AS two of the baddest boys on the soap block, EastEnders' Nasty Nick (John Altman) and Coronation Street's Terry Duckworth (Nigel Pivaro) make a credible duo in their role as no nonsense doormen.

But entering the cool, air-conditioned bar of Woking's New Victoria Theatre in shorts and t-shirts, they look more ready for a seaside trip than manning the local nightclub.

"We're dressed for comfort today," says Nigel in his relaxed northern tones. Taking the leads in John Godber's acclaimed nightlife comedy, Bouncers (New Victoria Theatre, August 26-30), appears to have agreed with them and the banter is evidence of how well it is going.

Its frenetic, punctuated style plays host to nearly 50 characters which they handle in addition to their main roles, with John describing them as being like children in a playground.

Not surprisingly at times, the action boils over: "He's (Nigel) always having a go at me. It's not like we're best of mates in this. He is going on about my ex-wife and about looking for a woman, and at one point I snap and nearly break his arm!"

Yet beneath the schoolboy snapping there is a sense of camaraderie and, as they point out, one of its most striking features is its sharp social commentary.

"You just have to go to any high street in any town and see any of these scenarios and characters popping up all over the place. The drunken girls, the fighting boys the posturing doormen peacocking themselves on the steps of the clubs," says Nigel.

Both are pleased with the reaction to the show so far which was hurriedly rehearsed in two weeks. It proved a "bit of a nightmare", but they feel it is in good shape.

They agree it has been hard to break away from the soap tags, but this has given them a strong common bond. Though Nigel has many friends on Coronation Street, he felt his early years became "too much like clocking on". He is far happier now with occasional appearances on the show.

For him, stage is were the real acting action is, but it wasn't always that way. Recalling being a "bit of a dodger" as a youngster in Manchester, acting in school plays offered a legal way out of lessons.

But after realising he had found his niche, he began to have fanciful ideas of making a career out of it. He's not been going too far wrong since.

Typecasting is the bane of many an actor, but he is keen to point out he has at least one or two good characters on his CV than just his string of archetypal villains: "I don't concentrate on just trying to play bad characters but tend to get offered them. Overall they tend to be the more interesting parts as they are more layered."

Most recently he appeared in Steve Coogan's 24-Hour Party People, about the Manchester music scene of the 80s. Being part of it felt like deja vu, as he grew up with the city's infamous rock group the Happy Mondays and has directed videos for them.

John has enjoyed a similarly colourful career which has included (aside from his theatre and TV credits) a blink and you'll miss it cameo in Return of The Jedi.

As for his youth, he says twice weekly visits to the cinema were his inspiration as was his grandfather who was also an actor.

Witnessing the mods and rockers scene in Kent in the late 70s, he gained one of his first memorable roles in ultimate youth flick Quadraphenia.

"It was great fun, and being young I was prepared to do anything - getting beaten up by a load of rockers, having a deck-chair broken over my head and thrown in the sea!"

Of course, he is best known as Nasty Nick, but says he does not dwell on it too much now. He prefers to focus on the here and now, but revealed it spawned an interesting sideline: "I would do these Nick Cotton nights. The teenagers did not want to see me as John Altman, they wanted Nasty Nick, so I would don a leather jacket and earring, get on the microphone and give the kids some abuse.

"Then I would pretended to strangle the DJ before being thrown out. It was a bit more original than standing there signing autographs," he laughed.

Certainly, life as an actor is never boring as Nigel adds: "There are peaks and troughs but you keep plugging away. I feel quite privileged to be doing a piece by Godber, who is a very relevant writer, and to be working with John. He is very professional, has been around a long time and is good to be on stage with." - ( he whispers to John) - "You know where to send the cheque."