A WEST End actor has returned to his East Lancashire roots to set up a drama class for the next generation of performers.

Paul Simpson, who recently starred in a year-long touring production of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, has set-up Pop-Up Performance at St Thomas CE Primary School, Blackburn, where his wife, Donna, is deputy headteacher.

The 42-year-old father-of-two said he was ‘loving’ being able to spend more time at his Belthorn family home.

Mr Simpson, originally from Oswaldtwistle, hopes to pass on his experience from playing roles in Coronation Street, Cold Feet and Heartbeat.

He quit the National Theatre’s War Horse cast in August, after 12 months playing Private Klausen at venues around the UK, in order spent more time with Donna and their children Harry, 13, and Daisy, nine.

He said: “I was finishing shows down south on Saturday evenings and I’d get home at 4am and only see the kids for a few hours on Sundays before I had to set off again. I was always exhausted. I’m far happier at home now, although I do get jealous at the same time as the cast is off to Johannesburg soon.

“If you don’t have any commitments, it’s the best gig in the world.

“The National Theatre is a great company for getting exposure and I was performing to 2,500 people some nights, but it got to the point that it was time to move on.”

Pop-Up Performance will host its first classes at the Newton Street school from November 1, with sessions for beginners’, juniors and seniors.

Mr Simpson said he wanted to wean youngsters off the attraction of fame in favour of teaching them ‘the rudiments of drama’.

The former Accrington and Rossendale College student added: “There are so many talent and performance agencies that just coach kids into wanting to be famous before they even understand what drama is.

“I’m not teaching them to be ‘actors’ as such. I will teach them skills and hopefully what they learn can be applied in real life as well. If some fame comes as a result of those skills, then they will be able to deal with it.”

To enquire about the classes, email popupperformance @hotmail.com.