RYAN Molloy almost missed returning to the North-East in a big touring version of West End musical Tonight's The Night after being rushed into hospital to have his appendix out in January.

Tyneside-born Molloy, who doesn't admit to an age beyond 29, is a man of many performing talents, but surviving in the saddle of a bull-riding machine in the US isn't one of them.

"It was fun" he enthuses, "but it turned out I'd ruptured my appendix when I came off. At first I thought I'd got food poisoning for six days but then I started limping and ended up in hospital. All I could think was 'I can't afford $1,000 for two aspirins' and then the medical staff were all around the bed saying if I didn't have an operation I would die, so then I took it seriously. I've ended up with a fantastic scar which makes me look like a pirate."

Ryan bounced back to claim the role of Stuart in Ben Elton-penned Tonight's The Night - The Rod Stewart Musical for its debut national tour, which opens in Sunderland's Empire on Monday night and runs until Saturday. His character is a shy Gasoline Alley employee who sells his soul to the devil for the courage to ask out the girl of his dreams.

"But he mutates into something more and more ridiculous and becomes this rock machine, a bit like we all dream about," he jokes.

Rod Stewart standards such as Stay With Me, Maggie May and Do You Think I'm Sexy are in there but, strangely, Ryan's favourite, Gladrags And Handbags, is missing.

"It was actually my audition piece and the director's favourite song as well but they couldn't fit it in the show. I might sing it a cappella just before the interval one night," he says cheekily. Ryan moved into acting first and trained at London's Poor School; the University of California (UCLA); Valley Theatre, Los Angeles and in New York and almost made it as a soul singer in the US before landing a chorus role in Olivier Award-winning Jerry Spring The Opera in 2004. He also hit the headlines after replacing vocalist Holly Johnson out of 200 hopefuls when Frankie Goes to Hollywood reformed. Making his name has been a more difficult task then for most because various spellings of Molloy have appeared so far and Ryan jokes: "I get some funky spellings and I was called Ryan Melody the other day which made me sound like a gay children's presenter."

Until now Ryan's only other professional musical link to the North-East was an involvement with Sting in creating the song Black And White Army for Newcastle United's losing FA Cup Final appearance against Arsenal. He says: "Newcastle United's seasons could reflect my life. Back in the days when Keegan was manager it was almost but never quite enough and this season has turned out well after an appalling start."

When the tour of Tonight's The Night finishes Ryan and his band Suntan are booked for a residency at Jools Hollands' Jam House Club for the Edinburgh Festival in August.

"We'll also be recording an EP at the same time so it's quite draining at the moment because I've also written songs for Frankie Goes To Hollywood which might be released on CD.

"I toured with Frankie last year and there's talk of more things happening at the end of the year. Sometimes I just go and stand in the corner and sing kum ba yah! for ten minutes to help me relax and that seems to work.

"The most rest I've had this year is when I had my appendix out," he adds.

His parents Winnie and Bob, from Monkseaton, Auntie Pat from North Shields and cousins from Tyneside are all set to watch Ryan's big debut next week.

"You won't be able to miss them, they're like blonde elves," jokes the 5ft 8inch performer.

* Tonight's The Night - The Rod Stewart Musical runs at Sunderland's Empire from Monday until Saturday. Ticket: £8.50 - £28.50. Box Office: 08706021130.