COMEDIENNE turned actress and singer Faith Brown is set to make a big impression in Manchester.

But forget any notion of seeing the famous funny woman taking on a variety of well-known guises.

Faith has been wowing audiences and critics alike with her portrayal of Norma Desmond in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Sunset Boulevard -- and is aiming to do the same at Manchester's Palace Theatre.

The part has liberated the performer, who says impressions for her are now a thing of the past.

Impressive performances have shown a fresh depth to Faith and new offers are now flooding in. She said: "There are lots of new things in the pipeline. Getting this part is like being reborn. I could not have asked for anything better."

The character of Norma struggles to come to terms with the fact that her star is fading -- and Faith says she has a certain empathy with her.

"There but for the grace of God go I," she said. "I have a great feeling for Norma. She makes me realise how lucky I am.

"I am not just an actress, but a singer and comedienne. I can do other things and my heart goes out to people who are not able to adapt.

"I am finding that doing this part means I am going away from the impressions. I do them for friends and when I am fooling around, but since I have been playing Norma Desmond I have had the chance to do some serious acting.

"I got a bit pigeon-holed before getting this part. It has been an experience for some critics to see me in this role."

Despite this not being an obvious choice of role for the comic, Faith believes the part of Norma was one she was destined to play. However, she says she was terrified when it came to auditioning for the part.

"I heard they were recasting for the show and my manager got me the audition," she explained.

"This was only the second audition of my career. The first was for Brookside. I had never previously needed auditions because people knew me and what they were getting.

"The audition was at Sadler's Wells and I was terrified of going in. I had to be pushed out of the car into the audition.

"My manager advised me to dress for the part, so I put a scarf around my head and wore a long black coat. When I walked in the room they could immediately see Norma.

"I had always known I could play a serious role and I thank God Andrew Lloyd Webber saw this in me. I had never seen anyone else playing the role. Being an impressionist that was a good thing because the temptation would be to copy someone else.

"Although this is a touring show, it truly is done to the same standards as the West End production. We have the best musicians and the best actors."

Sunset Boulevard runs at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, until September 28. For tickets, telephone 0161 242 2524.