An Olivier Award nominee Mark McGann has been directing a performance by students at Matravers School in Westbury.

Mr McGann, who is originally from Liverpool but has lived in Frome for the last four years, shared his acting skills and experience with drama students this week.

Mr McGann, whose brothers, Joe, Paul and Stephen are also actors, was working with Year 11 pupils who are filming a performance of the play Car by playwright Chris O’Connell, which is about a group of young car thieves.

The 49-year-old, whose brother Paul is most famous for his portrayal of I in cult classic Withnail and I, first appeared on stage in 1981 in the production Lennon.

He played John Lennon, a role which won him the first of his two Olivier Award nominations for best actor in a West End show. His second nomination came as musical director and principal actor in the musical Up On The Roof. Mr McGann, whose TV credits include Scully, The Hanging Gale and The Grand, now runs a company called Drama Direct Ltd which offers masterclasses to professionals and amateurs.

He said: “I always wanted to lift the lid on the industry’s secrets and that’s why I started these masterclasses. They’re getting an experience that they would get on any film set. We’re taking that to them.

“I know a few of them are going on to study film so this will hold them in good stead.

“The children have had a great time and they get an enormous amount out of it.

“You can just see it on their faces, it dawns on them that they are good and they can see themselves on camera.”

Josh Harvey, 16, who played Tim in the group’s performance, said: “Mark is just like any other teacher, even though he’s worked with celebrities. We respect him and he respects us.

“Drama is the one subject I really enjoy because you can express yourself.”