FORMER Hollyoaks star Jonny Clarke is making the move from bad boy Bart McQueen to a 15-year-old boy off to war in a stage version of Sebastian Faulks’ novel Birdsong, coming to Durham and York.

He was unfamiliar with the novel when he got a call from his agent about auditioning for a role in the latest tour. “I didn’t know which character I was being considered for. I read the script four times because at the start of the process I like to have the whole stage play there and read every character as an individual, not being biased towards one character, and then find out who I’m playing,” he explains.

By the third reading it was obvious he was earmarked to play Charlie Tipper because of his age (Clarke is 21). “That was my first experience of Birdsong. I loved the play.

Then I watched the TV series and I was like, ‘Okay, that’s how they did it’. I preferred the play script. Now I’m reading the book and getting more in depth with it,” he says.

He’s used to doing more contemporary series such as C4’s Hollyoaks, where he spent two years as Bart McQueen.

Before that he had done amateur stage work and film shorts. He was set to go to drama school – and had a place at Lamda – but took the Hollyoaks job instead.

“I chose to work. It was a hard decision because there were several paths I could have taken at that point. I’m happy with my choice. I’ve learnt a lot more in the twoand- a-half years I’ve worked in the industry than I think I would have in drama school.”

Hollyoaks, which he joined at 17, was a big part of his education. “It was good fun because of the people I was with at the time were a similar age. I lived in a house full of lads and we were all actors and so it was a great time. It was Liverpool, so it’s a great city,” he says.

“But then I felt I needed to take that next step. I’m passionate about being an actor so I wanted to be back on stage and doing that route.”

The Birdsong tour is his first professional theatre role so it is a big step for him. He is certainly fulfilling his ambition to be an actor, something he decided when he was only four. “What happened was my sisters were in a performing arts school and I went along as a taster and got cast in a play.

Since then it’s spiralled into this career of mine,” he says.

  • Durham Gala, March 10 to 15. Box office 03000-266600 and online galadurham.co.uk York Theatre Royal, March 24 to 29. Box office 01904- 623568 and yorktheatreroyal.co.uk