate in his director, Michael Boyd, the man chosen to succeed Adrian Noble at the helm of the RSC.

And he is being sincere when he says: "He's the best director I have worked with and I have worked with some greats.

"Most important of all he is a very sensitive person and hence he is very caring. In the nine months I have known him he has no ego. He just has a passion for the theatre and for plays."

In fact, Malcolm credits Boyd with rekindling his own passion for acting, which he admits had been waning immediately prior to this production.

Only 18 months ago he was seriously considering packing it all in, taking an English as a Foreign Language teaching course and heading to Portugal or Spain.

"It's still in my mind to do that," he adds.

In a career that has spanned stage, television and film, he calculates he has played 32 policemen, and to be frank he was becoming a bit fed up with it.

It is not that he is ungrateful, he stresses. It is just the realisation that the most challenging parts for him for him are likely to be on stage.

Having said that, he will be back on our screens soon, with his friend Warren Clarke, in a two-part drama called The Debt, in which thankfully he does not play a copper.

He has also recently recorded a radio and CD version of Coriolanus with Sam West.

Whatever direction he takes in the future, the one constant will be his family - wife Jenny, a drama lecturer at Stratford College, daughter Fran, 22, who has just graduated from Leeds, and 20-year-old twins Vinny and Rich.

Theirs is clearly a loving and devoted family and Malcolm is clearly chuffed that all three children are currently living at home.

"It's fantastic when your son phones and asks you if you'd like to go for a drink...even if he adds 'and you're paying'!"

As an actor Malcolm Storry might not be precious, but as a man he is most definitely a diamond geezer.

The Tempest runs at the RST until November 1. Tickets are available from the Box Office 0870 609 1110.