AN actor who started his career in Bolton is currently attracting rave reviews for his performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford.

As a teenager, Simon Trinder acted with Bolton Little Theatre and the first review of one of his shows was in the Bolton Evening News. He was also a member of Octagon Youth Theatre.

Simon Trinder, now aged 26, attended Horwich Parish Primary School, followed by Rivington and Blackrod High School.

At Bolton Little Theatre, he appeared in the chorus of the award-winning musical Chicago, directed by Andrew Close, and then won the role of Nigel Kent in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Age 13, which was directed by Harold Smith.

The Bolton Evening News said of his performance: "Not only is Trinder a fine actor, he seemed equally at home in the singing and dancing routines."

After attending Wigan and Leigh College studying for a BTech in Performing Arts, Simon spent a year working at Granada Studios and then studied at the Royal Welsh College of music and Drama for three years.

He is now appearing in a season of Spanish Golden Age plays in the RSC's Swan Theatre in Stratford. Dog in a Manger and House of Desires have already opened and he is rehearsing for Pedro, The Great Pretender. Dog in a Manger and House of Desires are both comedies and in them Simon plays comic servants. He has had great reviews.

It is perhaps not surprising that Simon shines in comic roles. He thinks he may be distantly related to the late comedian Tommy Trinder who achieved fame on radio, television and on film.

Simon's previous RSC credits include The Taming of the Shrew, The Tamer Tamed, Measure for Measure, Cymbeline and Birdsong.

His other theatre work includes: Buried Alive (Hampstead), Redundant (Royal Court), A Christmas Carol (Chichester), A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Golden Ass (Shakespeare's Globe) and Peter Pan (Birmingham Repertory).

Television credits include Holby City and In Search of Shakespeare.

Radio credits include six months as a member of the BBC Radio rep company, including Smelling of Roses, Electricity and Plasticine.

Simon won this year's Clarence Derwent award for his performance as Biondello in The Taming of the Shrew. The award honours actors in supporting roles and previous winners have included Zoe Wanaker, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons, Felicity Kendall, Sinead Cusack, Eileen Atkins and Alan Bates.

Simon said: "It was great to win this award, but I am trying to learn not to read my reviews - although my mother always telephones me about them."

His parents, Alan and Liz Trinder, still live in Horwich.

Simon describes the "back to back" productions he is involved in as "very hectic" and "very physical". But he is enjoying the challenges.

After Stratford the productions are going to Madrid and then Newcastle. Then the cast hope the plays will transfer to the West End.