AN actor has swapped his job selling phones bring to life one of literature’s best loved characters.

Ben Sherlock is playing Ratty in a touring production of Kenneth Grahame’s classic novel The Wind in Willows.

The show, which comes to Walkden Gardens in Sale on July 17, is a breakthrough for Ben, who has juggled his work at an O2 shop in Warrington while developing his performing career after gaining a degree in acting.

The 20-date tour will see Ben perform at different open air locations from Dumfries to Barnstaple through July with the Folksy Theatre company. The high-energy performance, with plenty of audience interaction, tells the tale of Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger as they set out to find adventure.

The 23-year-old said: “I am quite a relaxed person and don’t normally suffer with stage fright but when I read the script through I realised how big a part it is.

“In the first act in particular it’s pretty much just Ratty speaking.”

Not only that, Ben will have to sing on stage too – something he has done before at college, even if it is not his main talent.

He said: “I did sing at the audition so it can’t have been too bad.”

Ben is hoping the role of Ratty leads to more acting jobs, but does not have a defined idea of how he would like his future to develop.

* Anyone interested in visit folksytheatre.co.uk