JOHN Stahl, well-known for his role as Rickard Karstark in Game of Thrones, will return to Clackmannanshire for two personal appearances.

Born in Sauchie, he discovered a love for acting at 12 and has come a long way from his launching pad – the Deerpark Youth Theatre.

Stints on TV began with the Scottish series Garnock Way and on to Take the High Road, before he graduated into live stage performances.

John's stellar career has seen him filming with Danny Boyle, working with Johnny Lee Miller and also Benedict Cumberbatch.

Now, the actor is set to make a trip back to where it all began, when he arrives in the Wee County as part of the Alman Dramatic Club's fundraising efforts.

He will make two special appearances this weekend to help its drive to refurbish the Coach House Theatre in Alloa.

The Alman said meeting John is a memorable experience as he has literally "done it all" and has an enviable and diverse range of experiences in film, television and stage to talk about.

Senga Awlson, chair of the Alman management committee, has the additional advantage of being John Stahl’s cousin.

She said: "We were delighted when John said that he had a gap in January and would come to Alloa if we thought he could help with our fundraising. As a son of Sauchie, it's a real homecoming."

Holby City, Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Macbeth, We the People and Troilus and Cressida are just a handful of the things John has starred in.

He also toured with Uncle Varick a few years ago, a comedy based on Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, penned by John Byrne, which appeared at the Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling.

He has played for the National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of Scotland, toured the world with international productions including the famous NTS play, Black Watch, but will forever be associated with his appearances over two series in Game of Thrones.

In a previous interview, John spoke of his unconventional route into the world of performance.

He said: "In primary seven, we got the chance on a Thursday afternoon to do arts-based stuff, puppetry or drama or the choir.

"I couldn't do puppetry because I was handless, and I was too scared to stand up in front of an audience, so I chose the choir.

"However, the choir was over-subscribed, and it was deemed by alphabetical order I'd do drama.

"When I was 11, I found myself in rehearsals for Macbeth, playing three roles.

"Then the drama club went on to perform Hamlet or Harold Pinter plays. And I loved it."

John will be on hand to discuss his rise from Sauchie schoolboy to screen actor, and will be delving into life behind the scenes of Game of Thrones.

Catch him on the Alman Dramatic Club stage on Saturday, January 20, at 2.30pm and then 7.30pm.

Tickets are on sale from thealman.com at £12 (including refreshments).