ACTOR Calum Callaghan has grown up in a family where people recognise him on the street.

No, he’s not part of a Redgrave-style acting dynasty, his mum Shirley has run the popular Ladywell Gymnastics Club for years.

The star, who plays George Towler in ITV hit Mr Selfridge and grew up in Brockey and Lee, said: “My dad always jokes that they could go to the other side of the world and they always seem to bump into someone who has been involved in the gym somehow.”

“It has always been a huge part of my life, Lewisham. Every day of my life was spent at the gymnastics club as a child.

“As I got older I would be going there and I’ve got very fond memories of Lewisham market and the black market and the High Street and the whole vibe of growing up in a place that was so multi-cultural.”

The 27-year-old’s latest project is back on the stage, at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, as Derek in the play Once a Catholic.

The director is Kathy Burke.

Calum said: “Everyone knows Kathy, I grew up watching her on TV as an actress.

“For the opportunity to arise to be able to work with her as a director – it would have been amazing to work with her if she was in the show – but because she’s at the helm of it you get to learn more.”

Despite his relatively young age, Calum has been a pro since he was seven, shortly after the lady who used to look after him took him to Sylvia Young’s theatre school, where she was a chaperone.

He said: “She put me in a few classes to stop me from being bored.”

“I fell into it and realised before long that I’d been doing it for the majority of my life and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

His first gig was as a mini Mark Owen during Take That’s arena tour in 1994.

He said: “I couldn’t grasp how big a band they were at the time.

“I was quite lucky I was that young, I took it in my stride. Someone was telling me to do a dance so I did a dance.

“The memories I do have of it are incredible. We got to travel Europe with them and they were absolutely lovely.”

Twenty years later, and with his stage and TV career taking off, Calum is feels very fortunate.

He said: “Getting up in the morning and getting on a train and you’re in a room with people like Kathy Burke and you’re laughing your head off all day, it’s very hard for that to feel like work.

“Work seems like the wrong word to use because I’m spending all day enjoying myself.”

Once a Catholic is at the Tricycle Theatre from November 21 to January 18. Go to tricycle.co.uk