MARK Moraghan is out to bring some sunshine to The Lowry next week.

The former Holby City and Emmerdale star is playing a key role in the new stage musical Little Miss Sunshine based on the award-winning movie.

And he admits that he has some pretty big shoes to fill as he takes on the part of Grandpa, the role which won Alan Arkin an Oscar in the film.

Little Miss Sunshine is the story of a dysfunctional family, the Hoovers. Daughter Olive has her heart set on winning the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest, so the Hoovers pile into their VW camper van and head for California.

“I wanted to put my own stamp on the role of Grandpa,” said Mark, “so I only watched the movie a couple of days ago. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Alan Arkin had made him a New Yorker just as I had done.

“It’s a wonderful part to play. Grandpa definitely has no filters to him. He’s been around the block quite a few times and he doesn’t suffer fools. He’s definitely got a twinkle in his eye though.”

The show will be in Salford just a week after starting a major UK tour which will last for most of the year. The show opened in the West End earlier this year with Gary Wilmot playing the Grandpa role.

“The good thing about this show is that it has been in London for six or seven weeks so that they know the show works. It’s just whether it works with me in it really,” he laughed. “But you are always a bit apprehensive at the start of a run.”

Even though he has been acting for 40 years, Mark admits that first night nerves are still something he has to deal with.

“You never really lose them,” he said. “After two or three performances you settle into it a little bit and actually I think it’s good to have nerves. If you start resting on your laurels that’s when things start to go wrong and complacency can set in.”

Mark has a wealth of experience on TV with key roles in long-running shows including Heartbeat, The Bill and Coronation Street. To many parents he will also be recognisable as the voice of Thomas the Tank Engine.

But in spite of this, Mark acknowledges that many in the audience are surprised when he appears on stage and even more surprised when he sings, even though he has fronted his own big band and released an album of swing tunes.

“It does make me laugh when you haven’t been on telly for a while, I think people think you just stop working,” he said. “Most actors have done theatre. It’s where I started and I continue to do theatre. Most of us have diversified and done different things in our careers.

“Someone said to me the other day - I think it was an Evertonian - ‘you can’t be that talented you’re not in Game of Thrones’. That sums it up for a lot of people. It’s like if you’re not in something they watch then you don’t exist.

“But I’ve been around for a long time and as long as they keep calling me and I’m paying the bills I’m happy.”

In Little Miss Sunshine, Mark co-stars with Lucy O’Byrne who first found fame on The Voice and has subsequently become a West End star.

“She’s got a big old part to take on and she’s taken to it like a duck to water,” said Mark. “Her voice is phenomenal and she’s really good in it.”

As an avid Liverpool fan, Mark is nervously anticipating the Champions League final next week.

“Just by chance the Lowry is hosting the National Television Awards on the night of the final so we’ll have a matinee in the afternoon and then I’ll be hot footing it to Liverpool to watch the final on a big screen somewhere with all the fans.

“I’ve got loads of friends who have got their own version of trains, planes and automobiles to get over to Madrid for the final. I’ve been to a lot of finals with Liverpool and the number of fans that turn up always surprises you – they just take over the place.”

Mark’s devotion to Liverpool often sees him checking scores in between scenes when he’s on tour.

“I always try and keep in touch with what’s going on if we’re playing and I’m on stage,” he said. “Either one of the crew will tell me when I’m in the wings or I’ll have a quick look at my phone when I’m not on stage.

With a Champions League final and bringing a new show to the Lowry, Mark has got what could be a week to remember ahead of him.

“The dialogue in Little Miss Sunshine is fantastic,” he said. “A lot of it comes directly from the film and when you get a good script, it is such a pleasure to be part of.

“Plus I get two great songs to sing - I’m having a great time with it all.”

Little Miss Sunshine, the Lowry, Salford Quays, Tuesday, May 28 to Saturday, June 1. Details from 0843 208 6005 or www.thelowry.com