IT’S like the rock version of Mamma Mia. You never know, I could be doing that one next — all I need is a blonde wig,” actor Kevin Kennedy tells me when I ask him to describe the latest West End musical to tour the country, Queen’s We Will Rock You.

“At the end it’s actually like being part of a rock concert. I get to perform Days Of Our Lives to close the show. It’s both fantastic and nerve-racking because I do it in front of the original members of Queen themselves,” he said.

Kevin, who has a professional acting career spanning 25 years, was hand-picked for the role by Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor and scriptwriter Ben Elton. He plays the part of "Pop", a librarian who is stuck in his hippy past and is searching to find answers about the end of rock music.

Before its UK tour which launched in Manchester last month, We Will Rock You travelled the world, wowing more than six million people, and has broken records as the longest-running West End musical, currently in its seventh year.

So does Kevin feel the pressure of being in the cast of such a legendary show touring the UK for the very first time?

“You know what, Ben Elton and Brian May have been so closely involved from the very beginning, even in casting, that you know they believe you are right for the part,” says Kevin.

“They give you the confidence. It’s such a fun show. You don’t have time to be scared about things like that. The most challenging thing for me personally is that I’m on stage to open the show and then, due to the storyline, I’m not on again until nearer the end.

“So it’s hard to keep up the same level of energy and momentum. As long as I listen to the music over the tannoy backstage I’m be itching to get back out there.”

But is music and comedy a good mix for a stage show? Kevin certainly thinks so.

He said: “My character has gone mad by the later scenes, so it’s easier to do comedy and song then. He’s crazy and it’s very funny when he’s singing or talking.

“The end is my favourite bit it’s actually like I’m the star of a rock concert!” says Kevin, who sings with his band Bunch of Thieves.

The show, set in the future and featuring 24 of Queen's greatest hits, brings together the production and design team behind some of the biggest international theatre productions and rock tours, including Arlene Phillips as choreographer.

Kevin added: “The show is brilliantly written and directed. As an actor you can’t not be a fan and you just can’t not like it as soon as you’ve seen it.

“Ben Elton is one of my absolute favourite writers so I’m so pleased to be involved. I’m having such a great time.”

Being in Manchester for the first 12 weeks of the tour also means Kevin can spend more time with his family.

“My children are loving it at the moment because I’m at home and I get to do the school runs and stuff. I’m often away working and it can be hard,” said Kevin, a father of three.

“I do love touring and playing theatres I’ve never been to before, but I obviously miss being at home. Normally when I’m home it’s because I’m not in work so I’m grumpy. This way it’s the best of both worlds for everyone.”

Kevin is no stranger to theatre, having appeared in shows such as Chicago, The Rocky Horror Show and No Sex Please We're British. His TV credits include Blue Murder and two series of Kevin's Spanish Capers, which he wrote and presented.

But it's as Coronation Street's Norman "Curly" Watts that we know him as best. He joined the Street in 1983 as a young binman and left in 2003 after earning his stripes as a supermarket manager.

Kevin hinted at a potential return to the cobbled streets of Weatherfield if the right storyline comes up.

“I very proud to have been part of the legacy that is Coronation Street," said Kevin. “I’d love to go back. I’ve just started getting back into watching it for the first time since I left. And there’s talk of me returning. But then again, there’s always talk of that. We’ll have to see.

“I’d like Curly to return during some sort of a crisis or something,” he went on. “People often go back to their roots at desperate times. It would be nice to see him happy for once but that’s boring, isn’t it? It’s always more fun for the actor when things are going wrong.”

l We Will Rock You, is at Manchester's Palace Theatre, until June 6. Tickets available from 0844 847 2277.