Minogue's forthcoming album, X, is released next month

The singer has recorded a series of different answerphone messages for use in the West End show, starring Denise Van Outen.

Minogue, whose creative collaborator William Baker directs the musical, is expected to attend Monday's opening night at the Duke of York Theatre.

Ewan Thomson, a spokesman for theatre, said it was "a nice way for Kylie to get involved" in the show.

He said only those who know it is Minogue's voice would be able to identify the half-a-dozen recordings.

In some cases, her voice has been digitally changed to make it sound masculine.

'Very kind'

Mr Thomson told the BBC News website: "It started off as very much an 'in' thing between Kylie and William Baker, and it was a great way to get her involved in a small way.

"It is great to have Kylie on board, and she was very kind to agree to do it."

Rent, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Boheme.

The musical tells the story of a group of impoverished young New Yorkers dealing with the grim realities of life and love in the shadow of AIDS.

It racked up four Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize for drama, and three prestigious Olivier Award nominations in the mid-1990s.

Baker, who has worked on some of the most iconic pop images of recent years, has re-worked the musical for the 21st century.

Van Outen, who has previously starred on Broadway and in the West End, plays bisexual performance artist Maureen in the show.

Former Sugababes singer Siobhan Donaghy will play Mimi, a club dancer with HIV.