Ex-Casualty actor Robert Gwilym in stage thriller

And he drew on the traits of Dr Max Gallagher when he spotted that all was not well with a spectator viewing his latest stage play, The Business of Murder.

Robert said: “Part way through one performance I noticed that a member of the audience in the front row was clearly not feeling well. It looked so serious I stopped the show and and said “Madam is your husband alright?”, to which she replied “No!” We had to call paramedics and stop the show for about 20 minutes.”

The show itself is in good health and is heading for Chesterfield’s Pomegranate Theatre from June 11-13.

Robert said: “I’ve never been to Chesterfield so I’m looking forward to it and I’m very much looking forward to visiting Chatsworth.”

He is on tour with Paul Opacic (Bad Girls, Hollyoaks) and Joanna Higson (Shameless), taking the play around England and to Cardiff and Belfast. “It’s gone down very well, people love a good thriller,” said Robert.

“I play Stone, who is a manipulative little man. It’s very different from the roles I usually play, and I like the fact that Stone is so very unlike myself (I’m glad to say!),” he added.

Robert played Dr Gallagher in Casualty for four years and views it as his most signifcant TV role. His stage credits include performing for two years in the award-winning original production of Dancing at Lughnasa in the West End and on Broadway.