DAVID Essex will be rolling up his sleeves when he returns to the stage this year to play the lead role in a new play, The Dishwashers, which comes to Malvern Theatres on Monday.

When young Emmett (Rik Markarem) was a high flyer in the City he was a customer in an upmarket restaurant but now, thanks to a reversal in his fortunes, he’s starting a new career there – as a dishwasher alongside new colleagues, the dominant self-appointed leader, Dressler (Essex), who’s been scraping and scrubbing for more than 30 years, and the decrepit Moss (Andrew Jarvis) who’s about ready for retirement.

David Essex enjoys a career that has combined theatre, films, television and music, and returns to the stage in The Dishwashers after playing Eddie Moon in BBC TV's EastEnders.

Written by Morris Panych, The Dishwashers runs at Malvern Theatres from Monday, March 17 to Saturday, March 22. To book, call the box office on 01684 892277 or visit malvern-theatres.co.uk