Emmerdale star William Ash is swapping the farm for the stage as he performs in the one-man show Vanya at the Millgate Arts Centre in Delph. The actor, who plays Caleb Miligan in the soap, begins performances next month.

Vanya is adapted from Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya by Simon Stephens and directed by Tony Mooney.

It will run for two nights on 3 and 4 April, with tickets available to purchase now through the theatre’s website.

The play’s synopsis reads: “Chekhov’s classic tale of love, art, sex and attempted murder in a fresh adaptation by Simon Stephens written to be performed by a solo actor.

“Comedic and tragic, Chekhov’s examination of our shared humanity – our hopes, dreams and regrets – is thrust into sharp focus in VANYA.

“This fresh adaptation explores the kaleidoscope of human emotions, harnessing the power of the intimate bond between actor and audience to delve deeper into the human psyche.”

Before landing the role of Caleb in Emmerdale, Ash starred in Waterloo Road as deputy head teacher Chris Mead. He joined the cast of Emmerdale in 2022 as the estranged son of Faith Dingle and the half-brother of Cain and Chas.

Meanwhile, Emmerdale recently aired a special episode focusing on Cain, who has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The episode saw him finally open up to Moira about his diagnosis, with the soap having worked closely with Prostate Cancer UK on the storyline.

The charity has since shared that, following the cancer diagnosis episode, they have received a huge increase in website visits, with people accessing their risk checking facility page.