HIGH ROAD's Simon Weir on Starring in Sell a Door's UK Tour of KIDNAPPED

Kidnapped - the latest production from Sell A Door Theatre Company - has been touring the UK since January. As the production enters the second part of it tour, the team caught up with Simon Weir from STV's High Road and the BBC's Monarch of the Glen who is bringing the famous Alan Breck to life.

Where have we seen you before Simon?

I played the village bad boy, Paul Lafferty in STV's long-running series High Road from 1996-2003. Taking over the garage from Gary MacDonald. My character was involved in many dodgy schemes such as selling illicit booze, steroids, ram rading with a fire engine and even ended up in jail for beating his girlfriend Sally McGann

I was also in series 3 of Monarch of the Glen, where I appeared as Stuart MacIntosh, a local dodgy building contractor who conned Hector into selling off plots of the Glenbogle estate, whilst romancing Lexie and falling foul of Archie.

When did you start acting?

I started acting at 12yrs old, when I attended Dorothy Paul's Acting School in Glasgow. I then signed with the Freddie Young Agency and auditioning for roles in Leaving, One Foot in the Grave and landing commercials (with Vincent Regan). I decided to make a career of it after watching a TV series with Iain Glen, The Fear, in the late 80s. I got to work with Iain Glen on Glasgow Kiss and ironically am now playing Alan Breck in Kidnapped which Iain Glen played on TV in 2005.

What is like being on stage again?

I am thrilled to return to the stage after 7 years and to have landed the role of Alan Breck in Kidnapped is a personal dream come true. One of my favourite historical characters and my childhood's most prized novel! The Sell A Door production has all the elements of the book and terrific performances from the cast, with rousing jacobean live music, adventure, singing, puppets, a riveting central narrative and is a fast-paced adaptation by Ivan Wilkinson. And of course there's plenty of swashbuckling sword-fighting from a certain...Alan Breck.

Kidnapped also stars Stewart McCheyne, Lesley Cook, Christopher Anderton and Jamie Laird.

The production is Directed by Anna Fox, Designed by Richard Evans and Lighting Designed by Charlie Morgan Jones.

For more information visit www.selladoor.com.

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