A West End star is looking forward to giving a special one-off performance at the home-town theatre where he first tread the boards.

Rob Houchen will be singing a selection of his own songs alongside pop hits past and present and popular show tunes at the Seagull theatre in Pakefield on January 22.

The 25 year-old from Lowestoft finished a 32-month run playing Marius in the smash hit West End musical Les Misérables last year and most recently appeared in Titanic at the Charing Cross Theatre.

He also writes music and released his first EP entitled RH in June, which reached 39 in the iTunes charts and featured four pop covers and one self-penned track– Warning Signs

Mr Houchen, who attended a regular drama group at the Seagull in his early teens, said: 'I played on the streets outside the Seagull with my friends and went to drama group upstairs. It is important to keep in touch with where you are from.'

A former pupil of Pakefield Primary, Pakefield Middle, Kirkley High School and East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Mr Houchen went on to achieve a first class BA(Hons) degree in musical theatre from Guildford School of Acting

He urged budding performers to work hard to achieve their dreams.

'I was always inspired by the people I knew who had gone on to do well,' he said. 'I want to come back and inspire others and say it isn't impossible to go to drama school and do what you want to do, be in a big show and write your own music and release it.'

Mr Houchen is currently working on new music, which he plans to release as an EP or album.

Visit www.theseagull.co.uk for more details and to buy tickets.