WHO among us hasn't watched The X Factor or some such show and hasn't imagined an accident befalling the loud, obnoxious singer?

Who hasn't felt like inflicting pain - or wished perhaps a mild toothache upon on those who assault our sensibilities?

But we don't do anything about it, of course. We would rather swear at the television or turn over and watch Grand Designs.

However, in Steven Dick's new play Faster, Louder, the first of the new Oran Mor Play, Pie And A Pint season, lead character Gavin Mann does indeed vent his spleen.

Gavin doesn't actually try to have the member of the boyband killed.

But actor Harry Ward, who plays the central character, reveals he does the next worse thing - he tweets his intention. And suffers the consequences.

"Gavin is your average Joe, and sitting on his couch on a Saturday night and faced with this really awful boyband, sends out a tweet saying he'd like to have the lead singer harpooned," says the actor, grinning.

"It's meant to be a joke, but once the tweet is out there, there's no going back.

"And he wakes up at 7.30am the next day with a massive hangover to find the police banging at his door."

It's a zeitgeist tale, with prosecutions of internet trolls stepping up.

And even if the tweet or social media message is meant as a joke, prosecutors certainly don't see it that way.

"The police take Gavin's tweet as a death threat. And the drama escalates from there.

"Gavin tries to wriggle out of it by saying he didn't actually send the tweet, that his son sent it.

"But of course the police soon discover he doesn't have a son.

"Then Gavin's mother (Isabelle Joss, who also plays the boyband singer, Tyler MacKenzie) arrives, and the lies mount."

And the farce unfolds, which offers great comedy potential.

To add to the mix, a tabloid newspaper reporter (played by Rosalind Sydney, who also plays the policewoman) comes to investigate the story

"It's great fun, and Gavin's world quickly descends into madness," says Harry.

"And I think the audiences will go with the changing characters, the fun of watching someone go out one door as a character and 30 seconds later emerge as another."

Harry's task in this role is to play it straight; he's the one who gets to look dumbfounded then angry, then tragic.

It should be an easy task for him given his talent.

Now almost 40, he's been a theatre stalwart in Scotland since he left Glasgow RSAMD and worked in a range of prestige productions and demanding theatre, "from kids' shows to Greek tragedies," with the likes of Vox Motus's Slick.

"A lot of the work I get is multi-character, and comedic, which is why I'm enjoying this," he says. "It's good to play someone very ordinary."

Harry, who grew up in Lanark, was keen on acting since he was at school, appearing in school musicals, going on to join am-dram and local panto.

But he didn't plan to become an actor.

I STARTED out hoping to become a musician, going on to get a degree in music," says the talented guitarist.

"However, one night it all changed when I was in working in a local panto and in the orchestra pit playing guitar.

"I can remember looking up at the stage and thinking 'I'd rather be up there', and that was it for me.

"Right there and then I decided to go to drama college."

The move worked out perfectly. And on occasion, Harry gets to combine acting and musical talent.

"We just finished the Janis Joplin story, Full Tilt, at the Edinburgh Festival, which played to full houses every night," he says of the show which starred Angie Darcy.

"I was also playing in the band and had a monologue as an actor, which was really satisfying. I got to do both."

But does he ever tweet? Has he ever had a Gavin Mann moment?

"I've only recently joined Twitter," he says, smiling.

"I'm not a social media sort, except if I wanted to buy a new laptop and was looking for good prices.

"I'm not one for telling the world what I think via Twitter."

l Faster, Louder Oran Mor, until Saturday