JEFF Wayne’s musical version of War Of The Worlds may have been around since 1978, but the musical realisation of HG Wells’ classic tale is showing no sign of slowing down, as a new live version is to be performed at the Motorpoint arena for two nights next month.

The album itself remains an award-winning landmark masterpiece that has continually won newfans, spending more than 330 weeks on theUKchart to date, reaching No. 1 in 11 countries and selling more than 15 million copies.

“I consider it lucky that it has reached so many people,” Jeff Wayne tells me, “rather like a classic painting that has given so much pleasure!”

Jeff, a popular composer and record producer, spent several months researching the project before approaching HG Wells’ estate to produce the musical version.

Wells’ son Frank was impressed with the amount of drive and passion Jeff had poured into the project, “Dad and I suddenly owned the rights to The War of the Worlds musical because we’d presented the idea well,” says Jeff.

It was then a case of getting performers on board to play the various roles the story demanded. These included an all-star musical line-up including Phil Lynott, David Essex and Justin Hayward. However, to pull the story together, Jeff had only one person in mind for the journalist.

“Looking back, it was easy, though I wouldn’t have told you that at the time,” he recalls. “I’d assembled my cast of characters and at the top of the list was the journalist with Richard Burton’s name against it.Afriend had recently seen him in a theatre production of Equus in New York. So I wrote a letter explaining I was looking for a voice for the journalist and sent it to the stage door.

“Robert Lance, Richard’s manager, replied: ‘Richard loves the idea, count him in dear boy!’”

I ask Jeff why it had taken so long for a stage version of the album to happen: the first full interpretation was performed in 2006. “It had always been in the back of my mind,” replies Jeff, “but the technology to do a big interpretation didn’t exist.”

The success of the 2006 showsawJeff return to the drawing board, revisualising the album for a new generation.

“It’s adventurous on every level, the new generation techniques are very current.”

Among the stars featured in the new version is actor Liam Neeson, who appears on stage as a hologram. The tour also includes The Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson as the Artilleryman.

“He’s delightful to work with,” says Jeff. “and very charismatic on stage.”

Despite a star-studded cast that also features Marti Pellow, Jason Donovan and Kerry Ellis, the real stars are likely to be the alien invaders, with a 35ft tall motion-fighting machine which fires bursts of heat rays into the audience. “No one has perished so far,” jokes Jeff.

It seems the timeless The War Of The Worlds is nowall set to reach a new generation.

I ask Jeff if he has any new projects on the horizon. He replies honestly: “When I was first asked about new projects, I’d say ‘yes, I’m doing projects’ – and then another tour comes along. I’m still fighting Martians six years on!”

● Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War of the Worlds will be performed at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena from December 2 to December 3.

Visit livenation.co.uk for ticket availability.