Actor Douglas Hodge has performed in the country's grandest theatres, but his latest role has been in more modest surroundings -- the Exeter Hall pub in Oxford's Cowley Road.

Mr Hodge has been singing in open mic sessions there and has gone down so well he has now recorded an album of self-penned numbers entitled Cowley Road Songs.

The 45-year-old actor, who is married to Only Fools And Horses actress Tessa Peake-Jones, recorded the CD after testing his songs on the 'OX4' session regulars over the past 12 months.

Michael Grandage, the director of a West End production of Guys And Dolls, did not know Mr Hodge could sing, but, after hearing the CD, decided to cast him as Nathan Detroit in the musical.

Mr Hodge, who lives in south Oxfordshire and co-starred in ITV's Redcap, said: "I've been writing songs all my life but -- apart from the occasional girlfriend late at night -- I'd never sung them to anyone. Then last year I finally started playing at venues in and around Oxford.

"Each time I wrote a new song, I'd go down The Ex and sing it, then Rightback Records asked me to record them.

"We went into Blue Moon Studios, in Banbury, for four days and this is what we came up with."