Donald McBride is one of three familiar North-East faces who are creating a premier performance of Taakin' Heads by Arthur McKenzie at Durham's Gala Theatre.

HE'S played just about every North-East role you can imagine, but veteran actor Donald McBride is revelling in the opportunity of playing Newcastle's last Victorian underground toilet attendant.

Based on the real-life character who once proudly patrolled the facilities in the early 1970s under the road outside the city's famous Theatre Royal, the story has been brought to life by ex-policeman turned writer Arthur McKenzie. He's created three monologues in all with a little nod in the direction of the great Alan Bennett by christening them Taakin Heeds for another inspirational premier at Durham Gala Theatre, running July 5-8. The hard-working Gala boss Simon Stallworthy directs.

Donald joins old pal David Whitaker and Jack McBride, no relation, on stage in what promises to be a night of colourful comedy and pathos.

"I love my character because he's what you'd call a 'posh Geordie' who thinks he speaks perfect English, but it's anything but. He would see himself as a senior sanitary operative rather than a lavatory man because he has delusions of grandeur and tells everyone he once trained as an actor," explains Donald, who can list the Royal Shakespeare Company, BBC and ITV, Radio 4 and a wealth of regional theatre in his own career.

Donald fondly remembers the underground toilet in Newcastle but admits that the legendary attendant had been retired by the time he visited the 'facilities' during his university days in 1975.

"The toilets were closed in the late 1970s and basically filled in, which seems a shame when the attendant had spent something like 20 years presiding over this Victorian palace of marble tiles and beautiful brass taps," he explains. Luckily, Arthur McKenzie was able to create the character of dapper Ernest Holloway Burton from his Sixties memories when the lavatory man used to invite beat bobbies 'down below' for a cuppa.

"He even used to nip out to the covered market to buy them a saveloy sandwich. Arthur remembers there being theatre posters on the walls and is positive the attendant had stenciled his own name on them to make it look like he'd appeared in the theatre royal productions. He was a magpie for memorabilia of the stage and records. He had a big collection of old 78s which he used to play in his cubicle in the loos. Basically, he regarded the underground toilets as his home from home," laughs Donald.

"I also enjoy the way he explains his name 'Ernest after Hemingway, Holloway after Stanley and Burton... after the tailor'. I think all the Vim and vinegar used in such an enclosed space has turned his brain," he jokes.

The two McBrides and David Whitaker have appeared in just about every major theatre and TV production in the North-East over the last 25 years, including Spender, Our Friend In The North, Billy Elliot, Oh What A Lovely War and Goal.

Director Simon Stallworthy feels Taakin' Heeds is one of the highlight productions of the year and admits that he never thought that his invitation to all three actors to take part would be accepted.

Donald and David are founder members of Newcastle's Live Theatre and recently revived their roles in A Nightingale Sang In Eldon Square at the venue which is about to be comprehensively improved.

"I played the role of Granddad back in the 1970s when I was 25 and I've told them to revive it again in another 20 years so I can actually play my real age," said McBride, who, at 53, is still having to age nine years to become Newcastle's legend of the loos.