After his recent appearance in Coronation Street, you may be forgiven for thinking that actor Sam Kane's preference was veering towards the bad guy roles.

Having enjoyed two years in Brookside as philandering hairdresser Peter Phelan, Sam shocked his fans with his Corrie role as disturbed internet stalker Gary Adams.

But now he's returning to something he began his career with and the type of role he enjoys best he's playing Adam in the blockbuster musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

But stage differs from TV in a way that even the old hands may temporarily forget.

"It's exhausting!" grins the actor. "It's great to be back on stage again, and it's being received really well, but you need amazing fitness levels for this kind of thing!

"This musical is so well-written and the audiences are loving it. It's really getting them up onto their feet!"

The musical has been a great favourite with audiences for years, full of thumping good tunes including Bless Your Beautiful Hide, Goin' Courtin' and Wonderful, Wonderful Day, but Sam didn't want to see the classic Howard Keel original before rehearsals started.

"I don't like to see things in case I find myself copying," he explains. "Things tend to stick in my head and I then find it's harder to do an original portrayal."

Neverthess, Sam is the ideal candidate for the leading role as eldest brother Adam, who gets married first and helps his clan find their six brides.

"My career started in musicals," explains Sam, who trained at the Liverpool Theare School. "One of my first roles was in a tour of South Pacific with Gemma Craven, and last year I was in Carousel with Darren Day. I've done panto every year in the meantime."

In fact, it's thanks to pantomime that he met his wife, Linda Lusardi, with whom he's appearing again at Christmas this year.

"We're doing Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in Cardiff. Actually, we were doing Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in Cardiff when we met!" he grins. "So it's going to be a nice nostalgic time!"

Despite the good memories the stage holds, he also loves TV. Though not as exhausting, he find it's a challenge in a different way.

"I think there are a few places to hide on stage, but you've got to get it right first time on TV," he says. "The scale is so much larger it's all so close up and you've got to get it just right."

TV's critical eye will be back on the bad side of Sam before long. "I think they want to put a lid on the Gary Adams story in Coronation Street fairly soon," he reveals.

Until then the boy who had big ideas at an early age is throwing himself into the swashbuckling stage role.

"I remember telling my family that I wanted to be a pop group not just a pop star, but the whole group!" he smiles. Looks as though he was having a bit of an identity crisis even then . . .

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is at Richmond Theatre, The Green until Saturday (October 27).

Performances are at 7.45pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

Books tickets, which are £8-£22, at the box office on 8940 0088.

By.Vienna Leigh