KWAME KWEI-ARMAH appears to be on a one-man mission to define the words 'multi-talented'.

The actor, who plays paramedic Finlay in BBC's Casualty, was probably one of the least famous entrants to Celebrity Fame Academy.

But he quickly won the nation's hearts by the foolishly simple expedient of actually being good at singing, and there was widespread surprise when he failed to take the top prize.

Kwame has also been writer-in-residence at Bristol Old Vic, winning acclaim for plays including A Bitter Herb, Big Nose and Hold On.

Now he's writing for Nicholas Hynter's National Theatre, and his new play Elmina's Kitchen arrives at Bath Theatre Royal next week.

Set in Hackney, it follows the West Indian Andrews family and patriarch Delroy 'Deli' Andrews's attempts to keep his three sons on the straight and narrow while Yardie culture consumes London.

Kwame wrote the play for his 11-year-old son. He said: "The greatest day in my life so far was when Nicholas Hytner said that the National Theatre would like to do Elmina's Kitchen.

"I wrote the play in six weeks, it comes straight from the heart. I wanted to say, 'Son, there is a whole strand in black youth culture that I'm having problems with; the idea that in order to validate your blackness you have to go through some form of criminality'.

"I want to pose the question, 'Is the bling-bling culture that influences young black men - the gun-toting, jewellery-wearing thing something worth aspiring to?' It is a dialogue about what choices one makes in life."

Starring Paterson Joseph, who has previously starred in Othello at Manchester's Royal Exchange, Dona Croll, Oscar James, and Black Hawk Down star George Harris, Elmina's Kitchen runs from Monday to Saturday at the Theatre Royal.

For more details call the box office on 01225 448844.