ROPE is a play by Patrick Hamilton, opening this Wednesday in the Dixon Studio of the Palace Theatre.

The story - put on by the Lindisfarne Players - is set around arrogant university undergraduate Wyndham Brandon who persuades his weak minded friend Charles Granillo to aid and abet him in the murder of a fellow student.

Brandon is enjoying the thrill of it all, until their invited dinner guests arrive and the whole evening begins to unravel.

This exciting and tense thriller was made into a film in 1948, directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring James Stewart and Farley Granger.

This is an amateur production.

Tickets are £14 or £13 for concessions, via southendtheatres.org.uk

The show is on until Saturday November 25.

Dave Gardner, 35, from Westcliff, is in Lindisfarne's production of Rope, playing the part of Wyndham Brandon.

When and under what circumstances did you start taking part in dramatics?

About a year ago I decided to get into acting. I've been trying on and off to write a musical for a couple of years now and thought it would be helpful to get some experience. I'd never acted before. I successfully auditioned for Lindisfarne and then got cast in some bit-parts in a few shows.

Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama?

Not to my knowledge. Just me.

Have you done any formal theatre or musical training?

No. I took guitar lessons - does that count?

Do you have any special skills, from juggling to speaking German, that have proved useful on stage?

I've only done a handful of shows, so if I have any special skills I haven't had a chance to utilise them yet. Maybe I'll get to work in a bit of guitar into one of them.

Do you do any accents or impressions?

Yes I do. For Ushers (Lindisfarne show) I had to do an Irish and Geordie accent for a video bit in the show. I also did a Texan accent in Nine to Five.

Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your time in the theatre?

I've only done a handful of small roles, so highlights are pretty slim pickings. But, playing Dwayne in Nine to Five was good. It was my first speaking role, so it stands out for that reason.

What was your most gratifying moment in terms of response from an audience?

Not sure, maybe ask me after I've done a few more shows. To be honest I still find it all pretty nerve-wracking so I probably try and do my best to forget that the audience is there.

Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with/been taught by, in your stage career?

In the brief amount of time I've been doing this I've met and performed with some lovely supportive people - I couldn't possibly pick just one. Sorry to be such a fence-sitter.

When was your most embarrassing theatrical moment on or off stage?

Because my bit for Ushers was pre-recorded I had the excruciating experience of watching it with the rest of the audience during a performance. I cringed.

Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?

Yep and it involves a corpse funnily enough. I was playing a cop in Nine to Five opposite Colin Bott's detective and at one point we were standing next to a corpse on a stretcher. One of the back stage crew gave the body rigor mortis in a very specific place - if you catch my drift. Colin spotted it and quickly put his detective's hat on the protuberance and I struggled to keep a straight face for the rest of the scene.

What do you do for a living, when not acting?

I'm a teacher - film and media studies.

Has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage roles?

I think being a teacher is pretty much a performance in and of itself. And being a film studies teacher, I pretty much live for Hitchcock so that's come in really useful for Rope.

Ever thought of going professional?

I don't foresee me actively pursuing it. I shouldn't imagine paid acting jobs land in your lap without trying. But, if it did, well that'd be fine with me.

Tell us something about your current production, Rope, and how you have approached your role.

Rope is a play loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb murder case where two university students murdered a young boy for, well... the sake of it I suppose. Hitchcock adapted it into a film. I play Brandon, one of the murderers. He's the more dominant of the two killers and is a pretty arrogant sort. Vicious, seductive, vain.

Which actor (s) do you most admire and why?

I'm going to say Peter Lorre. I don't know if I admire him the most, but I certainly rate him. His performances are often incredibly intense and I can't keep my eyes off him. I always liked his scene at the end of M [the German classic film about a child serial killer], where he almost makes you feel sorry him, despite the terrible things he's done in that film. I always have a soft spot for the creepy types.

What role would you most like to play and why?

Well, I have a sort of role I'd like to play. If I could get a part playing the villain/monster in a horror film that'd be good fun. Endless sequels and people dressing up as you at Halloween.

What future roles have you got lined up?

Nothing yet. I know Lindisfarne are doing Wizard of Oz next year and I'd like to get the part of the Wicked Witch if they'd let me. Other than that I suppose I'll just see what's going.

Any tips to pass on for learning your lines?

I've taken to recording them on my phone in three minute sections and then just playing them on repeat during the drive in to work, reciting them aloud. It's going OK...

Any other tricks of the trade to pass on?

Ha ha! I'm the last person to ask, I've only been doing it a minute. But to answer your question, when it comes to any creative exercise the best thing to do is to get out of your own way. Stop thinking and just be/do.