You ask the questions (Such as: so, Elaine Paige, have you ever sung in a karaoke bar?)

Actress and singer Elaine Paige was born in Barnet in 1948. She made her West End début in Hair in 1969 after training at the Aida Foster drama school. Her 30-year career has been dominated by musicals, and she has appeared in many of the big-name West End shows includingGrease, Jesus Christ Superstar and Cats. She starred as Eva Peron in Evita, as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and as Edith Piaf in Piaf. Paige has recorded 14 solo albums; "I Know Him So Well", which she sang with Barbara Dickson in Chess, is in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest-selling record by a female duo. In 1995 she was awarded an OBE. Paige is currently starring in The King and I at the London Palladium.

Actress and singer Elaine Paige was born in Barnet in 1948. She made her West End début in Hair in 1969 after training at the Aida Foster drama school. Her 30-year career has been dominated by musicals, and she has appeared in many of the big-name West End shows includingGrease, Jesus Christ Superstar and Cats. She starred as Eva Peron in Evita, as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and as Edith Piaf in Piaf. Paige has recorded 14 solo albums; "I Know Him So Well", which she sang with Barbara Dickson in Chess, is in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest-selling record by a female duo. In 1995 she was awarded an OBE. Paige is currently starring in The King and I at the London Palladium.

Do you think that musicals that run for five years should be forced to close, thereby freeing up the theatres for something else? Boney, Gravesend If a musical runs that long and receives good audiences then I see no reason to close it down. Of course it's important to encourage new works, but if a musical is popular with the public you can't deny them the opportunity of seeing it. Productions shouldn't be penalised just because they are a commercial success.

Who do you know so well? Duncan Graham, London Funnily enough, Barbara Dickson. We sang the song together and forged a great friendship thereafter. I don't see enough of her, but we're working on a project at the moment (rather slowly, as we're both in shows for a while), with the collaboration of Abba's Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Does your preparation for a role differ when you play a real-life character as opposed to a fictional character? Emily Benson (aged 10), Guildford My preparation is basically the same - getting to know the character and their background as well as possible, and understanding what makes them tick. However, if it's a real-life character there are lots of sources to draw on and I try to make my research as extensive as possible. This is a really enjoyable process.

How do you feel about being a gay icon? Min McMahon, Manchester If I am, or am likely to be at sometime, I think it's a great privilege to be embraced by the gay community and I value their support enormously. But it's difficult being put on a pedestal and I have to keep my feet firmly on the floor.

Most actors have dressing-room rituals they go through before going on stage. What are yours? D Purdom, London W3 It's to do with routine rather more than rituals. I have a particular order of doing things and certain items I always have on my dressing table (such as a lace mat that was my grandmother's, and a small clock) and they are all laid out in a specific manner. Once made up, I need some time to concentrate without interruptions, and then I'm ready.

Have you ever been to a karaoke night? And what song would you sing if you did go? Alison Bee, Hastings I was on holiday in the South of France just before opening in Piaf and, after a rather enjoyable supper and too many glasses of wine, I had to cheer up a depressed friend. He dragged me into a karaoke bar and asked me to join in. To get him to sing too - and hopefully cheer up - I agreed, but he said I had to go first. I sang "La Vie En Rose" - to my amazement a very crowded bar went silent and I felt embarrassed to find myself sitting on a stool, swinging my feet and singing a Piaf song. The good part was that my friend had to go next and he sweated his way through "Why Do Fools Fall in Love".

If there was one thing that, professionally, you could change about yourself, what would it be? Gina Rossi, Glasgow There isn't anything.