YOU would think that being cast in a globally-successful television series would entitle you to sit back and take it easy.

Not so. David Robb, who plays dashing Dr Clarkson in Downton Abbey, is on stage at Lighthouse in Poole this week in Haunted, a spooky, autumnal adaptation of two Charles Dickens ghost stories.

He will appear as Lord Grey, the aristocratic owner of a stately home who is visited by David Filde, a young man (James Roach) brought in to catalogue his library.

But a series of unexplained events keep David away from his work and as he and the Lord start to investigate what’s going on, they find themselves drawn into a terrifying spectral world.

It is very different from Downton, but David says he is enjoying the change and the challenge.

“It can be difficult to balance film and stage work but to be honest, most actors just take the next job because they can’t afford to pick and choose,” he said.

“The only power they have is to say ‘no’.

“I haven’t been on stage for six or seven years so this is good for me – I like the discipline of doing the shows and learning the dialogue.

I think film actors have a gremlin on their shoulders about stage actors who have to learn lines and getting on stage gets rid of that gremlin.”

Delving into the supernatural has not proved too spooky so far for the cast.

“I think there’s something interesting about unexplained phenomenon,”

David said. “I’ve never seen a ghost but there are things that can’t be explained and I find that intriguing. Maybe there’s not just a void out there when you peg out.

“What we have here are two ghost stories by Dickens combined into one show.

“There are quite a few cliffhangers and it is pretty technical for a stage show so there are things to make the audience jump.

“Dickens was very good at writing cliff-hangers and if he was alive today I expect he would be writing for episodic television.”

Something along the lines of Downton Abbey maybe? David’s character, Dr Clarkson, has been in Julian Fellowes’ country house drama since the beginning, but is appearing more in the current series than the previous two.

David said: “It’s quite a peripheral character because he’s not family or staff at the house but it’s a good thing to be a part of, especially since the show has become a global phenomenon.

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to be part of it? We are at the point now when several well known actors are coming on for quite small cameos.

“We were all amazed when it got so big – even Julian was surprised I think – and I don’t know why it has become so immensely successful. It just has that x factor I guess.”

The Haunting runs at the Lighthouse, Poole until Saturday.