Actor Robert Gwilym

We keep being phoned up by the newspapers for quotes because we are so topical at the moment," Bob tells me, "because all that stuff with Rowan Williams, the Kosovo nationality issues and the citizen's ceremony all feature in the play.

"But as for what it means to be British, I'm half Welsh and half Belgian, so I'm more European I suppose," he says side-stepping the question of nationality altogether.

Bob, 51, is originally from Neath in south Wales, where his family owned a clothes shop.

He now lives in Bristol, about as close to the border as you can get without actually living in Wales, and where he was based for his four-year stint in Casualty.

"It is nice for a while to settle into a role and just take the money without worrying about your next job," he says.

"But then us actors always like to try different things and challenges."

He then played a psycho in The Bill for a while and has a CV longer than your right arm.

But the theatre has always been a big pull for Bob, which is why he recently started his own company, based at the Bristol Old Vic, which runs acting classes as well as putting on its own productions.

So does he like being diverse or would he rather just stick at one thing?

"I've been very lucky in my career being able to move between TV and the stage.

"And it's definitely more of a challenge to be live in front of an audience of 500 people every night than the comfort zone of TV, even if millions watch it.

"I think it's really healthy to be performing for people who might otherwise be watching TV or on their computers because we spend so much time at home these days."

As for the play itself, Testing The Echo involves each character playing four or five parts, 145 minutes of drama without an interval and endless costume changes.

Tiring then? "There are a lot of physical and mental hoops to jump through. But it's exciting and challenging and the play is packed with humour, interest and drama. It should go down well in Oxford."

Testing The Echo runs from Tuesday at the Oxford Playhouse. Box office on 01865 305305.

5:24pm Thursday 13th March 2008

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