Coronation Street star Kym Marsh has stepped back in time to play the first lady of Weatherfield - Elsie Tanner - in the new musical based on the soap. Kym, who plays Michelle Connor in the long-running ITV soap, will play the show's original 1960s scarlet woman in Street Of Dreams. She said: "The strong, determined and indomitable women have always defined Coronation Street right from the very first episode to the present day and Elsie Tanner will go down in history as one of the most gossiped-about women in Weatherfield. "She's left some rather big stiletto shoes to fill but to have the opportunity to represent such an iconic character of yesteryear on a stage of this scale is an absolute honour." Kym will share the role with West End star Jodie Prenger who will play the character in the 1980s. Elsie, one of the show's most famous characters, was played by Pat Phoenix for more than 20 years. The musical, which also stars Paul O'Grady, will revisit momentous episodes from more than half-a-century of history on the street. Jodie said: "The entire production is just gorgeous with infectious songs which stick in your head. The music is fabulous, the orchestration is phenomenal and the cast are truly amazing. "To be asked to play such an amazing part in something that people will be telling their grandchildren about in years to come is just a dream." Also appearing in the show are Coronation Street veterans Julie Goodyear (Bet Lynch), Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts) and Bill Roache (Ken Barlow). The show, which plays in venues in Manchester, Dublin, Belfast and Newcastle, opens in May.
