David Troughton stars in Goodnight Mr Tom at Milton Keynes Theatre

The actor, who plays Tony Archer in the much loved Radio Four soap The Archers, appears in Goodnight Mr Tom coming to Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday March 1 to Saturday March 5.

Davis said: “I’m playing Mr Tom, he has never dealt with the grief after his wife and baby died more than 40 years ago. The one night, there is an 11-year-old boy, an evacuee on his doorstep and is forced to take them in.

“But he soon discovers the boy needs help and that they need each other.”

It is based on a book that he is well aware of.

David added: “It’s a children’s book but it very much appeals to adults. It moves along at quite a pace and there are some very unexpected twists

“I loved the book, it was one that I read to my own children in the 80s and I did see the film with John Thaw but that was a long time.

“It is a sad story, and there are elements of that but I think that children are capable of processing it and dealing with.

“At some point, they will have to deal with something sad and drama I think is a great way of helping with that process.”

He took over from Colin Skipp as Tony Archer in 2014 and is a role he relishes.

David said: “That is great fun to do The Archers. They record a block of episodes at the same time and you are getting to work with your fellow actors in those scenes.

“It is great because you get a lot more from your fellow actors. And because you have to communicate with just your voice, you have to work very hard and to get the emotion across using just your voice.”

For an actor who has such a varied career, it’s his Shakespearean craeer that he is most proud of.

David added: “I loved appearing as Prospero in The Tempest and appearing in Richard III. I’ll be soon off to work at the RSC from August giving my Gloucester alongside Antony Sher as King Lear.

“That is the rest of the year sorted which is a rarity for me.”

David is also one of a handful of actors who have appeared in both the classic and revived series of Doctor Who. And it is something he doesn’t mind being associated with.

He added: “I think there are 27 actors who have been both in the 60s, 70s and 80s and the naughties version of Doctor Who. I will go down in history for that if nothing else. 1968 was the first one that I did.

“I do like being a part of Doctor Who. Obviously because my father was the Doctor so personally, it is a show that means a lot.”

Tickets for Goodnight Mr Tom cost from £14.40 and can be booked by calling the box office on 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.