PLAYING Elvis has its drawbacks, as Simon Bowman has found out. The actor/singer was a hunk of burning love after injuring his right arm with one too many microphone gyrations.

But after being patched up by medics, Bowman, 44, reaches Sunderland's Empire Theatre with the debut tour of new musical This Is Elvis leaving audiences in his wake very definitely All Shook Up.

The West End star of Les Miserables, Phantom, Miss Saigon and Young Elvis in Are You Lonesome Tonight?, competed for the role created by Philip Norman with a Hollywood actor, who he decides should be nameless.

"I can tell you he's played Elvis in the US and appeared in films like Face Off with John Travolta so I'm delighted that confidence was shown in me when the choice came down to the two of us," says Cardiff-born Bowman.

Bowman is just old enough to remember watching the Elvis comeback on TV in 1968 on which the musical is based. "I also played him in an Alan Bleasdale play about 20 years ago with Martin Shaw so that helped me a lot. This is a nice little acting piece but I know it's the songs that most people want to hear," he says.

"I see young kids in the audience and all different ages and these songs don't seem to date. I get letters from people telling me how much they love Elvis and it almost seduces you."

Bowman is swift to point out that This Is Elvis is far more than the usual tribute and wouldn't have interested him at all if it had been another excuse to don the white jumpsuit and trot out the familiar hits.

"I don't do shows like that. I'm used to working in the West End on a play or a musical and I had to be careful about taking on the most impersonated singer on the planet. This is a little bit different.

"I did my homework and watched all the DVDs and listened to tapes for the accent and watched everything I could watch on him. And I must be doing something right because some people have said it's like watching his comeback all over again.

"The reason I took the role was that I thought it was about time somebody did a good job of telling the story of Elvis from the nitty gritty rather than coming from the professional impersonation side. It's such a massive role that I knew if I could pull it off it would be worthwhile, but I'm also aware I'm carrying the whole show for two hours," he explains.

The first half shows Elvis wrestling with the fear and difficulties of performing for the first time in seven years. The second half is the classic International Hotel show in Las Vegas, which secured the singer's place as the greatest showman of his generation.

Bowman admits he's had to wear a wig for the tour, which is heading into the West End, and says: "I don't know where Elvis got that mass of jet dark hair from. I also wear the flowery shirts, the tight black pants, the belts and sunglasses and black leathers at the start of the show, followed by 20 songs in the white jumpsuit for the second half."

The performer had to learn 36 songs in three weeks, plus a script, and reveals that there are nights when singing Burning Love or In The Ghetto has band members telling him the hair on the back of their necks is tingling.

He also indulges in the famous repartee that Elvis had with audiences.

Apparently, The King would break off from a song and start to chat and Bowman says: "I get lots of things thrown at me from the audience, so I have to come back with whatever and I think that's what Elvis did. I think he was so nervous about going on stage but you'd never think he was because he'd fool about all the time.

"I've had knickers thrown at me and everything. You think I'm kidding, but some people think they're seeing the real McCoy up there."

l This Is Elvis, Sunderland Empire, from today until Saturday, 0870 602-1130.