WHEN Mike Kelly took this holiday snap of a Nigerian street, he never thought it would be used as the backdrop for a Broadway musical.

Mike, 44, of Ramsbottom, captured the atmospheric shot from the back of a car in Lagos, Nigeria.

The professional wedding photographer, who lives in Whalley Road, uploaded the image to photo-sharing website Flickr when he returned home.

And, out of the blue, he was contacted by a New York theatre designer working on Fela! The Musical, based on the life of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti.

Father-of-two Mike said: “I was asked if my photo could be used by the National Theatre for their set because finding quality photos of the streets in Lagos can be difficult.

“It’s a challenging environment and we were being escorted by armed guards most of the time we were there.

“As an established photographer, I always try to visually document the places I visit and the streets of Lagos are fantastically vibrant and interesting.

“I was delighted to have the opportunity to showcase my snapshot of Lagos life on the Fela! set because I’ve been a huge fan of Fela Kuti’s music for a long time.”

The musical, which has been produced by movie star Will Smith and rapper Jay-Z, tells the story of the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician, human rights activist and political maverick.

Mike’s photograph has been projected live to around 200 cinemas worldwide as part of NT Live, a National Theatre initiative to broadcast musicals live.

Mike, who is also a part-time management consultant, has received recognition for his work before and has exhibited at the Manchester Photographic Gallery.

He was named The Guardian’s best wedding and events photographer in 2008.

The show is now on a permanent run at London’s Olivier National Theatre.