David Soul is in Sevenoaks this week rehearsing the Sam Shepard play "Fool For Love", in readiness for a fortnight's run at the Edinburgh Festival.
The production is very much a family affair as the cast includes his wife Alexa Hamilton, who is also co-producer with David, and son Kristofer, who has flown in from Los Angeles.
The remaining cast member, Stefan Dennis, is another face that fringe audiences will recognise from his days in the Australian soap Neighbours.
Before moving lick, stock and video camera to the Stag Theatre in London Road, early rehearsals were held at the Goudhurst home of the play's production manager, Chris Yates.
David, who has lived in London since 1995, said: "The set was built in the barn at Chris' so rather than rehearse in London in some dank little studio we decided to go there with the dogs, horses and the ghosts of around 20 other sets that are gathering dust."
While some of us still remember him as the man who made a million girls' hearts throb as Hutch in the series Starsky and Hutch, David is not only an acclaimed theatre actor but also a director with an impressive list of credits spanning decades of popular culture including hit shows like Miami Vice and Hill Street Blues. However, Fool For Love is his first venture into the theatre direction.
Set in a run down motel room in the Mojave desert, the play is the love story of two people with a tragic secret.
Twenty-first century technology takes the drama from sunrise through an electric storm, sunset and moonlight while video footage, computer-generated imaging and a 'live' on-stage video camera create dramatic visual and sound effects.
The final ingredient in what David describes as "a bit of an experiment" is the original country blues score written by Hugh Burns, George Michael's lead guitarist.
So why choose the Edinburgh Festival instead of the West End?
David said: "I've always been mad about fringe. Fringe, by its very nature, is taking a chance.
"In the West End it has to be a big success on Broadway or someplace else before they'll bring it in."

back to exclusive DSAC