Don Gilet returns to Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre

It is 27 years since Black Country-born actor Don Gilet appeared on stage at the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton.

It was one of his first paid performances before he left his Walsall home and moved to London to follow his dreams of becoming a successful actor.

Next month he will return to the Grand for the first time since the mid-1980s to star in the comedy Bouncers.

And the 44-year-old admitted he was looking forward to returning to the area and said he was expecting lots of family members to turn up and see him in the show.

"All my family are coming, from my father to all my cousins," he said. "They all still live in the area. The last time I performed at the Grand was back in 1985 in a play called Love Me Love Me Locks. It feels such a long time ago. It was one of my first paid jobs. I've not been back since so I don't know if the theatre has changed much."

Gilet is probably best known for playing twisted killer Lucas Johnson in TV soap EastEnders, a role he said was a joy to play.

"I loved playing Lucas. I had a great time on EastEnders. I often get recognised as Lucas on the street and in shops. People will joke with me and say things like 'you better serve him, or he will get you. It still happens now, two years after leaving the show. It doesn't bother me."

Gilet, a former pupil of the old Technical School in Bilston, also starred in BBC One police drama 55 Degrees North. In it he played the lead role of Detective Sergeant Nicky Cole.

Gilet grew up in Caldmore. He left at the age of 19 to go to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in North London.

He appears in Bouncers at the Grand alongside felllow former EastEnders baddie Ace Bhatt, the evil Dr Yusef Khan in the soap and also Richard Cole, whp played the shifty character Tricky Dicky. The fourth bouncer is William Ilkley. Gilet added: "I've seen Bouncers before, a couple of times in fact. Being in it has been fun but also very challenging because I play Les, who likes the idea of having a fight. But I also play a few other characters so there is a lot of costume changes." Bouncers is at the Grand from October 2-6.