UNTIL AUGUST 14 2004, BATH: SIMON NYE, creator of the sit-com Men Behaving Badly, provides a compelling translation of Molire's hilarious comedy, Don Juan, as part of The Peter Hall Company 2004 season at the Theatre Royal Bath.

Directed by award winner Thea Sharrock, this new production stars James Laurenson, right, Will Keen, Rebecca Hall and Mark Hadfield and is appearing from Tuesday until August 14.

Legendary lover, Don Juan (played by Will Keen) is a serial womanizer who just cannot help himself. A beautiful woman exists for him to woo and win, deflower and forget. Having seduced the virtuous Elvira (played by Rebecca Hall) and killed her noble father, her family are out for revenge...

Trying to keep his son under control is James Laurenson, in the role of Don Juan's father, Don Luis.

"I play an eccentric, aristocratic Spaniard, who is very cross at his son's behaviour," said James.

Don Juan was first performed at the Theatre du Palais-Royal in 1665. Few plays can have generated more controversy than Molire's audacious comic masterpiece. Having offended both church and state, the play was banned after just fifteen performances.

Simon Nye's translation is set in late 19th century Spain and the dialogue has been modernised from Molire's original work.

"The play is a moral journey throughout as Don Juan tries to defy God and ends up in hell," said James.

As well as his role in Don Juan, James is also appearing in Man And Superman and Galileo's Daughter, as part of the Peter Hall Company Season at the Theatre Royal.

"We are rehearsing all the plays at the same time but it is not too confusing as some of the plays are linked. Galileo's Daughter is a bit different but is still based on people going against religion," said James. "The only problems we have are making sure there are enough people to practice a scene in a certain play as most of the cast are appearing in at least two of the plays."

On stage James has played many leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre and his numerous television credits include, most recently Spooks, State of Play, Born and Bred, and Hustle, as well as, Cagney and Lacey, The Professionals, Inspector Morse and Prime Suspect, to name but a few.

Having starred in TV programmes in both America and the UK, James has noted many differences.

"American TV is a lot quicker," he said. "But the scripts are much better over here. For example State Of Play had a really beautiful script and was very exciting to do."

James has appeared at the Theatre Royal Bath once before in 1996, in A Delicate Balance.

"It is a terrific theatre as it is a good size and you can see where people are," he said. "You have good audience contact and the acoustics are great."

Don Juan

Theatre Royal Bath

Tuesday until August 14