Robert Demeger was teaching English at a Canterbury secondary school, when he felt that there was something missing from his life.

As time went on, he realised that the need to act ran through his soul "like a river under ground", so he packed away his chalk and went off to train as an actor.

His career has gone from strength to strength since then, and although he still teaches (rather than rests) between jobs, in the 20 years that he's embraced acting the longest spell he's needed to teach has been four months.

Currently Robert is playing Shylock in the Merchant of Venice at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff (on until Sunday). It is the second time that he has appeared as part of the New Palace Theatre Repertory Company - he was Scrooge in the opening production A Christmas Carol as Scrooge.

From the miserable miser Scrooge to the moneylender Shylock who is determined to get the pound of flesh offered as collateral. Are they not two rather similar roles?

"They're similar I suppose, because they are both villainous," replies Robert thoughtfully. "Scrooge is mean and miserable, he has no charity.

"Shylock is single-minded, he wants his pound of flesh. But what interests me is not the villainy, but the humanity beneath.

"Scrooge is redeemable, he changes. Shylock has a reason for behaving as he does. He is abused by the Christian state, both before and after the trial."

Robert's performances have received much critical acclaim so it is not surprising to learn that he has worked with some of this country's top companies, including six years with the Royal Shakespeare Company in both London and Stratford.

He's also no stranger to TV, appearing in many diverse productions including Great Expectations, By the Sword Divided, and Longitude as well as The Bill, Maisie Raine, Peak Practice, Inspector Morse and the Thin Blue Line.

He is optimistic that the work is there, but admits that like most actors he panics: "In my low moments I'm always insecure. Can I do it?. . . Will I be found out? . . I'll never work again . . . All actors have self-confidence mixed with self-doubt."

He speaks slowly and softly, his voice is measured and gives the impression of great depth and a love of each and every word.

The son of a printer who grew up in the East End, he explains: "I don't come from a theatrical family. There was no indication that I would be an actor." He believes that it isn't just talent that's required for a successful career: "You have to have certain strengths to be an actor, talent is just part of the struggle.

"You have to be able to deal with unemployment, money worries, being away from your family for weeks on end, missing out on the kids growing up."

Robert has two children, a 13-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter, and he knows how it feels to be an absent father: "I'm not there as much as other dads, but when I am there, I'm really there. They don't have a dad who falls asleep in front of the TV.

"When I'm there I try to make up for the time I'm not. Sundays are very precious; when I'm out of work the time is precious.

"I take them to the theatre as much as I can. I take them to lots of things. Arts in general are not an optional extra. Not if you have the time and money - you have to make them a priority.

"If all you have is work and how you get your money, you'll have nothing to make sense of the world and no enjoyment.

It is Robert's belief that everybody should get involved in the arts and it is one of the reasons that he volunteered to get involved in the school workshops that the Palace has started running.

"The youngsters see we are real people doing a job who go home and have to remember to buy the bread like anyone else. Not just as a fantasy figures."

The Merchant of Venice is at the Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff until Sunday.

Fleshing out the roles - Robert Demeger as Shylock in the Palace Theatre's Merchant of Venice, left, with Jessica-Kate Taylor

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.