Ayub Patel who is appearing in one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedy’s Twelfth Night says he would love to see more Asian people involved in theatre.

Performances of Twelfth Night run from Wednesday 30 September to Saturday 3 October at the Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn.

The Blackburn Drama Club have performed Shakespeare many times at Hoghton Tower but this is their first full-length production.

Ayub Patel plays the role of Orsino, Duke of Illyria, the absurd romantic who is courting the inaccessible Olivia.

Ayub said, “I have never had any drama classes or studied acting. If I have learnt anything at all, it’s probably as a result of watching endless amounts of television!

“I first performed in a play about 4 years ago. I always get nervous before a performance which they keep reminding me is natural.

"There have been evenings before a performance when I have tremendous difficulty in remembering any of my lines.

"On nights like these nerves are replaced with a state of utter frenzied panic!”

Ayub admits that Shakespeare was never a favourite genre of his growing up.

“In all honesty, I wasn’t a fan of the great Shakespeare until I joined this production.

“I am gaining a wonderful insight to the play and it helps that I am working with such a fabulous bunch of actors.”

Ayub says that whilst acting is not his main job, he would love to see an increase in Asian and ethnic minority actors in the creative industries.

“Apart from a handful of soaps there’s a scarcity of Asian actors on stage or screen. I would love to see more local people involved in local theatre.

“As a town, Blackburn has a sizeable Asian community but I can’t think of many or a few for that matter who may have thought of acting.

“I’d like to know how many even know there’s a beautiful old theatre in the town.

“Acting in general by all accounts is a precarious profession so for Asian actors I would consider the choice of acting as a career as one which is even more likely to be tainted by frustration.

“I must confess I would love it if children irrespective of race, nationality or religion took up acting."

Apart from being tremendous fun the fact you have to learn lines, rehearse and work together are all things that are great for personal development.”