ichael Starke is getting rather comfortable in stockings and slingbacks.

Every night he sits in front of a mirror – probably one of those showbiz ones surrounded with lightbulbs – and is transformed into Edna Turnblad, the loveable plus-sized momma in hit musical Hairspray.

It’s a role he says is not to be confused with drag. “And she’s not a dame,” he adds. “With all due respect to those artforms, this is a different role. I’m playing a woman – and I love it!

“There’s a particular moment during the show when the audience really buys me as a woman. It’s a scene between Edna and Tracy, and during that moment you can hear a pin drop.”

Edna is the mother of Tracy Turnblad, a plump Baltimore teenager who, in 1962, dreams of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show.

When she gets to appear on the TV show, she uses her new-found fame to speak out for civil rights, but makes an enemy of the show’s former star, Amber Von Tussle, and her glamorous mother.

Originally a 1988 John Waters film starring Rikki Lake and Divine, Hairspray was remade for the big screen in 2007, starring John Travolta. It morphed into a feelgood stage show which went down a storm on Broadway and in the West End.

Michael, 53, has been alternating the role with Brian Conley on tour. “It’s a wonderful role that I can immerse myself in. It will become one of those classic musical theatre parts,” he says.

“The story lends itself well to this kind of staging. It got some flak for focusing on civil rights, which some critics felt had no place in a musical, but if you’re going to set a show in Baltimore in the early 1960s, it’s something you have to address.

“Civil rights was a big part of that era, and there were TV shows back then that reunited black and white kids. This is a story about all kinds of prejudice. It’s about a big girl who comes up against prejudice, and it’s about the social changes that took place when the 1950s became the 1960s.”

Michael Ball, who played Edna in the West End, has been offering advice on how to work her outrageous wardrobe. “He’s been an absolute delight, so supportive,” says Michael (Starke). “It’s a role that means a lot to him. He told me ‘you only really feel that role when you put the costume on’. When I first got the part, I did a photoshoot, and when I put the full costume on it felt absolutely right.”

What makes Edna so endearing is that she’s not a loud character, like a pantomime dame. Running a laundry business from home, she’s shy, lacking confidence and is practically a recluse until Tracy – whose optimism is the heart of the show – persuades her to become her agent.

“They have a very touching relationship,” says Michael. “Edna’s kind, sweet and dowdy. She does a lot of ironing! When her daughter becomes a TV star, Edna fears for how she’ll cope, but eventually Tracy draws her out and brings her into the Sixties. This is ultimately a show about love.”

Michael enjoys the transformation Edna goes through, which involves wearing plenty of wigs and costumes.

“It doesn’t take long to get ready, surprisingly,” he says. “I have two girls who do my make-up. They boss me around and I’m totally in their hands. I have a fat suit, believe it or not, and it’s actually quite comfortable. You’d think it would be hard moving around when I’m dancing, but it doesn’t really hamper me.”

Doing the Twist in a multi-coloured dress and a beehive wig is a far cry from playing cheery window cleaner Sinbad in Brookside, filmed in his native Liverpool. It was the role that shot Michael to fame and he still gets cries of ‘hiya, Sinbad!’ in the street.

“I’m fine with that. Sinbad was well-loved and I’m proud of Brookside. It was groundbreaking and paved the way for a lot of TV drama,” he says.

As friendly porter Ken Hopkirk in The Royal and kebab shop owner Jerry Morton in Coronation Street, he’s cornered the market in nice guy roles.

His films include 51st State, and on stage he’s appeared in Cole Porter’s Anything Goes and rock ’n’ roll musical Be Bop A Lula.

“I always wanted to do musical theatre. It’s what I started off doing, then my career took a different turn,” says Michael. “Playing Edna has given me the confidence to try anything. A role I’d really love is Nicely Nicely in Guys And Dolls.”

He’s looking forward to coming to Bradford, where he spent several years filming 1960s medical drama The Royal. “We filmed at St Luke’s Hospital, so Bradford feels like a home from home,” he says.

Hairspray runs at the Alhambra from November 30 to December 11. For tickets, ring (01274) 432000.