Actor, director and composer Conrad Nelson has good reason to remember his appearance in the Wars Of The Roses trilogy last year. He spent ten days in hospital after badly gashing his knee during rehearsals.

That didn't stop him playing Richard III or leading the musical contribution in this Shakespearean epic, masterminded by Northern Broadsides' actor-manager Barrie Rutter.

Nelson has been part and parcel of the Yorkshire-based company since the start 16 years ago. He's currently its associate director who acts, directs and composes for productions.

As well as writing the music for the current touring show, The Tempest, he also appears as Trinculo. "He's one of the comic duo who basically camp around the stage, which is the only way to play it," explains Nelson.

"I'm only in for four scenes but, because it's a comic part, you remember it."

He's been part of every Northern Broadside show except one, when he was away making a feature film.

Back in the early days, the idea of actor musicians wasn't as popular as it is now. He began as "an actor who did some music" and saw writing music for productions develop into the major contribution it is today.

"In those early days, everyone was mucking in and it's still like that, just a question of getting productions on," says Liverpool-born Nelson.

"I said I'd have a go at composing. It went from production to production. You learn on the job, trying to acquire new skills. Then I began writing music for other people.

"There's a financial interest too. The more you can do, the more employable you become."

He's stayed a long time with Broadsides, in common with many other actors, because of the good projects as the music and acting have become intertwined.

"It's very unusual to find such a continuance within a company, but you find many actors come back more than once," he says.

In the Wars Of The Roses trilogy, music was a key element of the marathon production that focused on four of Shakespeare's history plays.

"What I do is go off and do my own thing, trying to bring the music from an actor's point of view," he says. "It's always part of the concept. It can be the thing that most identifies a show."

As associate director, he has an office at Broadsides' base in Halifax but says, "It's not an office job. For me, it's about getting a show on." Nelson also works outside the company, appearing in two shows at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle under Lyme. Last year he directed David Mamet's play Oleanna there, and is set to direct the Christmas show at Bolton Octagon this year.

He also directed Vacuum, a new play by his partner Deborah McAndrew, the former Coronation Street actress. They met in the Broadsides production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1995.

"Because we wake up next to each other, we could talk about and develop the play, and I had quite a lot of input. I enjoyed that and we might be developing another together, probably a small cast play because generally it's difficult to get anything big on."

The Tempest continues at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, until April 14 (tickets 0113-2137700).

It then tours to Scarborough Stephen Joseph Theatre, May 8-12 (tickets 01723-370541), Durham Gala Theatre, May 15-19 (tickets 0191-3324041) and Richmond Georgian Theatre Royal, June 5-9 (tickets 01748-825252).

Steve Pratt