IF ever there was someone who can cite the impact being part of a theatre group from an early age can have then that has to be Gabriel Clark.

The Bolton-born actor left TV soap Hollyoaks last year after playing troubled character Ollie Morgan for two years and he is currently in rehearsals back in his home town, preparing for Spring and Port Wine, the first production of 2023 at the Octagon Theatre.

For Gabriel, the role sees him coming full circle as it was the Octagon which first set him on a path to making acting a career.

“The Octagon is my local theatre,” he said. “I was born at Bolton Hospital and lived in Harwood, I still do. Probably my first memory of the theatre is of coming to see James and the Giant Peach here at the Octagon and being totally transfixed.

“In my head the stage was a giant peach and everything was just magical. I’d probably be five or six maybe.”

Gabriel admits that it was early experiences which shaped his life from then on.

“My mum was an opera singer and my dad a guitarist so I’ve always grown up around that environment and they were very keen for me to see live music and theatre

“I remember doing drama at school and loving it. At primary school we were taught by Gary Harvey who was something of a Bolton legend going round to schools teaching drama. I think it was him who told me that the Octagon had a young company and I started going every Wednesdays night probably from when I was about nine or 10 when it was called Avtiv8.

“It was a lifeline for me. Drama in school, after school drama club and coming to Octagon were the three things every week that I would live for. I’d get here an hour early and be the last to the leave. I’d be chatting to everyone and doing everything I could.

“Later I also came to the Octagon and worked as an usher for about five years and vividly remember every night just wishing that it could be me on stage while showing people to their seats. Back then I was determined that one day I was going to walk out on the Octagon stage and now five years later I am doing, I can’t wait.”

As part of the young company at the Octagon, Gabriel did get involved in a number of productions including Robin Hood.

“It was an incredible opportunity,” he recalls. “If ever a show needed young actors members of Activ8 would get the chance to be part of the show on a rotating basis.”

Having grown too old for the Bolton young company, Gabriel moved to the youth theatre group run by the Royal Exchange in Manchester.

“I didn’t go to drama school,” he said, “this was my training; that’s how I learned my craft.”

Gabriel is delighted that his professional Octagon debut will be in Spring and Port Wine which he describes as “the Bolton play”.

Written by Bill Naughton originally as a radio play in 1957, it was adapted for the stage and later a film starring James Mason and Diana Coupland. It is the story of the Crompton family, coping with life in Sixties’ Bolton. Gabriel plays Wilfrid, the youngster of the Crompton children. The cast also includes Les Dennis as the head of the household, Rafe, and Mina Anwar as his wife, Daisy.

“My character appears the least rebellious of the children but then probably does the most rebellious thing in the play, not to give too much away,” he said. “It’s really fun to play as he’s the youngest and is trying to find his place in the world and coming to terms with who he is.

“Considering when it was written, it’s such a progressive work, especially when seen through a modern lens. It remains so relevant because like all the best plays, the themes are universal. It’s about family, the differences between generations, the constant worry about money.”

Gabriel is particularly excited to be able to take to the stage in Bolton in this play with his grandparents watching.

“That is particularly special,” he said. “They watched Hollyoaks because I was in it but it’s not really their cup of tea. I don’t think they are exactly the show’s target audience. But Spring and Port Wine is very much their story. My research has been talking to them about life in the Sixties.

“They were the first people I told I’d got the role and I’m really exited for them to see me in something which I know is an important story for them.”

Gabriel admits that this role is the perfect next step after leaving Hollyoaks.

“It was an incredible job and I’ll never regret doing it but also I will never regret leaving it. I wouldn’t have been able to do this for a start,” he said. “It is quite a scary thing to leave a job that’s well paid and constant but I felt there’s only so much I can do with a character and my character had been a conspiracy theorist, a suspected terrorist, homeless and a drug addict. Perhaps it was time to give him a rest,” he laughed.

As well as his Octagon debut, Gabriel will continue to work with the theatre company Switch_MCR. He won an Offie Award for directing The Other side in 2022 and is also looking to direct more and do some writing.

“The nice thing about acting is that you don’t always know what’s next, you just see what happens and I’m really excited to see where things end up.”

Spring and Port Wine, Octagon Bolton, Friday, February 3 to Saturday, March 4. Details from www.octagontheatre.co.uk