RICHARD Fleeshman plays a notorious gambler and a man who can never turn down a bet in the classic musical, Guys and Dolls.

But the former Coronation Street actor sadly did not have the chance to hit the casinos in preparation for the flashy role.

"That would look amazing on my tax return," said Richard.

"A huge loss at a casino due to 'research'. I love the idea of that but I don’t think I’d get away with it."

Richard is playing Sky Masterson and will be joined by Maxwell Caulfield as Nathan Detroit, Louise Dearman as Adelaide and Anna O’Byrne as Sarah Brown at Liverpool Empire from March 16 to 19.

A vibrant celebration of Prohibition-era New York, Guys and Dolls first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and captured the optimism of America after the Second World War. It is still going strong after more than 65 years.

Richard added: "It’s uplifting, it’s funny, it’s sentimental, it has some of the best songs and it’s been immortalised by legends on screen.

"It hasn’t changed in any way that you’d want it to away from what makes it so special and yet it has this whole fresh kind of feel to it that director Gordon Greenberg has brought across to it.

"These roles only come along occasionally in this business where you get to come on stage, try to look as cool as you possibly can, kiss beautiful women and sing cool songs."

Richard proved a good fit for the role as he is both an actor and singer-songwriter.

The 26-year-old even wrote the soundtrack to All the Small Things, a musical drama that he also starred in – with a little help from Elton John.

Richard said: "When they asked me to do the soundtrack I was a bit out of my depth and I was on tour with Elton John at the time.

"So I just asked if he’d be up for helping out and he said yes which was amazing.

"No matter what I do, if I never work again I can turn around to my grandkids and say I wrote songs with Elton John. I did at one point achieve some level of coolness but it was very brief!

"He was a mentor to me for a while and I was honoured. It was a special time in my life."

Richard may have been destined for a life on stage and in front of the camera as his mum is Brookside and Coronation Street's Sue Jenkins and his dad is actor and director David Fleeshman.

His sisters Emily and Rosie are also actors.

"It was never a case of our parents wanting us to follow in their footsteps. If anything they would have preferred us to be doctors and lawyers," added Richard.

"But as often happens, if kids are around things they get an interest in it. I fell into it quite early."

Richard has fond memories of going on set with his mum as a youngster and he followed in her footsteps by joining the cast of Coronation Street.

He was just 12 when he started playing Craig Harris he said his tender age made it a more positive experience.

Richard said: "It would be different if I was to start now and get a gig on something like Corrie. Overnight your entire life changes.

"Every person in the country has an ownership over you and feels that they knows you as a friend. It’s such an obtrusive level of fame that I think it would freak me out if it happened now

"But being 12 you just take everything on the chin.

"And being a kid you also have that ‘get out of jail free card’ where no one ever judges you. There was never really the bad side of it.

"I didn’t have the press trying to get scoops or saying nasty things. I had a good run but being on something that is watched by 10 million people every night is a hell of a thing to take on.

"It was only ever weird if there was a rugby match on Saturday and they’d be like: ‘Is that the lad off Corrie?’ And suddenly I’d be tackled twice as hard."

Richard also ended up working with his dad on BBC's All The Small Things.

He added: "I got the gig first and he rang me and said he’d got the job.

"I thought: 'You’re joking, I’ve got to work with my dad on set for six months'. But I loved it to be honest.

"It was really nice to watch him in that environment and have that kind of work relationship."

- Guys and Dolls is at Liverpool Empire from March 16 to 19

DAVID MORGAN