This lad's done really well

GIVEN the fact that he had played a leading part in one of the most successful comedy series ever seen on television, you could be forgiven for thinking that Rodney Bewes' success might have gone to his head.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. The man who teamed up with James Bolam to star in one of the most popular comedies of the 1960s and 1970s, has his feet firmly on the ground.

After all, this is the man who drives to the theatre where he is performing his one-man show with a trailer full of props.

And anyone who sees the actor's one man show The Diary of a Nobody - is invited to the bar for an after-performance chat with the former Likely Lads star.

I don't like to walk off stage and vanish to my dressing room," he said.

I like to listen to what people have to say and see what they think. I always think it's a shame when celebrities get so wrapped up in their own importance they won't meet people.

I also find people come up with wonderful ideas. The idea to do the Diary of a Nobody came from someone at the bar after one of my performances of my first one-man show, Three Men in a Boat.

Perhaps it's the actor's infectious enthusiasm for his work that makes conversations with him such a pleasure. It's true to say I don't know many people who state that they still love their work after 50 years of service. Indeed, 50 days can prove too much for many.

The actor, who started his career at the age of 14 in children's plays for radio and television, says he still gets a kick out of his work.

Following rave reviews at the Edinburgh Festival, he is bringing his latest offering to Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre.

After sell-out performances of Three Men in a Boat at the theatre last year, the 64-year-old performer said he was delighted to be back.

Although I am only performing for one night, this Sunday, I hope to be returning to do the show for a few nights next year, he said.

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