Tom Chambers is starring as Inspector Morse in Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from November 11 to 15.

And he promises a “delicious treat” for anyone who is a fan of the Inspector Morse stories and the television show - like himself.

Tom said: “It's such a fantastic, reliable brand, and this piece of writing by Alma Cullen is fascinating. She was one of the original four writers from the very first series when it came out in 1987.

“But this is an original play that only had a small tour in 2010 and was broadcast on the radio a few years later. For most people it will be a new story that they've never seen before. That's really exciting.”

Tom believes the Morse people will see on stage in Woking is very much one with whom they will be familiar.

He said: “Given that Alma was one of the original writers, he's very much the Inspector Morse that we know and love. It's the classic, iconic character, and the play is so well-written, so fluent and fluid.

“The only difference, I guess, is the fact that there's a nostalgic element to it because - without giving too much away - it's about catching up with Morse's past from 25 years ago, revolving around unrequited love from someone he was at Oxford University with.

“That's the backstory, and at times perhaps we're seeing him when he's at his most vulnerable. We're seeing the domestic or the personal side of Morse as well as the professional one. It's about a play within a play, where a murder happens and Morse runs into his love interest from all those years ago.”

Morse's interests are eclectic - classical music, especially opera and Wagner, cryptic crosswords, real ale and his classic red Jaguar Mark 2 - and Tom thinks he can relate to him in some ways.

He said: “I'm not necessarily someone who's really modern and really cool, not to put myself down, and I think Morse is like that too.

“He's not necessarily chivalrous, because he can be quite hard at times; he can be harsh, very black-and-white and very honest. He says it how it is, but he does have a sort of gentlemanly manner about him. I like playing that and exploring it.”

The character is a big one to take on, but Tom is looking forward to it.

He said: “It is daunting, but it's a thrilling challenge. The thrill for me is in the dialogue and the writing, the camaraderie between Morse and Lewis and their relationship - where you have that classic thing of him putting Lewis down but with a sense of irony or jest and sometimes despair.

“The audience don't want to see something that's completely, shockingly unexpected, although there's a different kind of energy to the setting because we're back in 1987 where there are no mobile phones and it's all analogue. I love that idea.”