When Tom Chambers was cast as one of television’s most iconic detectives in a stage play, he knew that his toughest critics would be fans of Inspector Morse and actor John Thaw who portrayed the character on TV.

“The first thing that comes to mind is how wonderfully relaxed John Thaw was as Morse. Obviously I wanted to give people what they want, to meet their expectations,” says the actor, who brings the Morse play House of Ghosts to York Grand Opera House this week.

The Morse on stage will be recognisable as the same Morse people love from the TV series and Colin Dexter’s books – but neither a carbon copy nor a completely revised character.

So far – and the tour is in its early stages – the response has been good from fans. “The over-riding feeling is just pure joy,” reports Chambers. “There is so much love and affection for Morse. You can really feel it. It’s such a joy to be a part of that in the theatre, in that space.

“We’re enjoying telling the story and they’re enjoying listening. Its Morse being Morse and it’s nostalgic about things that happened 25 years ago”.

The play had a brief run at the Grand Opera House in 2010 with ex-Doctor Who Colin Baker playing Morse. Chambers is starring in a new production of the play by Alma Cullen, who wrote four episodes of the TV series.

Morse is in the audience at his old Oxford college of Hamlet when a death occurs on stage during a theatre production in which he was involved 25 years earlier as an Oxford student. His past becomes entwined with the present as he and sidekick Lewis investigate.

“It’s written as a kind of television format in the style of Morse and Lewis. We didn’t want to give the audience a shock by presenting a different Morse and Lewis to the ones we know and love,” he says.

“This is more theatrical, we’re not sending it up but obviously is more theatrical than the TV show.

“It’s all quite nostalgic for Morse and fans of Morse. It’s a very intricate murder mystery combined with nostalgia.”

For Chambers Morse represents the latest role in what’s become an increasingly varied career since winning Strictly Come Dancing. He’s as likely to be starring in a musical like Top Hat as a dramatic role like Morse. He also plays another policeman – Inspector Edgar Sullivan – in BBC1’s daytime series Father Brown.

“I’ve been lucky in that I started in television after trying to work as an actor for about six years after graduating. I was just doing fringe stuff. Then Holby City was the big break, the start in TV,” he says.

Strictly earned him a reputation as a song-and-dance man. He’d always loved Hollywood dancers Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire without being a huge musical theatre fan. Strictly taught him you can be natural dancing and not just be a dramatic stage presence.

Just don’t expect to see Morse doing a soft shoe shuffle.

House of Ghosts is at York Grand Opera House from 23-27 September.