PLAYING Dracula in the West End is a dream come true for former Bournemouth schoolboy Doug Child.

His career has completely transformed from his days working as a call advisor at First Assist in Bournemouth to wowing thousands of people on stage as part of the cult collective The Circus of Horrors.

The dream started when Doug, aged 36, saw an advert looking for a someone to play Nosferatu – The Camp Dracula in the new spectacular for its West End debut.

He said: “I was busy working in a call centre for First Assist and saw the ad in the Stage and before I knew it I was performing with The Circus of Horrors in a packed theatre in London’s West End.”

The actor went to Pokesdown School and then Porchester School and first saw stardom when he played the Mad Hatter in Adventure Wonderland.

Doug, who still lives in Bournemouth, is on the road most of the time with the travelling show but still calls the seaside town his home.

After leaving Adventure Wonderland Doug worked as a performer at children’s parties for four years and at the First Assist call centre.

Doug is accompanied on stage by Stephanie Mercury, who is another local actress from Corfe Mullen.

He added: “I have always been a fan of horror and Nosferatu was my hero.

“I studied his every move so when I went for the audition I had it pretty well nailed. Nevertheless, I was still shocked to be given the job.”

The Circus of Horrors show stormed into the finals of Britain’s Got Talent with their eclectic collection of the macabre inspired by the streets of Victorian London.

Ever since its conception at Glastonbury Festival in 1995 the tour has achieved world cult status, shocking audiences with daredevil acts, from a pickled person to outstanding aerial acrobatics.

Tickets are now on sale at the Bournemouth Pavilion Ticket office for the performance on Monday, March 17 at 7.30pm.