Tommy Steele on his 'best role ever'

During his career, he has gone from teenage heartthrob and rock'n'roll rival of Elvis Presley to the leading man in award-winning West End musicals.

But for the legendary Tommy Steele, there can be no better role than his current one – playing Ebenezer Scrooge in Bill Kenwright Ltd's production of Scrooge.

"It's the perfect role, the best one I've had," says the 73-year-old former front man of 1950s group The Steelemen, who has had 20 hit singles and starred in Hollywood movies like The Happiest Millionaire and musicals such as Half A Sixpence and Singin' In The Rain.

"For any actor, being able to play Ebenezer Scrooge is such a challenging role. It's been played by so many brilliant actors and everybody knows the tale, which makes it a wonderful part to have.

"It's a wonderful story, too, with a bit of everything. There's beauty, wonder, belief, magic and hope – what actor wouldn't want to work with something that had all those?

"And to do it as a musical is even better. When the writer and director were stuck with how to do something, they just consulted the book. He thought of everything did old Charlie Dickens."

As a self-confessed lover of classic literature and Dickens' famous book, A Christmas Carol, in particular, Tommy has always been drawn to roles like his current one.

Six years ago, he starred in a production of Scrooge at Hull New Theatre and he jumped at the chance to take up the leading role once again.

He is currently half-way through a UK tour of the production, which started in Birmingham last month and will see Tommy and the rest of the cast come to Hull New Theatre next week.

Containing a total of 14 songs, the musical also features illusions from Paul Kieve – the man behind the "magic" of the Harry Potter films.

Although exactly what Paul is doing remains a closely guarded secret, there is one thing for certain – it's sure to be something a little bit special.

"Even I don't know how it works," says Tommy, who's speaking on the phone from his dressing room in Manchester's Palace Theatre using the Cockney accent he has never lost.

"There's no standing on ceremony about it – all the actors just get kicked off the stage and told to make themselves scarce when Paul is doing his stuff.

"But that makes it all the more exciting. When the audiences gasps and shrieks at his effects, we're secretly doing the same – we're thinking: 'How the heck did he do that'."