Those who adore the music of pop icons Take That will not be disappointed with their new musical, as it 'pays the ultimate respect' to fans through an original story, inspired by a true life tale.

The stars have announced that the new show will embark on a major UK tour this September following a quest on national television, in the talent show Let It Shine, to cast five young men as 'The Band'.

The show, called The Band, will feature the winners of the BBC show, boyband Five To Five, which includes Kent's very own young heartthrob, AJ Bentley.

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It will come to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury next year.

The new musical looks at what it’s like to grow up passionately following a boyband.

For five 16-year-old friends in 1992, ‘The Band' is everything, helping them through fun and tough times.

Video: Take That's new musical The Band to come to Canterbury

Twenty-five years later, audiences are reunited with the friends, now 40-something women, as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes.

Take That's Gary Barlow said: "This isn't a story specifically about us, this is a story alongside our story.

"We're starting to really fall in love with everybody we're working with and feel very proud at this point to be able to just sit in an audience and watch our music being performed... because this is all new for us.

"One of the things we loved when this story came about was that it pays the ultimate respect to the audience."

Written by Tim Firth, the show features the music of Take That and will begin playing at Manchester Opera House on September 8. The producers made the official announcement yesterday, Sunday, April 2, on stage at the Manchester Apollo.

The winners of the TV show performed at the venue last night, where Take That first performed in 1992, with a rehearsed reading of the new musical in front of an audience of nearly 100 invited guests, including life long fans and the women who inspired the story.

The Band, played by AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Yazdan Qafouri Isfahani, Curtis T Johns and Sario Watanabe-Soloman, sung upbeat and vocally strong renditions of Take That hits 'Pray' and 'Could It Be Magic' with snappy dance routines.

The songs were cleverly woven between some witty and also emotional acting performances from Rachel Lumberg and Faye Christall as female lead Rachel and Young Rachel respectively, to help tell the story. Further casting is to be announced.

AJ Bentley, from Hythe, took time at the press conference in Manchester to commend the band's mentors in their journey from screen to stage: "We've spent a lot of time with Take That and they've taught us a lot as it is."

The 22-year-old is a former Brockhill Park student and studied dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. He continued: "That's why they are such successes; because they look after their fans, they talk to their fans and they have that rapport and I think if we can take a bit of what they've had... and 'Take That' with us then hopefully that will be a success!"

The Band will be directed by Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder, choreographed by Kim Gavin and produced by Take That, comprising of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams, alongside David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers.

The show comes to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from February 20 to March 3 2018. Tickets go on sale today, Monday, April 3, at noon. Visit thebandmusical.com for more information or The Marlowe Theatre website.