Coronation Street's Gray O’Brien is set to perform alongside the runner up on BBC1’s The Voice in Bill Kenwright’s production of The Sound of Music.

Gray, who previously won two awards for his role as Tony Gordon in Coronation Street, will star as Captain Von Trapp in what will be his first musical production.

The winner of Villain of the Year at the British Soap Awards and Best Actor at the Inside Soap Awards, says: “It was something I wanted to do, I wanted to tick another box and it’s such a great role.

“The Captain is surrounded by so many fabulous singers but it is an acted role that drifts into song, and for me it’s completely different.

“I’ve never been in the middle of a scene when an underscore starts and you have to stop the spoken words and burst into song, so it’s a whole new medium for me.”

Also making her musical debut is Lucy O’Byrne, who last year became the first classical singer to make it to the finals of BBC1’s The Voice. She will be playing Maria Von Trapp.

Her rise to fame, however, didn’t make landing the part easy for her. She explains: “I had three rounds of auditions and I was really put through my paces!

“They knew I could sing – you come second on The Voice and it’s an obvious assumption – but they have to make sure they can trust you to take the pressure because she really is the centre of the whole story and she carries a lot of it, so they tested me a lot.”

She adds: “Performing is in my blood but I do get nervous but I just try to learn it and focus on rehearsals.

“It’s big and as a debut it’s huge and big pressure because it’s such an important show to so many people and everyone knows it, and so many people have their own idea of who Maria should be, but I just want to make it my own.”

The musical is based on the discovered diaries of Maria Von Trapp. A young woman who, while studying to become a nun, is sent to be the governess for the seven children of a retired and widowed naval officer.

Maria brings a new lease of life into the family, but this newly founded happiness is threatened when Austria is taken over by Germany in the start of the World War Two.

Lucy adds: “I feel incredibly lucky I’ve landed one of the biggest and best roles ever written for a woman in musical theatre.”

Wycombe Swan Theatre, St Mary Street, High Wycombe, Tuesday, February 9, 7.30pm, Wednesday, February 10 and Thursday, February 11 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Friday, February 12, 7.30m and Saturday, February 13 at 2.30m and 7.20pm. Details: 01494 512 000, wycombeswan.co.uk