HE was once dubbed Britain’s answer to Elvis Presley – and Southampton was part of his rock ’n’ roll story.

Tommy Steele returns to the city which he first visited when coming home from New York laden with new music as a 19- year-old.

The 76-year-old, who reprises the lead role in Scrooge at The Mayflower next week, explained: “I came back into Southampton on the (RMS) Mauretania and began playing this music I’d learned in New York just five days earlier.

“When I headed up to London, I was spotted by an agent and that was the beginning of rock ’n’ roll over here.

“It’s always nice to go back there.”

From its West End run at the London Palladium last Christmas, Tommy reprises his role as Ebenezer Scrooge in Bill Kenwright’s festive musical from Tuesday.

He continues: “It’s the song and dance man’s King Lear, you have to be a certain age to play it. When you’ve got a story like that, you don’t need a lot else, but of course there’s so much more to it.

“It’s wonderful being on stage in Dickensian London, there’s a great orchestra, super songs, a great experience. It’s a wonderful show to be a part of, I’d do it for nothing!

Based on Charles Dickens’ heartwarming story A Christmas Carol, Scrooge has a score which features Leslie Bricusse’s Oscar nominated hit Thank You Very Much.

Join Ebenezer, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and a whole host of Dickensian characters until Saturday.

Tommy Steele’s legendary career includes over twenty hit singles, Hollywood movie hits such as The Happiest Millionaire and Finian’s Rainbow, and countless award winning stage musicals such as Half a Sixpence, Hans Andersen and Singin’ in the Rain.

Scrooge runs from Tuesday to Saturday. Tickets are on sale from mayflower.org.uk