HIS LAST appearance at the Haymarket theatre was as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He has played in The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure and, for the Manchester Library, he played Fortinbras in Alan Rickman's Hamlet.

But surely Hamlet is such a procrastinator, a ditherer, and Alan Rickman is such a forceful actor. Diplomatically, Daniel York comments: "Let's say he dithered forcefully."

Daniel has a slightly Oriental appearance. "It's a bit of a pain actually, as I'm not quite Chinese enough.

"It's a pity we only see things as black and white in this country. But it's probably worked for me as much as it has worked against me."

He was born in Singapore, his father is Chinese, and his mother is English. "I still have lots of family in Singapore and I like visiting them, especially when I can get away from the city centre," he says.

He began acting at 20, when he was working as a gardener. He met a girl who was studying at a drama college and she invited him to see her in a play.

"I had never been in a theatre before and I was expecting to see what I thought would be a typical English play with a fireplace and French windows, but instead it was a new American play on a bare stage with a few boxes.

"I thought 'this is great' and the director told me I could do a part time O-level course in drama, before going on to a drama school. After that, I got work fairly steadily."

Now he's in Basingstoke in, and being, Tartuffe. What's his interpretation of this complex character?

"There are two ways you can go with it. He's definitely a hypocrite and a conman, but on what level? Has he no faith in religion, or does he really believe that he is God's disciple who can do whatever he wants? The mask never drops - he believes that God has a way of punishing people who try to throw him out.

As for Orgon, the head of the household, and Dorine the family friend...

"Orgon adores Tartuffe. In our society we all want to believe in something or someone. There's so much hero-worship - film stars, pop singers, footballers.

"As for Dorine, she is the only one who can see through him. There's big conflict there. Tartuffe is on an ego trip. He not only fools everyone else, but he must fool himself as well."

Tartuffe is at the Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke, and runs until October 25.