A FORMER BEN reporter is starring in the Royal National Theatre's production of An Inspector Calls, now playing at The Lowry, Salford Quays, writes Doreen Crowther.

Bernard Kay plays Mr Birling, of the prosperous Birling family, in Priestley's classic thriller.

It was while he was a junior reporter on the BEN in 1945 that Bernard won a scholarship to the Old Vic's short-lived drama school.

When I spoke to him about his early career change, Bernard said he had always wanted to be a reporter, but caught the acting bug during his National Service days.

He vividly recalls his second day at the BEN, then in Mealhouse Lane.

He said: "The streets were deserted and the tram I travelled on was empty too.

"When I asked the tram driver why, he said it was VE Day.

"I was working as a reporter and didn't even know what day it was."

Born in Bolton, Bernard lived in Lonsdale Road and attended Chethams School in Manchester, then a Bluecoat school.

Bernard recalled that to get into the Old Vic school he had to take two auditions and compete with 1,200 applicants for a place.

He said: "I had to live on my grant of £185-a-year because my family had no money to keep me."

After his training, Bernard completed six years' theatre which included two seasons at Stratford and 37 plays at the Old Nottingham Playhouse.

His first play at Nottingham was Macbeth. He hit the headlines in the national press when he took over the part of Macbeth at less than 24 hours' notice when an actor had an accident. In 1957, he toured with Laurence Oliver and Vivien Leigh in a production of Titus Andronicus.

The tour included the first post-war performances by the British in Poland and Yugoslavia.

He was in the film Dr Zhivago and went to Hollywood for Darling Lili with Julie Andrews and Rock Hudson.

He said The Hunting Party with Gene Hackman and Candice Bergman was every English actor's dream -- a Western.

Bernard's been in Coronation Street -- he was the man who killed Ida Barlow.

And he claims he was also known as the JR of Crossroads.

He turned down Z-Cars, but did four series of Doctor Who.

Bernard's other TV work includes The Cellar And The Almond Tree with Celia Johnson.

Bernard has had an interesting time over the past 10 years or so.

While playing Shylock in Pakistan, he and the rest of the cast were surrounded by six-foot guards with sub-machine guns because General Zia went to watch the play.

When he played Willie Loman at the Lyric, Belfast, he received his first nomination for The Really Best Actor.

He's delighted to be in this production of An Inspector Calls which he describes as "innovative".

The production, directed by Stephen Daldry, has scooped 19 major awards -- more than any other play in theatre history.

Rula Lenska plays Mrs Birling and Paul Shelley is Inspector Goole. The play continues at The Lowry's Lyric Theatre tonight and tomorrow.