CORONATION Street legend Kevin Kennedy is to star in the West End hit musical The Commitments when it comes to Leeds.

The UK tour features many of the cast from the show’s two year run at London’s Palace Theatre, including Brian Gilligan and Andrew Linnie.

Kevin takes the role of a leading character’s father in the show that is written by Roddy Doyle, the author of the best-selling novel of the same name.

Roddy Doyle said: “The Commitments was born in Dublin, moved to London, and will soon be hopping all over the shop.

“I wrote the novel – invented the characters – in 1986, and it thrills me to think that they will be entertaining audiences throughout the UK and Ireland 30 years later, in 2016.”

Kevin Kennedy won the hearts of the nation when he starred as Curly Watts in Coronation Street. Since leaving the TV soap he has regularly appeared in theatre productions including Chicago, The Rocky Horror Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and We Will Rock You.

Kevin said: “It is a pleasure to travel around the country playing to enthusiastic audiences who love this show.”

Brian Gilligan originally played the role of drummer Billy ‘The Animal’ Mooney in the West End production.

Several months later, he was overheard singing to himself in the stairwell at the Palace Theatre and blew away the director, leading to him being cast as Deco a few weeks later.

The Commitments tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young working-class music fan, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians into an amazing live act, the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced.

The show also follows the journey of two members of a frustrated synthesiser band – the opening scene has them playing, but ignored, in a shop window - who turn to Jimmy, the local music expert, for help.

The Commitments is at Leeds Grand Theatre from December 5 to 10. Visit leedsgrandtheatre.com or call 0844 8482700 to book tickets.