TRAPPED in a coffin howling for help was perhaps not quite how Jamie Lomas pictured his first foray into theatre.

But as he has learned over the years, you never know what the future holds or when the next opportunity will come a-knocking.

The moment he got his hands on the script for Dead Simple, an adaptation of Peter James’ s best selling thriller, he knew he had to be a part of it somehow.

“It’s got so many twists and turns you never see coming,” says the former Eastenders star. “It just keeps you on the edge of your sit. When I’d read it I instantly rang my agent and said ‘I need to do this play, I love it.’”

In Dead Simple, which will run at the Wyvern Theatre between April 20 and 25, Jamie plays Michael Harrison, a man who thinks he has it all - a great career, loyal friends and a beautiful fiancee. But when his stag night prank goes horribly wrong, he finds himself buried alive in a coffin six feet underground and staring death in the face. As time runs out and the terror grows, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace tries to solve his mysterious disappearance.

Like with many of his television roles, he was drawn to the complex character whose apparently perfect life is perhaps not what it seems. “You see me in the coffin, crying and screaming. It’s quite harrowing. I’ve heard members of the audience gasp. It’s quite disturbing.

“And it’s still creepy for me, I assure you.”

The immediacy of theatre compared to the more structured filming of TV dramas was certainly part of the appeal. Always the perfectionist, performing each night fed into his urge to constantly bring more to the table.

This is a concept which took on a new dimension during rehearsals as his coffin was actually substituted for a table.

“I love playing for a live audience – these people have paid to watch the show. Every night I try to make it better. For the important thing is to grow as an actor.

“You’ve got more freedom. When you’re doing Eastenders or any other show, you finish one scene and forget about it because you’ve got another 10 scenes the next day. Here you can just perfect it all the time.

“And we have a fantastic cast. We’ve had some really funny moments in rehearsals. But I can’t say more. I don’t want to give too much away.”

This desire to grow as an actor has guided his career, taking him on a slight detour along the way.

When Jamie picked up a leaflet advertising an acting course in a pub in his native Manchester, he decided to give it a try. In the class, he was given his first improvisation challenge: perform any action. He pretended to stub his toe. From that single experience, he was hooked. Soon, he auditioned for his first role on Brookside.

Adamant he had more learning to do before tackling bigger roles, he used his fee from the show to fly to Canada and train with acting coach Alex Bruhanski for six months.

“My dad always told me that you only get out of life what you put in.

I started pretty late. I was 27. When I finished my acting course I got into TV. But after Brookside, I realised I was not quite ready yet. I had heard about this teacher in Vancouver. I was at a point in my life where I didn’t know which way to go. So I went to Canada for six months. It changed everything for me. I came back and got Dream Team, Hollyoaks and then Eastenders.

“I’m grateful for every job I’ve had and I don’t take any of it for granted. I’ve been on the outside when you’re desperately knocking on doors to get in. It’s a cut throat industry. I know I need to keep working hard.”

Jamie will be joined on stage by Holby City’s Tina Hobley, Emmerdale’s Rik Makarem, Doctors star Michael McKell and Coronation Street's Gray O’Brien.

Tickets cost between £19 and £30.50 and are available at swindontheatres.co.uk or on 01793 524 481.