To millions Susie Blake is known as Bev Unwin, the brassy man-eating mother of Rovers Return barmaid Shelly in Coronation Street.

But Susie had more than 30 years acting experience on stage, TV and film before her 14-month stint on the soap.

Now she is back treading the boards in Cole Porter's High Society, which is running at Bromley's Churchill Theatre between September 9-18.

"I play the mother of the bride who has her own problems because her husband has gone off with a dancer but she eventually takes him back, so teaching her daughter about compassion and that sometimes companionship is more important than finding the perfect person," Susie explains.

She is looking forward to taking on the role because she has only performed in about 10 musicals in her career.

She trained as a ballet dancer, doesn't regard herself as a great singer and then worked mainly as an actress so this offers a chance to do something different.

"Very often actors are cast in musicals because directors want the story to come first so it is believable when you have people suddenly bursting into song.

"You have to give it some anchorage from which the thrills and froth can spin from."

She will be touring with High Society until December when she will switch to appearing in the Wizard of Oz, in Manchester where she has a flat.

She alternates her time between the city and a house in Hammersmith, which she shares with her mother and son.

It is refreshing to hear an actor admit that the work she does is largely down to what she is offered.

She is coy about revealing her age though, you can say I'm over 50'.

"It's not about vanity," she explains.

"But strangely when I was younger I was having to let people think I was older because it can be difficult for a female actor moving from playing young women to character parts that come later."

Talking of character actors brings her round to her inspiration: Margaret Rutherford.

"I just loved her; when I first started out I'd seen all of her films.

"She only really ever played one character but I just loved her generosity.

"She was an inspiration to me."

The interview would not be complete without asking Susie about her time in Britain's most famous street.

"I loved it," she says.

"But it was the hardest work I've ever done; everything was filmed out of order, so you'd be doing all the pub scenes say for 10 episodes it was a real test of concentration "In a way it's easier to do a play night after night because you are telling the story from beginning to end.

"Plus with television you only get one stab at it once it's recorded it's done, whereas with live theatre you can change as you go along.

"I was in Noises Off in the theatre for two years and never got bored with it."

That said, she does not rule out a return to Coronation Street.

"But I can't imagine going back as a regular," she explains.

"It would be nice to make the odd guest appearance, as long as it fits in with other areas of my life."

Given that she plans a trip to New Zealand and Australia to see family in the new year that could be sometime.

Tickets start at £18.

Call 0870 060 6620 for more details.