AN actor and director from Salisbury who also works as a nursing assistant at Salisbury Hospital is staging a play in the city to raise funds for the Stars Appeal Breast Cancer Campaign.

Dan Avery has acted for more than ten years and has played leading roles both in the theatre and in film.

Now he is combining his nursing experience with his love of acting to direct a play called Tissue by Louise Page.

The 34-year-old said: “Tissue has become a huge passion and project for me, as I whole heartedly believe in what the Stars Appeal are doing and from my work in the hospital, know exactly how it can affect people and their loved ones alike.

“I'm hoping I can finally take my passion and training and marry it with my experiences with the hospital to not only create a thoroughly entertaining piece of theatre, but to move people as well, raising awareness of what these women go through and hopefully raise as much money as possible.”

In 2013 Avery, who did a diploma in Performing Arts at Salisbury College before going onto university, played Macbeth in the Shakespearean tragedy at the London Fringe in 2013 and was also the face of Panasonic UK in online commercials while last year he played a leading role in Olive Green, the world’s first interactive feature film.

He said: “I went to the Edinburgh Fringe in August and came back in a little theatre bubble.

“I saw the breast cancer appeal and just thought I could do a play to raise money for that “I remembered studying a play while at university about breast cancer by Louise Page and got in touch with her to get a licence to the show and that’s when I got funding from Moore Stephens.

“The support has been fantastic because it’s a cause that people feel strongly about and it’s a local charity.”

He added: “From my point of view, I want to do it as professionally as it can be so I have been in London, putting out casting calls and held auditions there.

“I have five really good professional actors from London who will be donating their time for free – everybody has been chipping in.”

Tissue will be on stage at Studio Theatre in Ashley Road from May 3 to 9 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 with a special gala night on May 2 which will be £20 and will include a champagne reception and the silent auction.

Any businesses interested in providing prizes for a silent auction can contact danjavery@aol.com For tickets visit ticketsource.co.uk/tissue or collect tickets from Moore Stephens on the Salisbury Business Park or call 01722 335182.