A chat with LESLEY JOSEPH, who's coming to The Anvil with raucous musical comedy Hot Flush!

This ultimate girls’ night out show is the story of Myra, Sylvia, Helen and Jessica, four ordinary women – and one man – living extraordinary lives.

It will run in The Anvil on Friday, March 28 at 7.30pm.

Q: What appealed you about starring in Hot Flush!?

A: I’ve done it twice before, and I just couldn’t resist doing it again. It has gone down so well with audiences. It’s the only show I’ve ever done where on the first night we overran by 15 minutes because there were so many laughs.

Of course, that could have just been me overplaying it! It’s a hybrid show - it’s got music, drama, stand-up and revue. But the main thing is that it’s very, very funny.

It strikes a chord because it’s about menopausal women, and a lot of women identify with that. The Vagina Monologues started a trend for bringing in an audience who might not have been to the theatre before and Hot Flush! is merely continuing that.

Q: What do you think the show offers to an audience?

A: Its sense of humour is very near the knuckle and that really appeals. One of the characters has a moment with a Rampant Rabbit and you don’t get much more near the knuckle than that! It’s part of a genre of theatre that connects with hormonal housewives and hen parties. They are people who want to leave their troubles behind and come out for a real laugh. Hot Flush! speaks directly to that audience, and that’s why it works so brilliantly.

Q: How did you find the musical component of the show?

A: I’ve loved it. I may not be the greatest singer in the world, but I can sell a song. I’ve previously starred in The Boyfriend and Thoroughly Modern Millie, so I know my way round a musical. I also job shared the role of Miss Hannigan with Paul O’Grady for two and a half years in a production of Annie. It was brilliant to dip in and out of it. Sometimes I get very possessive about a role, and I was far happier that a man was playing my part than a woman on that occasion. I knew I couldn’t compete with Paul, but it was great as we had very different interpretations.

Q: You obviously have a real love of theatre... 

A: Absolutely. I’m a theatre girl – I grew up loving it. I love standing in the wings waiting to go on and seeing the scenery change. I used to do very serious, kosher acting, but then I went down the comedy route. That’s top of the tree for me now. I just love working with an audience. I’m a pure theatre animal.

Every sort of theatre is valid, and I love doing it all. I once did Harold Pinter’s Home directed by Sir Peter Hall. The play is magical. The original production starred Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson, and I worshipped the ground they walked on.

To be able to do that and then shows such as Hot Flush! or The Gingerbread Lady about a recovering alcoholic or Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream is truly wonderful.

I’ve never done The National Theatre or the Royal Shakespeare Company, but I’ve done so many other marvellous things on stage. I’ve entertained thousands of people in the theatre and put smiles on their faces and that’s a great feeling.

Q: You’ve recently returned to our TV screens as Dorien in Birds of a Feather. Did you have any doubts about reviving it?

A: There will always be people who say, “For God’s sake, why did you bring it back?”  You’ll always have lovers and haters. But you can’t spend your life worrying about what other people think. Some people won’t like my work, but many people will. All I know is that every day I walk down the street and someone stops me to say, “Thank you for making me laugh.” Those people are delighted that Birds of a Feather is back.

People simply love Dorien. Yes, she’s a nasty piece of work, but people really like her because she is also vulnerable. There’s a real pathos to her. She can never be too successful. We would never make her a big fish in a big pond.

She has to be still stuck in Chigwell. She makes people laugh, but she also makes them cry because you see her vulnerability. She’s the wrong side of forty and refuses to grow old gracefully. She takes life by the balls and just goes for it. She’s a true life force.

Q: How do you relax?

A: I’m a very good knitter. I recently knitted myself a dress, and it was only meant to be a jumper! I also love walking – I walk everywhere. I love doing the great London walks, learning about Charles Dickens or Jack the Ripper. I also love shopping. So I’m especially happy at Christmas when there’s an excuse to spend money! Every single job I do, I buy myself a present. When I finish a job, I think, “Right, now I’ve earned myself a pair of shoes!”

Q: Finally, will men feel excluded if they come to see Hot Flush!?

A: Not at all. There is a very funny moment where Myra goes speed-dating. One actor plays all the men, and he ends up wearing a leather pouch and a mask. At that point, the audience goes berserk, and the roof comes off the theatre. That sums up the evening. People might be snobby about Hot Flush!

But it’s great entertainment, and it sends audiences out with a smile on their faces. They’ve left their troubles behind and had a wonderful night out.

Tickets to see Hot Flush! in The Anvil are available from 01256 844244 or online at anvilarts.org.uk.