HE used to earn a living as an opera and ballet reviewer for the Daily Mail but now he is the one in the media spotlight.

For David Gillard has become a key player in Dorset amateur dramatics and is about to star in a new TV show to find the nation’s best am-dram group.

David who lives with his wife Valerie in Highcliffe, was invited to audition for the Highcliffe Charity Players in 2000.

“We went to have our hair cut and Erica our hairdresser said ‘you’ve got a nice voice’ and asked if we’d done any acting.”

As it happens, they had – Valerie had trained at the Guildhall and he had done am-dram in his 20s so they accepted Erica’s invitation to audition for the Highcliffe Charity Players and have barely been off-stage since.

So much so that David is now appearing in a new Sky Arts show ‘Britain’s Best Am Dram’.

The six part series which launched last week is a kind of upmarket X Factor for talented amateur thesps.

“We started off by sending in a five-minute clip of us in Much Ado About Nothing and we were in the initial 20 groups chosen,” he said.

Following a public vote and input from judges Miriam Margolyes, critic Quentin Letts and impresario Bill Kenwright, The Regent Rep moved into the final stages.

“We had to perform in a number of top theatres across the country,” he said. “Each group got its own mentor and ours was Jill Halfpenny, the former EastEnders actress and Strictly Come Dancing winner”

Although David is prevented from revealing any outcome he was thrilled with the company’s achievements.

“It’s was our first competition so to have achieved all that was incredible,” he said. “I just think this area is bursting at the seams with amazing talent.”