FOR Emma Hatton, being able to go out on stage every night in the lead role in Evita is something she still can’t quite believe.

“I have to pinch myself that I get chance to play it,” she said.

Next week, Evita comes to the Lowry, Salford Quays, as it continue a nationwide tour which began in January.

Emma went straight into the role of Eva Peron, the wife of the Argentine president who was adored in her home country, after starring in London’s West End in the musical Wicked.

“It’s very different in terms of structuring your daily routine when you take a show on tour,” she said. “You are in unfamiliar territory a lot of the time, the theatres are all very different and the vibe in different theatres is never the same.

“Every region you go to, you get a very different feeling and I love that. It keeps it fresh.

“It’s lovely to have that stability of being in a West End show and it’s great when people come to London and there’s that buzz around it.

“But I think there is something very special about taking such a special show that’s so well known and so well-loved to different areas. It’s really exciting.”

Originally written by Tim Rice and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber as a concept album, Emma is in exalted company in playing the title role in Evita. West End leading ladies including Elaine Paige and Marti Webb have played Eva and in the big screen version, it was Madonna who got the job.

But even though it is one of the most popular modern musicals, Emma wasn’t overly familiar with the show.

“I’d never seen the production and I wasn’t too familiar with the material,” she said. “Obviously I knew the popular pieces like Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, but not the whole show

“I actually think that’s worked for me as I’ve been able to approach the piece from a fresh perspective and just been able to bring my interpretation to it. As a performer I think that’s the most liberating thing to do.

“There’s enough material there within the character. To add another layer to it by looking at say how Elaine Paige did it would be futile.

“I try not to get too weighed down by the responsibility of a role.

“In Wicked I had the same situation. It was going into its 10th year and a lot of well-loved women had played that role. You can’t go into a show and allow yourself to get weighed down or feel the pressure.”

In Wicked, Emma played Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West, a role which meant she had to spend up to an hour in make-up every day so she could be ‘painted’ green.

“Even now I can’t get rid of the green make-up,” she laughed. “I found some on the lid of one of my perfume bottles the other day.

“That was an incredible opportunity and an incredible role to play but the routine and the rigmarole of being painted day in, day out does take its toll.

“While I adored playing the role and would love to play it again in future, I think my skin was certainly grateful for a little breathing space.”

As well as no longer having to be painted green on a daily basis, Emma has now found herself working with Tarzan!

For her co-star in Evita, Gian Marco Schiaretti, played the Lord of the Jungle in the Disney stage musical. His role as Che Guevara is his first in the UK.

“He is the most gorgeous person both inside and out,” said Emma.

“He is very generous as a performer. He is also generous off stage too. He is very into his gym and fitness and he’ll often try to convince myself and Kevin Stephen-Jones, who plays Peron, to get into his fitness routine. We’ll turn up at the theatre and there will be deliveries of protein pancakes or fruit. He does try but it’s a bit of a failed attempt really.

“We are very lucky to have him with us and he’s loving exploring the UK as well.”

Before her starring role in Wicked, Emma also appeared in the West End in We Will Rock You and Dreamboats and Petticoats.

But it was the role of Eva Peron which really caught her eye.

“ I knew that she was a role that I’d love to get my teeth into,” she said. “She’s an iconic figure and there’s a lot of ambiguity whether she was good or evil. As a result she’s open to interpretation and it’s great to be able to portray quite such character.”

But Emma’s not been tempted to let her inner diva come to the fore playing such a powerful figure.

“My mum would have very strong words to say if I displayed any diva-like behaviour,” she laughed. “I get my feet kept very firmly on the ground - and so they should be.”

Evita, the Lowry, Salford Quays, Tuesday, March 14 to Saturday, March 18. Details from 0843 208 6000. The show is also at Blackpool Opera House from June 20 to 24. Details from 01253 625252