People react in two ways when they recognise Roy Barraclough in the street. Some approach him warily, mindful of his Coronation Street character Alec Gilroy's slightly dodgy behaviour. Then there are those who purse their lips, gently cup their breasts and give them a playful upward lift in memory of Cissie and Ada, the two women so memorably portrayed by Barraclough and comedian Les Dawson.

To be lodged in the public mind as a soap character and a drag character might weigh heavily on some thespians but not Barraclough who's happy enough to chat away about anything on one condition - that he can have a cigarette.

He first played Gilroy in 1972, became a regular in 1986 and spent the next 12 years in and out of the soap before finally bidding farewell to Weatherfield two years ago. Although he wasn't killed off, he doesn't see himself going back. "I don't think so. The programme has moved on and is geared towards the younger characters," he explains.

On his departure, he said he felt a bit of a dinosaur because of the introduction of so many young folk. "Having watched it since I've been away I can see the way it's gone. So many of the older characters are held on the back burner until they're brought out for a big story," he says.

He quit without having any real thoughts for the future apart from relaxing after the six days a week, ten hours a day routine of making the Street. "It's no way for a 65-year-old to make a living," he says. After 40 years in the business it's nice "just to take a breather".

"I had no plans except I did want to go back and do theatre. But I had no absolute plans. Also I had my 65th birthday coming up and thought it was time to take it a bit easier and pick and choose a little bit," he continues.

He'd like to do movies, which he hasn't really done apart from small roles in a couple of films. "I'm tending to decide to do things which are a bit of a challenge or a bit of fun," he adds. Which brings us to the reason he was to be found sitting in an armchair outside Bolton Town Hall. The actor spent several hours posing for photographs for the poster of his latest stage production, a revival of Bill Naughton's comedy Spring And Port Wine at West Yorkshire Playhouse. The spectacle caused a stir among passers-by, one of whom the actor mischievously told he was making a commercial for winter fuel allowances.

Director Alan Dosser has tinkered with the script to heighten some of the comedy although Barraclough's character, Rafe Crompton, remains "a miserable old bugger". Set in 1960s Lancashire, the story follows the rebellion in a working class family ruled with a rod of iron by Crompton. "He's quite a sad character, living his life by these incredibly high moral standards and trying to superimpose them on his family. It applies now as well, I'm sure kids today think their parents are being too strict and unduly moralistic," he says.

He knows that audiences, armed with preconceptions based on his TV roles, may be surprised by his Rafe because he's such a strong character and people will be expecting a lot of comedy. "He's a bit of a monster and that's something I haven't done for a long time," he says.

That's a hurdle he must get over, aided by a cast which includes several other Coronation Street refugees including Chloe Newsome, who played granddaughter Vicky McDonald, and Anny Tobin, who was Ashley Peacock's mother.

He jumped at the chance to appear at the Leeds theatre because of its good reputation, adding: "I'd probably have come to do the interval call if they'd asked me". His attitude isn't surprising as theatre was his first love. He spent 12 years as a draughtsman before taking the plunge into professional acting.

In the late 1950s his weekly treat was a trip to Blackpool Grand Theatre which took in pre-London tours of productions featuring greats like Alec Guinness and John Gielgud. "Those visits sparked the desire to become an actor. I don't think I quite aspired to be a great classical actor." He escaped the boredom of daytime job by acting with local amateur stage groups and wrote to 100 rep theatres asking for an audition. One reply was from the woman who ran Huddersfield Rep.

"She offered me a job as an assistant stage manager at £11 a week. I was earning £26 a week as a draughtsman but thought, 'this is the only chance I'm going to get so I'm going to take it' and I've never regretted it." His father didn't understand his decision, only when his son joined Coronation Street did he think he was doing "proper acting".

What he made of Cissie and Ada, heavens only knows. Barraclough looks back on his drag double act with Dawson with affection although, of course, they never realised they were creating a comedy classic which would be re-run for years to come. "I'm quite proud of that time when I was working with Les," he says.

l Spring And Port Wine is at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, from September 15 to October 28. Box office 0113 2137700.