WHEN Kara Lily Hayworth is asked to sum up what she thinks made Cilla Black so special, the star of the hit musical about the showbiz legend's life is quick to answer.

"She had this talent of making people fall in love with her," says Kara, who will be bringing the world premier tour of Cilla the Musical to the Lowry at the end of the month.

The same could possibly be said for Kara who got the part after beating off countless hopefuls at a series of open auditions.

"I auditioned at Dominion Theatre in London and there were hundreds of people there and that was just one of many auditions up and down the country," she said.

"I think maybe I went into it thinking 'there's no chance I'm going to get this' so I probably went into it a bit more relaxed than I would normally with an audition. As a result I probably did a better job because I thought it was so much of a longshot."

Kara was invited back to perform at the Cavern Club for a final audition where so many Liverpool legends have appeared.

"Just to be able to perform there was a real treat, but then to get the job was amazing," she said.

Cilla's son Robert was part of the selection process.

"He has said he wanted someone to capture her spirit rather than do an impersonation of her," said Kara, "and that's what I hope I'm doing in the show."

Cilla the Musical is based on the TV biopic of the pop star and entertainer which starred Sheridan Smith. It opened to rave reviews last year and has been touring the country almost non stop since then.

Kara and the cast have had a break over the summer but are now back on the road with the tour scheduled to continue until December.

"It's the biggest part I've played and it's the first time I've toured for such a long time," she said. "It can be really tiring and I was glad for the break but it also gave me the chance to miss the show, so it's great to get back on the road again."

Kara, 30, may be familiar to TV viewers as she was part of the all-girl group Zyrah Rose who reached the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent in 2016. She has also performed in a number of musicals including Moulin Rouge in London and had several film and TV roles.

Her showbiz career began when, as a 10-year-old, she starred in Annie alongside Paul O'Grady, ironically one of Cilla Black's best friends.

"I actually met Cilla Black just after I'd been in Annie," said Kara. "She was in a coffee shop in Buckinghamshire near her home and close to where we lived. I went up to her and said I had worked with Paul an that I wanted to be a singer. She just gave me this raised eyebrow look, as if to say' good luck with that' but I still have the autograph she gave me."

Cilla the Musical charts the phenomenal rise of the girl from Liverpool who first became a pop star and then went on to become one of Britain's best loved TV personalities through shows such as Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.

"The whole thing is fascinating - her friendship with the Beatles, the fact that Brian Epstein was her manager - you couldn't make it up. It is an amazing story," she said.

"But when anyone asks what the show is about I say that it's fundamentally a love story between her and her husband Bobby, their ups and downs and how their love got them through it.

"Then you've got all those wonderful songs. I really knew her through her TV shows. I didn't realise quite how successful she had been and the extent of her pop career until I got the part. She was a fashion icon, this amazing pop star and so well loved by everybody – that was the real magic that she had."

Kara has deliberately stayed away from doing an impression of Cilla.

"I've had to learn the accent of course," she said, "but I've always had a good ear for accents. I listened to loads of recordings of her and I just let it filter in really.

"With her songs, I never wanted to be a soundalike - I think that would be very difficult for anyone difficult as she had such a distinctive voice but, again, I think I've put my own spin on the songs.

"I don't think people give her credit for the kind of range she had, those songs are really hard - she had this great range.

"In the show I've got 18 songs and they are tricky old numbers so I have to look after myself on tour. That can be hard when you're surrounded by this lovely cast who like to go to the pub every night, but they understand I have to be sensible.

"It's a small sacrifice to make to be part of such a great show."

Cilla the Musical, the Lowry, Salford Quays, Tuesday, August 28 to Saturday, September 1. Details from 0843 208 6005 or www.thelowry.com