“It’ll be me, making a fool of myself,” says Tenby’s famous actor Charles Dale of his show on Saturday, October 19 at the Torch, Milford Haven.

Spontaneous and ‘sweary’ at times as it reflects the acting industry, ‘Talking B******s with Charles Dale’ takes inspiration from Billy Connelly’s autobiography ‘Rambling Man’ and draws on a 45-year career in acting.

Charles has stories to share, songs to sing, and he’ll even recite some of the poems that were a Twitter/X sensation during lockdown: “a very strange twist in my life during Covid. I started writing poetry because I was angry and bored.” Charles then found himself on a Channel 4 poetry show with the now late poet, author and activist Benjamin Zephaniah, and being paid to be a poet for Pembrokeshire Coast National Parks.

“It’ll be an adventure.” The one-man show will help raise funds for the Pembrokeshire theatre that gave the Corrie and Casualty star his first break.

“I was 16 and dying quietly inside,” Charles remembers, when his mother wrote to the Torch Theatre and Artistic Director Graham Watkins helped him secure a Youth Opportunities Programme job working backstage for £18 a week. Charles worked with the carpenter, in lighting and in sound - “not very well,” he adds; “I was a massive pain in the a***.” Then at 17, he went to drama school. “I wouldn’t have done that if not for the experience at the Torch.”

Charles’ role as Gary “Chef” Alcock in The Lakes (1997) has been regarded as his ‘big break’ in a career of many characters. When asked about his favourite role, he declined to choose one. He was touched by the standing ovation in response to Cyrano de Bergerac at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, and said of Sherwood, “The cast was amazing. Being in a cast that strong was wonderful.”

Charles played Big Mac in 354 episodes of Casualty and had “a lovely time. It was in Cardiff for eight years,” so he was able to combine his work with family life.

As well as making some “great friends” on the Coronation Street set, Charles “was able to play with some of the best cricketers in the world,” and that impressed him more than the skills of other actors, because it was not so familiar: to experience how incredible it is for someone to be able to hit a six from a ball coming at them at 90mph.

Charles now lives in Clareston Road, having come back to Tenby after the second lockdown. “Actors are always on the road, so it was good to come home.”

His late father Laurie Dale had Dales Music Shop in Tudor Square and young Charles grew up in an eclectic world of music. But he would have preferred his father to own Barry Llewellyn Sports. He was more interested in trainers than vinyl records.

“Dad said: ‘You don’t want the shop, do you?’ then he left it to us. Richard [Harrison] has been amazing,” enabling Charles to step away from the business.

But Charles is grateful to his parents, both talented local actors for their encouragement, and adds: “If Mum and Dad had had the breaks I’ve had, I’d have been the son of two well-known actors.”

He also credits the early influence of “two terrifying, indomitable women”: Barbara Fisher, who headed up Tenby Players when Charles joined, age 8, and Pauline Allen, who directed the Gang Shows.

The one-off fundraiser for the Torch Theatre on Saturday, October 19 will see Charles share tall tales, home truths and remarkable stories of his 45 years as a star of stage and screen.

“The Torch is a vitally important asset to Pembrokeshire,” says Charles. “It’s not just the theatre, it’s a cinema, a warm room and there’s the Youth Theatre as well.”

‘Talking B******s With Charles Dale - From the Torch Theatre to Broadway’ starts at 7.30pm. To book, visit torchtheatre.co.uk or call 01646 695267.