A funny thing happened to John Ross on his way to stardom in local amateur dramatics.

At the age of six he made an important discovery: he loved performing. Cast as Joseph in his first nativity play, he was standing before a large audience of fawning parents, anxious teachers, and twitching students when suddenly his partner, `the virgin Mary', was struck dumb. Seizing the moment, he rendered their planned duet as a gutsy solo, and on the ensuing tide of applause launched a lifelong love of the limelight.

He was also a knock-out some years later, this time without applause. Thanks to an untimely collision between his head and some scenery, he was rendered unfit to deliver a single line of two carefully prepared roles. Fortunately for future audiences, however, the accident left his passion for theatre intact, and in the ensuing years he has more than compensated for such inauspicious moments in a variety of roles in musicals, pantomimes and plays.

A naturally gifted actor, he always brings something so special to his performances that, though he would deny it, his name on any programme becomes an asset. Such levels of achievement are no accident, however, and although many of Mr. Ross' performances are imbued with comedic touches, his approach is always serious. The process begins with knowing all of his lines by the first rehearsal so that he can then concentrate on developing the complete persona of the character(s) he is portraying - something he regards as paramount.

"I think it is important for an actor to actually be that character rather than just playing it because, no matter how outrageous the part, there has to be at least a thread of authenticity," he says.

"Unless you are enthusiastic about something, why bother? And that is true of everything in life. If your audience believes you are the character then the connection is made, and the production becomes far finer in my humble opinion.

"No matter what role you play, it should be done with dedication and enthusiasm."

To watch any of Mr. Ross' performances closely is to learn a great deal about his mastery of the countless little touches - or what is known in acting circles as "bits of business" - which make his characters uniquely his own. In the musical `Anything Goes', for example, he played a gangster, a priest, and a Chinese gentleman - all to unforgettable and delightful effect.

To those detractors who argue that he is simply playing himself on stage, the real life Mr. Ross counters: "Not so. The only role where I have felt `This is me' was in `Anything Goes'."

Now the actor known for his comedic skills is poised to bring the house down once again in one of four starring roles in the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society production of `A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum', which opens at Daylesford Theatre tonight.

"I am Hysterium, slave-in-chief, and the role requires me to sing and dance as well as act," he says. "I love the show, it is a parade of humour that is larger than life. It is very broad, and fun for all the family."

In fact, the role also marks a "first" for the actor of whom Fred Astaire would have said, `Who?' - he has to dance.

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