Globe Columnist Peter Grant meets Sting who was in Liverpool to talk about his forthcoming stage tour of his acclaimed musical - The Last Ship.

Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Lou Reed – I have interviewed some of the biggest names in music.

Happily it is true that the bigger they are in real life the more down-to-earth they are.

Sting is no exception.

The former front man for The Police and multi-layered solo singer-songwriter and actor is in relaxed mood when I meet him in the Maritime Museum - an apt setting to promote his labour of love The Last Ship - a musical.

It has graced Broadway and next year will be on a UK tour that comes to Liverpool Playhouse from April 9 for a week.

Sting played a few songs from the show to an invited audience before taking tea with a handful of journalists including The Wirral Globe.

I asked him if he ever thought of telling this unique piece of theatre as a film?

"Interesting that you should say that. Stephen Spielberg asked me the same thing.

"I said to him ‘do you know anybody’?’’ Sting revealed that the Hollywood director and producer is going to catch a date on the UK tour.

The writer himself is hoping to be in Liverpool for the opening night.

"We are friends so I’d love him to see it and he says he will.’’

The Tony-nominated show will be different from the US version – more political, says the 66 year old star who has sold more than 100 million albums in his illustrious combining The Police and solo career.

£But please do tell people there’s a lot of joy and laughter in it,’’ he laughed.

"I know this play – it is not a rock musical more folk musical - will resonate with Liverpool.

"It asks what did communities do when work was taken away from them?

"What are we as human beings without work? I don’t know - but the question is asked in The Last Ship.’’ Sting wrote the stunning score and lyrics and his pal Jimmy Nail stars in the tour.

‘‘He was my muse,’’ says Sting.

I ask if Jimmy’s hit single Big River - about the Tyne - will be featured as it could havebeen written about the Mersey I say.

Sting takes off my Scouse accent and pronunciation of ‘Mersey’ and laughs.

‘‘Oh, no. I’m not giving him any royalties.’’ The production, which was inspired by the singer’s 1991 album Soul Cages, features his own childhood experiences and tells the story of a community amid the demise of the ship building industry in Wallsend – his home town – in Tyne and Wear with the closure of the town’s life-blood the Swan Hunter shipyard.

The central character is Gideon Fletcher who has a love affair with Meg. He returns home after seventeen years at sea.

There are conflicts with his family and his town. A half-built ship towers over the terraces.

This is a show close to Sting’s heart and he is giving it 100 per cent.

Stings says certain elements have changed since its US run and he will continue to re-work and re-write.

‘‘I have always done that, I am still writing Roxanne...’’ he says with a grin.

As well as original music such as the poignant Dead Man’s Shoes and What say uou Megit also features some of Sting’s best loved songs – including the auto-biographical All This Time.

I ask him was it always the title of the play?

"Yes. From day one. I start with a title and then take it from there.’’ And with a shake of the hand and ‘Ta ra la’ I give Sting a book called Men of Iron about the Cammell Laird shipyard .

He sits and flicks through it and says

"Thank you - it’s a great title. Shipbuilders really were men of steel.’’ I leave this very special audience with Sting who said he loves Liverpool because of The Beatles inspiration and the maritime similarity of his home town.

And in his Geordie accent he had one parting comment.

"Tell your readers I’d love you to come and share this proud story of when The Last Ship sails... it’s about where I come from a place like Merseyside. A story we can all relate to.’’

The last Ship is produced by Northern Stage in association with Karl Sydow and Kathryn Scheneker.

On from Monday 9 to Saturday 14 April at The Liverpool Playhouse. 

To get your tickets call the box office on 0151 709 4776.