Years after his success as a primetime TV host on the likes of Stars in their Eyes, Matthew Kelly has long since reinvented himself as a serious actor, even winning an Olivier Award.

Once he’s finished in panto in Richmond, he’ll play Kingston and return to a role which won rave reviews last year.

Toast is real-life story of seven men working in a bread factory in Hull in 1975 when crisis hits.

Having been a hit in London last year, it is heading on tour and is at Kingston’s Rose Theatre from February 4 to 13 next year.

Kelly plays Walter ‘Nellie’ Nelson, a man who has worked in the factory all his life and is ‘like the walking dead – battered by a lifetime of hard labour’.

The actor said: “It’s a big hearted, incredibly moving play about real people within a real community and I feel very honoured to be playing one of them again. Oh, and of course it’s very funny.”

Toast was written by Richard Bean, who wrote One Man, Two Guvnors and also stars Simon Greenhall, probably best known to audiences as Michael in I’m Alan Partridge.

Kelly said: “Simon used to be one of my staff writers for years on You Bet, and in the four years I worked on the show he was one of my favourite writers. So I’ve known him for 25 years (oh God!). He’s always made me laugh and is a terrific actor and a clever man. I admire him very much.”

Once the UK tour is finished, Toast will head out to New York.

“I’ve actually never played New York so it’s absolutely thrilling to be going there with Toast,” said Kelly. “Off Broadway is especially exciting because the venue we’re going to – 59E59 – is hugely respected and well known in Britain but you don’t have the huge pressure of the commercialisation of Broadway like you do with the bigger venues in New York.

“We can relax, do our job and enjoy ourselves without worrying about that side of the business.”

Toast is at The Rose Theatre, Kingston, from February 4 to 13. Tickets cost from £8. Go to rosetheatrekingston.org