All in a day's work for Norfolk's latest star

BEING a gangster, a police officer, film technician, boxing ref-eree, mercenary and even Father Christmas and Darth Maul from Star Wars is all in a day's work for Hether-sett man David Frost.

For, after a career spanning almost 30 years with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, he has turned his attention to acting - and he could be coming to a film or TV screen near you soon.

When David retired from the fire service he had no intention of taking it easy, preferring to follow his love of acting by searching out work, first as an extra and latterly as a more prominent member of film and television casts.

David has a love of the limelight but could never have dreamt of the diverse roles in which he would be cast. He has already played numerous roles, including henchman One Ball Barry in Malice in Wonderland, a cameraman in the Matt Wildash film, Grip, a police officer in The Scouting Book for Boys, a film technician in Stephen Poliakoff's 1939 and, most recently, a photographer for a six-part TV drama which is directed by Sarah O'Gorman and due to be screened in the autumn.

David is also carving a niche for himself in television, making appearances in a commercial and as a maitre d'h�tel in the BBC3 comedy, Fresh. And he has appeared as a boxing ref in a bare-knuckle fight video shot to promote the track, The General, by London rock band The Rifles.

He has dressed up as Santa for Christmas at Chapelfield shopping centre in Norwich and Darth Maul as part of his membership of the Norwich Star Wars Club.

His acting career has seen him appear on the same set as stars such as Sir Ben Kingsley and feature in films starring Christopher Lee, Bill Nighy and Julie Christie. Malice in Wonderland saw him working alongside Danny Dyer, Mag-gie Grace and Nathaniel Parker. It received good rev-iews at Cannes Film Festival.

"Acting is certainly hard work and not as easy as it seems, but I love it and would like to become a professional actor and be accepted as such," said David. "I feel I know my way round a film set and know the difference bet-ween a gaffer and a best boy."

One of David's aims is to join the actors' union Equity. That will mean a change of name - they already have a David Frost on their books!

"I have picked the stage name of David Norfolk. I am proud of where I come from and thought it would be nice to have this reflected in my acting name," he said. "I did a bit of acting many years ago when I was at college. I am also used to dressing up as Darth Maul in the Norwich Star Wars Club, which is in its tenth year, and I had a role

in the fire service which involved giving presentat-ions, which is a bit like being on stage as you have to inject your personality and some life into things."