by David Morgan

HE played hopeless Barry Evans on EastEnders and is now back on the stage as hapless Moonface Martin but Shaun

Williamson is no fool.

The 49-year-old actor was on one of the country’s biggest soaps for 10 years and worked with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

when the pair were at the height of their powers after The Office.

Now he has reinvented himself as a stage actor having taken on 27 shows in the last decade.Shaun will be in Manchester for

Anything Goes at the Opera House from April 7-18. It is part of a nine-month tour.

He said: “I trained for the theatre and then I got gobbled up by EastEnders as soon as I left drama school.

“So I was determined that when I left I was going to do as much stage work as possible. I’ve done a lot of musicals but the last one I did was Guys and Dolls back in 2007.

“So this was a great opportunity to get my teeth stuck into a big Broadway musical again. With those lovely big songs, big dance

numbers and 10 in the orchestra you can’t beat it live.”

But Shaun admitted that there are times when acting work can dry up and that is another reason he loves clinching a role on a big

stage show.

He added: “Like any job if you do a tour you’re earning regular money and you can get stuff on credit just like anyone else.

“The alternative is sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring to get an episode of Midsomer Murders

“Rather than being at home sweating and having someone else dictate your life I just like being out on the road, earning a regular

wage and having great fun and doing a great show.”

There are occasionally benefits to waiting for the phone to ring though – like when Ricky Gervais called out him of the blue to appear on Extras, his follow-up to The Office.

“He never calls people’s agents,” he said.“He drives agents mad because he somehow gets hold of your number and calls you directly. Straightaway I was thinking it’s a radio wind-up.

“I’m guessing that for some bizarre reason he liked my character in EastEnders. I don’t

know why but he picked me."