Eastenders' Michelle Collins talks ahead of Thoroughly Modern Millie role in Birmingham

She made the role her own during a series of stints, most notably during the late 80s and mid 90s. And though she's featured in other successful shows, including the brilliant Two Thousand Acres of Sky, Coronation Street as boisterous Rovers landlady Stella Price and Sunburn, her early work in 'Enders remains career defining.

Not that the star agrees. Feisty and independent, brave and uncompromising, Collins' career has been chameleon-like. From the gritty drama of Walford to her present work in the lead role of Thoroughly Modern Millie, and from fringe plays in London's Theatre Land to producing her own films, Collins is a creative force of nature.

"Every actor will be synonymous with one role or another but most actors want to shake things off all the time," she says. "It's difficult if people only think of me in one part, that's my nemesis, because we want to play different roles and do different things. Actors have to make money and take work, but I'm a bit of a chameleon and want to put myself out there. Maybe, eventually, I'll do more TV. But for now, I'm thrilled to be in the theatre.

"You know, it's hard work being in a soap. There are long, long days and you have to learn a lot of lines, day in day out. But it's like any job, just because you're acting doesn't mean it's more special." And of her sensationally quitting her role on rival soap Coronation Street, she said: "We all get fed up.

"So, for me, I needed to get out and be more creative."

Collins will be back in Birmingham this week in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the New Alexandra Theatre, with shows from Monday until February 18.

The winner of six Tony Awards, including best musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie is the delightful smash hit comedy set in New York in 1922, and based on the award-winning film. The show delivers madcap merriment as Collins plays the delightfully evil Mrs Meers and Strictly Come Dancing's Joanne Clifton features as the adorable Millie.

Collins only features in the role for six weeks, before jetting off to feature in a different and gritty play in London.

"It's going well and I think the audiences are loving it.

"I've done the Boney M musical, the Take That musical and a big tour of Chitty. But this is something different. It was one of those, I always remembered the film and it's quite an unusual sort of musical because it's not done a lot."

Collins loves the character of Mrs Meers, though finds it tough flitting back and forth between her Chinese alter-ego.

"It's quite a difficult one to do, more difficult than I thought. You are playing two characters; an American who is a failed chorus girl/actress and then she pretends to be Chinese but does it really badly. She's the villain of the piece and it's quite hard.

"I didn't have a huge amount of rehearsal time and I do think I'm going a bit insane as I switch between New York American and Chinese. But I like it. It's a good challenge."

Collins adds: "When I'm in Birmingham, I'll be commuting to London to rehearse another play, A Dark Night In Dalston, which follows immediately after Millie.

"I'm in it and producing it and it's a two-hander so there's a lot of lines to learn. By April, I'll need a rest."

Collins made a conscious decision to do more theatre after leaving the cobbles of Coronation Street behind. She wanted the creative challenge of treading the boards.

"Theatre's great and challenging but it's quite exhausting. You have to live your life like a monk. You can't have those late nights because you have to look after yourself.

"But there's great work out there, like A Dark Night in Dalston. That's about a woman in Dalston who is caring for her husband but is lonely and has slight mental health problems. She lives a lonely existence and doesn't have much money.

"It's taken 18 months to bring it to the stage and her story is one that's familiar to people in Wolverhampton, Glasgow or London. We live in a fragmented society where people feel a bit translucent, as though they're not really there."

There are easier gigs out there for 55-year-old award-winning singer/actresses, but Collins is driven by the need to do good work, rather than be famous or earn a buck.

"I'm putting myself on the line. But at the end of the day that's what it's about. I'm still working and I'm in my mid-50s."

She may return to TV soon. She enjoys being versatile. Though there are other avenues that interest her, including film. She's made a short movie which won plaudits at a film festival in Berlin and is constantly searching out new horizons.

And when she's away from the stage, her social conscience kicks in and she works with young people. She's helped Oxfam and Ambitious About Autism and does a lot of work now with Barnardo's.

"I'm a big supporter of Barnado's. That's one of my main charities. I work a lot with young people, and not just kids. We live in an age where there are a lot of mental health issues and homelessness and it's important to use my profile to put something back.

"Not everyone has a privileged life."

Collins has fond memories of Birmingham. She made a Bollywood film in the city with Richie Kapoor and has featured in numerous plays and musicals. "The last thing was with Richie. We filmed around town and got mobbed. I know Birmingham well. It's nice to be coming back."

By Andy Richardson