"The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School has not changed very much at all apart from the gardens out the front," he told the paper. "In fact this room in which we are sitting that looks out over the gardens is the place that I had my first audition."

The Royal Shakespeare Company veteran said he received some vital advice from the school's head teacher all those years ago.

"What he said took me a long time to make sense of, but it is a great piece of advice," Stewart recalls. "He said: 'You will not achieve success by ensuring against failure'. I think that stood me in good stead some time down the line when my confidence had started to wane and always reminds me of Bristol."

He says appearing in the play following the huge success of X-MEN 2 makes him feel extremely fortunate.

"I am so happy with the play and the people I am working with just now," Stewart says. "Having the X-MEN on release and then touring with this company in England for the first time in years has been great... I really feel like I am the luckiest actor alive."

For more from Stewart, visit this page.