IF soul sensation Mica Paris was not starring in a new feel-good musical, she would love to be in the audience.

The My One Temptation singer is playing Sylvia in Love Me Tender — a musical inspired by and featuring the music of Elvis Presley — at the Opera House, Manchester.

It is on from Friday until Saturday, June 13, starring Mica as the straight-talking owner of local dive bar, Sylvia’s Honky-Tonk.

She said: "I'm just really enjoying it.

"It's such a long time since I have done theatre.

"I'm going back to it after 20 years, it's been a really long time.

"I was scared, I was a little bit frightened about acting.

"People seem to think I'm good at it.

"In my head, I'm a singer.

"I did Miss Marple a few years ago and everyone loved that role."

Packed with 25 of The King's songs, Love Me Tender is billed as a funny and moving tale of hope, second chances and the healing qualities of rock 'n' roll.

Mica, who burst onto the music scene in 1988 with debut, platinum-selling album So Good, said: "It's a great show.

"It's really funny. It's very romantic.

"It was the script that made me want to do this.

"When I read Sylvia, it was just me with an accent.

"I didn't need to be somebody else.

"I don't like to do things too outside of my character.

"It's a fantastic story.

"I own this bar, it's set in the '50s, a loose version of Twelfth Night.

"There's this quiet town and this guy comes to town. He looks a little bit like Elvis.

"It all kicks off, it's fantastic.

"Everyone looked so good back then.

"The guys like James Dean and Elvis, that whole quiff, jeans and leather jacket look."

She insists if she was not in the show, she would definitely snap up a ticket to go and see it.

The 46-year-old, who has just finished filming the next series of Masterchef, said: "I'm very sceptical about over-selling something but I'm just telling you the truth.

"The songs they have chosen are fantastic. There's Hound Dog and Love Me Tender and then there are some other songs in there that I didn't know."