THERE are actors who come to hate the TV series that made them famous, often sick to the teeth being asked to talk about the show, rather than themselves.

Ian Lavender is not that type 
at all.

After 10 years in Dad's Army, where he played the hapless Private Pike, you may assume he would wish to skim over his time in brown serge, and forget about the show in which the wartime defenders of liberty bumbled around.

But not a bit of it. He is a 
breezy, easy-going likeable bloke who will chat about his time 
with his co-stars until the cows come home.

First up, however, he is talking up his latest role.

Ian will star in the stage version of The Shawshank Redemption, the classic prison movie with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

The stage show is set to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with Ian starring as Brooksie, alongside Omid Djalili as Red and Kyle Secor as Andy.

Ian may be 67, but he admits Shawshank was too big of an attraction.

"I couldn't not do it," he says of the play. "The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favourite fims."

But isn't there a huge expectation, given the film was 
so succesful?

"Yes, there is that I suppose, 
but that was the same with 
Sister Act, in which I appeared 
in the West End.

"And there is that perennial question 'How can you take a succcesful film and transfer it into the theatre?'

"With Sister Act we were not even allowed to use the same music as the film, so you would think if you took that away you may struggle. But people came out of the theatre and said, 
'I really loved the music'.

"I think theatre works when it is done well. And what 
has been 
done with Shawshank is really clever theatre."

Ian, who was a regular in EastEnders from 2001-2005, plays Brooksie in the stage show, the elderly librarian.

He said: "My character hardly featured in the book. He was developed for the film, but he had to be in the play.

"However, there is a cast of 10 
in the show and everybody has 
a chance to perform."

The actor says he has been enjoying rehearsing alongside Omid.

He said: "I love being around comedians. I was brought up with variety theatre, and I really admire comedians and what they can do. To make people laugh each night requires sheer bravery.

"But I have to say it is a lovely mix we have here. And 
I think those who see the show will come across some very happy surprises in the 90 minutes."

Birmingham-born Ian clearly loves his work, the challenge of 
a new play. He has also survived his own health problems, including bladder cancer in the nineties and a heart attack in 2004.

"It happens to people and you have to carry on," he says.

"I just can't climb mountains any more. And I have stopped doing marathons.

"I have a senior rail card, otherwise I could not have afforded to come."

Ian has been acting since 
he was a child, going on to attend the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

His first television appearance saw him play the lead in 
a Rediffusion play Half Hour 
Story: Flowers At My Feet, 
in 1968.

In the same year, the 22-year-old was cast as Private Pike, the youngest member and 'stupid boy' of the platoon in Dad's Army.

Ian appeared in the entire run of the series, and in the spin-off film released in 1971.

Now, he will happily rewind 
on the 10 years of filming.

He said: "Are you kidding? It was wonderful for me to be able to work alongside the likes of John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn and John Laurie.

"Laurie, for example, was incredible. Such an incredibly well-read man, and you couldn't help but learn from him .

"I remember once giving him 
a lift in my little red sports car, and him reciting Tam O'Shanter. 
I adored him. And he was so professional. And humble.

"When he landed the part he said there weren't many 
73-year-old Scots actors to choose from, yet I was a young man in competition with thousands of others. He said I should celebrate that fact and he was right. He 
was eccentric of course, but very clever."

Ian was not worried about 
being typecast.

He said: "What? Do you think there is any actor in the country who if you said to them, 'Listen, we're going to put you in a show that will run for 10 years and you'll be watched by half the population, would you mind?' 
Not at all. It was a delight."

Does he get repeat fees?

"Yes, I do," he says, laughing. "The contracts were done in the days when actors did get repeats.

"But you know, the entire 
Dad's Army experience was such a delight.

"And we only filmed for 10 weeks a year. I remember 
once saying to David Croft (the co-writer) on one stint that took three weeks, that we could have done all the work in 10 days.

"He said, 'Yes, but you lot 
have so many stories to tell each other, you need to get that out 
of the way so filming can begin.

"It highlighted how we all 
got on.

"And he was right. For me, 
I looked on Dad's Army as 
summer camp, where I would 
go every year and meet my 
friends. It was a holiday that lasted 10 years."

Ian has no plans to retire.

"We don't retire," he says, grinning. "The business retires us. But it is a great situation to be in with the mortgage paid off and you get to do the work you really want to do. I am delighted."

l The Shawshank Redemption, The Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, August 1-25.