Single White Female: "I am loving being a villain," says former Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh

“This is my villain era,” says Marsh who played Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction to much acclaim and has now been cast as Hedy in the stage adaptation of iconic Nineties’ psychological thriller Single White Female.

“The last few roles I have done have been pretty villainous and I love it,” she says. “I’m not a villain which is why it always fun to play those parts because they are so removed from you.

“I want to make Hedy a little bit more layered and actually have people be a bit taken aback, unsure if she’s good or bad right up to the last minute and even feeling sorry for her, particularly near the end – that’s my job, to try to break that character down and try to get some empathy for her. So, it is a bit more complex and nuanced than you might imagine.”

The show tells the story of recently divorced mum Allie, who is trying to juggle childcare with starting a new business. When she advertises for a lodger to help make ends meet, along comes the seemingly delightful Hedy - but quickly we see that all is not as it seems and their new friendship takes a sinister turn.

Marsh, who was one of the most popular characters, Michelle Connor, in Coronation Street for 13 years, has won a multitude of acting awards and, amongst other things, has starred in Waterloo Road, Strictly Come Dancing and presented BBC One’s Morning Live, says she has always been fascinated with true crime documentaries and what motivates people to commit heinous crimes.

"I am fascinated with the the psychology behind these people. We will never fully understand what motivates people to do these things but there’s a lot about people’s backgrounds and experiences you try to find something to help understand, So when you are playing a character it is my job to empathise with her try to find out why this has happened.

“The character of Hedy is so interesting and challenging to play. Without giving too much away to anyone who hasn’t seen the film, the character is very complex and, from an acting point of view, it gives me an opportunity to explore so many different places that you don't necessarily really go to normally.

“I played Alex Forrest in the stage version of Fatal Attraction and I loved it so much. After that we started to have discussions about what potential other projects there might be and we came up with the idea of Single White Female because it had never been done before,” she explains.

“It was also within that kind of genre of those epic, classic films that had a real impact on people at that time. So I have been attached to it from the start and it’s really exciting.”

The new stage version of Single White Female, which also stars Lisa Faulkner, will appeal to a new generation who have never seen the movie, says Marsh, but it will also give a new perspective to fans of the original film, as it has been updated by author, journalist and broadcaster, Rebecca Reid, with a focus on social media, playing on the themes of ambition, identity and isolation through that lens.

Marsh says this has done more than just give it a contemporary spin, it actually makes the story feel even more relevant for the 2020s.

“Because of the world we live in this is a reimagined script. There obviously wasn't social media back in the ‘90s. But if you know the essence of the plot and what it's about, it works very well because we see people trying to imitate people's lives online all the time.”

Will fans of the original still recognise the film they know and love?

“The essence is very much still the same – it’s still as chilling. But the story is slightly changed - as well as being more up-to-date, it's based in the UK rather than being in America. So there are differences but the big, important, epic moments are still in there. And it’s very much still a thriller with a real shock factor - we want to have people on the edge of their seats. I think people will still very much love the story whether they've seen the film or not. ”

Marsh says that having been in several stage productions recently, including Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party, has given her a real love of the stage, while she continues to enjoy her television career.

“I’m so lucky that I am able to enjoy both being in front of the camera and also being on stage,” she says. “Obviously on stage you get an instant kind of reaction which is very rewarding - you know immediately how much people are enjoying what you’re doing when you are on stage. Television can be very different from that. But there is a real buzz being on stage, you get that atmosphere straight away. And I really like travelling around, seeing different places and some beautiful theatres. It’s interesting that everywhere you go, the audience reacts differently to different parts. Then again, in front of a camera you always get to go again.”

Aged 49, Marsh has not stopped working since she auditioned for the TV show Popstars, 25 years ago, joining the band Hear’Say. Since then she has become a stalwart of soaps and live day time TV presenting as well as competing in Strictly come Dancing and most recently filming in Australia for her new thriller series The Imposter, which centres on a family dispute over the future of their hotel.

“I feel very fortunate and very lucky that I've been allowed to have the career that I've had and to have been received in the way that I have. Some people don’t manage to make the break from music into acting and I feel very lucky to have had the breaks I’ve had,” says the mother-of-three, who is also a grandma who says she loves her job and can’t choose between them.

“But I’ve also worked very hard and I think I come across as a sincere individual. I've never tried to hide anything. I make mistakes and hold my hands up and I think that gives me a girl next door feel - perhaps everyone knows someone a bit like me.

“I was brought up by a family who are very caring and open. My family means everything to me. I absolutely adore my kids and my grandchildren. I think I try to only ever be caring and open, too, when I'm being interviewed or meeting new people, because, to be honest, I don't know how to be anything else.”

So even now, she gets nervous?

“Of course I do,” she admits. “Theatre is way more nerve wracking, that’s for sure. My dad passed away last year and I have found myself standing in the wings before I go on stage saying, “Come on dad, come on dad. One the things my dad was most proud of was my work ethic. Because you want to feel that someone is helping you out when you are out there, you really hope that nothing’s going to go wrong, that you give a great performance and people enjoy it.”

Single White Female visits Grand Opera York from Tue 3 Feb - Sat 7 Feb and Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from 12-16 May.

For tickets see www.atgtickets.com