Christopher Timothy and Damian O' Hare in The Grapes of Wrath

A former Shropshire actor who became one of the nation’s favourite characters when he played James Herriott in All Creatures Great and Small is returning to the region for a major new play.

Christopher Timothy, who has also starred in much-loved TV series Doctors, Casualty and The Bill, will appear in Grapes Of Wrath at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre from tonight until October 31.

He will star in a stage adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel about families who were driven from their homes during a period of economic hardship and changes in the agricultural industry during the Great Depression.

Today Mr Timothy said he was looking forward to the appearance and was very enthusiastic about the play.

He said he had fond memories of Shropshire, having lived in the county during his teenage years.

He said: “We lived in Bala, initially, and I went to North Kingsland Grange Prep School. Then we moved to Bayston Hill. I worked in Shrewsbury, at Frank Nugant’s, a shop in town that doesn’t exist any more.

“I was 19 when I left for drama school. It was the 1950s, so there was no sex and no drugs but there was rock’n'roll. It was an extraordinary time of change.”

Mr Timothy added that he developed his passion for acting while living in London during the late 1940s, between the age of six and 10. He used to watch pantomimes, such as Peter Pan, and also watched lots of television.

He said: “I’ve been very lucky and enjoyed a great career. I’m looking forward to Grapes of Wrath.

“I think the play is about dignity and man’s inhumanity to man. It’s quite a bleak story, but it’s epic.

“At the end of the play, I’ll be very tired. But it is only a play. It’s about the abuse of workers who are vulnerable and that still goes on today.

“There are fruit pickers from overseas who are still abused by farmers. Some things haven’t changed.”

Tickets for The Grapes of Wrath are available, priced £12 to £32, from www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

By Andy Richardson