Mark Homer played a gay reporter in EastEnders. Now the young father has changed artistic direction - bringing his own play to Southend

You may have last seen the actor Mark Homer heading off into the metaphorical sunset with his gay lover on EastEnders.

Now Mark, who played reporter Tony Hills in the popular soap, is coming to the Dixon Studio, Westcliff, starring in a play he has co-written with an EastEnders' director Ray Kilby and actress Carolina Giametta.

In EastEnders Mark's character was confused about his sexuality, flitting between Tiffany Raymond and her brother Simon. It was Simon who won the day and he and Tony packed their rucksacks and headed off to Europe.

Back in the real world Mark was pleased to be written out of the soap as it has given him time to pursue a more creative path.

"I was last on screen in EastEnders a year ago," he explains. "It seems a lot longer.

"When you are in something like that you are almost living there. It doesn't leave time for other projects.

"I had wanted to work with Ray, but this is the first time I've been able to do it."

For the past year Mark has been working on the new play, Boxed, which receives its premiere in the Dixon on Monday

"It started off as an improvisation," says Mark. "It is a study of the break up of a relationship. You see the characters as they meet two months after a split. It is an attempt at reconciliation by him.

"Through the play you learn all about the relationship. From the first meeting to the first kiss on to the first argument.

"It has heavy moments, but also light touches. You grasp the feeling that they are supposed to be together.

"There is hope, you never quite know if they are going to get back together or not. It's a bit of a teaser."

On-stage relationships, it seems, are Mark's speciality. In EastEnders Tony's main storylines revolved around his complicated relationships not only with Tiffany and Simon, but with himself. "He was so screwed up that bloke," snorts Mark.

The door has been left open for Tony's possible return, but Mark has no plans in that direction at the moment.

"We'll see what happens," he says. "I was there just over three years. The first two years I really enjoyed it. The role was challenging, but in the third year the storyline moved towards other characters - which is fair enough.

"It is good to get out of the public eye. People tend to put you in a pigeon hole, they see you as a type." It's hard to see exactly what type he could be pigeon-holed into - gay, straight, thoroughly confused?

However there is no such confusion in his off-screen life. The 26-year-old is happily settled with actress Jayne Denny and two-year-old daughter Elinor. "She's just starting the terrible twos," Mark laughs fondly.

He is fortunate that both grandmothers help out with minding her while Jayne is on tour in Naked Flame.

Now EastEnders has given Mark a bit of security so that he can concentrate on other work: "I've done a couple of ads, he says. "I would like to break into the British film industry. A lot of actors have that ambition.

For now I will carry on working on my own projects. I will develop Boxed and see how it goes.

"I am confident about things."

The unusual title of the play comes from the fact that the characters are in a basement flat. Both feel claustrophobic, trapped by the relationship, the intensity and the four walls.

"We were going to call it Boxed In," says Mark, but we settled for Boxed. We try and create the feeling that the characters are as stifled as possible."

Mark enjoys playing in theatre. His credits include Feste the fool in Twelfth Night and Inspector Pisani in Accidental Death. "I love the adrenaline in live theatre," he says.

"You can't believe the intensity of something like EastEnders. Being in a programme you are told what to do and directed - but not in detail. Stagework is different. Although I am interested in films as well, I am ready to do theatre now."

Tickets for Boxed are available from the box office at the Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff, or by calling 01702 342564.

New beginning - actor Mark Homer is now writing as well as performing

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