PICTURE the scene Gareth Hale in black penguin suite looking every inch the doorman . . .

Not too difficult to imagine -- but with rhythm?

The man famous for being half of popular comedy double act Hale and Pace, is well known for his funny portrayal as an aggressive doorman, but now he is branching out on his own to appear in John Godber's play Bouncers.

And Gareth is quick to point out it is a very different discipline for him.

Yes, he says this is comedy, but it is comedy with rhythm -- and using other people's words.

He explained: "I have had to stop myself from paraphrasing or changing things round. Each time I am about to, I have to shout 'stop that' to myself.

"John Godber came down for the first show and listening to him talking about it after made me realise how important the rhythm of words, and speech patterns, are to the play. That is why it is so important not to change a word of it.

"The timing also has to be perfect. You can not afford to be complacent about it."

Gareth was speaking to the BEN at the start of a nationwide tour, during which he will be visiting The Lowry on Monday, February 18.

He said: "Bouncers is a fantastic piece. It is such a sharp piece of writing. It has been updated this year and has a fantastic energy. Being a veteran of two shows I am finding that you learn a great deal as you go along. But the reaction from the audiences so far has been amazing.

"The touring is gruelling but we are working it that we are away a couple of weeks then home a couple of weeks which helps a great deal. Last year I toured Australia with Norman for 10 weeks, when we naturally could not come home for any sort of break -- and that was tough."

The Norman referred to is Gareth's comedy partner. The pair met at teacher training college. Gareth recalled: "We were both teachers and developed the act between us. The comedy was a hobby which just took over. At that time we were involved in more musical comedy. It was great fun and little by little we found we were getting more gigs.

"We had taught for five years, when we decided on the back of the bookings we were getting, that it was worth taking a year off just to see how we could do at the comedy."

Needless to say, the pair never returned to the classroom.

Gareth said: "I do prefer this. It is much more fulfilling. I have a great life doing it but do still keep in touch with my old mates. We never dreamed we would be so successful. We set the target to see if we could get to the point that we would be good enough to get onto television."

Not only were they good enough, but they have had countless series, and toured the world with one of the country's favourite double acts.

However, one of their biggest departures from the comedy came with the series Jobs For The Boys in which the double act were given the chance to try their hand at a series of daunting tasks.

Gareth said: "The BBC had run different series previously with a similar theme -- In At The Deep End and Jobs For The Girls -- but when they approached us we thought 'you are having a laugh'.

"The first in the series involved us playing polo and I thought 'Jesus, this is almost as frightening as going out on stage for a first night'.

"We always try to do something different. Norman has been involved in musical theatre and I also enjoy going off to do other things such as Bouncers."

Another first for the pair was appearing in pantomime. Asked how it went, Gareth pauses, before chuckling: ". . . interesting."

He laughs again: "Actually it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.

"The kids were standing up on their seats shrieking. There were a couple of incidents though along the way that did make us laugh. In one section of the play we would give out sweets and invite a few kids onto the stage. On this occasion the children left and we moved on. Minutes later a two-year-old little girl had somehow managed to wander onto the stage. She thought this was where she had to go to get sweets. That sort of inhibition was terrific."

After finishing the tour Gareth says he has one or two things still in the pipeline, but above all else he plans to "just fall over -- oh, and also play a bit of golf".

Bouncers is on at the Lowry on February 18. For tickets telephone 0161 876 2000.