WORKING with Alan Ayckbourn is a far cry from slaving away in a council office but that's the route Matthew Cottle took.

"It was a dream come true," explains Matthew, best known for appearing BBC's Game On. "I loved doing Comic Potential in the West End because it was brilliant to work with Alan Ayckbourn."

Now local boy Matthew is in another Ayckbourn play, Taking Steps, but this time at the Mill at Sonning near Reading in which he takes on the role of Tristram.

Matthew, who lives in Taplow with his wife Sarah and children Hannah, four years old and Harry, two, says: "It's a very funny play. There's a lot of mistaken identities, twists and turns, but it all becomes clear when you watch it."

So how did Matthew go from working at the council to treading the boards?

"I was born in Burnham and went to Burnham Upper School," explains Matthew. "Then I started work at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council as a surveyor until I was old enough to get into drama school because they didn't take people as young as 16.

"I worked there for three years. I was just biding my time really and I was only earning £40 a week."

He also learnt some of his acting skills at the local amateur dramatic group.

"I joined Maidenhead Village Theatre. It was a really good bunch of people and we put on all sorts of productions and it was a real laugh to do."

But one play was the turning point for Matthew.

"It was when I did Midsummer Night's Dream with the group that I knew I wanted to be an actor.

"My parents used to say I was hard to live with when I wasn't working on a production, because I loved it."

Matthew's dream was realised when he won a place at RADA. Since then his career has gone from strength to strength, appearing in numerous stage productions including The Dice House and The Sunshine Boys and TV shows including A Perfect State, Drop the Dead Donkey and Men of the World.

Matthew, who also starred in the film Chaplin, has lived in Berkshire all his life apart from a small break when he lived in London while he was at drama school.

"Then I got married and had some young children and we didn't want to bring them up and live in London."

So he decided to return to his roots.

"Taplow is close to everything and I know people here.

"Once I was doing a play in the West End and I got a message from one of my old teachers saying I must be the first pupil of the school to have his name up in lights. That was very nice."

Matthew was catapulted to fame when he starred as shy Martin in the hit comedy Game On.

"It was the best job because it made my name. It was good fun and I really loved doing it. I was sorry it all stopped. I haven't done that for three years now but it still stays with people."

He laughs: "They still shout 'you ginger t****r' in the street."

But does Matthew share any of Martin's characteristics of being very timid and lacking in confidence, especially where women are concerned?

"I hope not," he laughs. "I have always had a girlfriend, so not the girl side of it, but I could possibly share some of his nervousness.

"I tend to get offered the same sort of roles but I don't worry about being type cast because if you do something reasonably well why not keep doing it. I have done other things as well, like I played a stalker in The Bill."

Matthew says he loves his job so much, especially live performances, that sometimes he cannot believe he gets paid to do it.

So what is the best part of his job?

"When you are on that stage and the audience are up for it and you know you have a good line coming," says Matthew. "After that little pause you say it and when you get that laugh, there's very few better feelings."

Taking Steps, written by Alan Ayckbourn, shows from January 15 to February 23 at the Mill at Sonning. Box Office 0118 969 8000