Kicking up her heels in Vulgaria rather than kicking people out of The Rovers, Michelle Collins tells Vicky Edwards how she loves playing alongside the most famous flying car in history…
Photo: Alastair Muir
Michelle Collins should be in a musical about an express train, not a flying car. Currently on tour with a brand new production of the family favourite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in which she plays Baroness Bomburst, her passion for the show and life in general is so animated that it’s hard to keep up.
“The Baroness is such an iconic role, but initially I wasn’t sure,” admitted Michelle, as we chatted in her dressing room. “But it is a really great fun part and I see myself more of a character actress now, so it was a chance to reinvent myself a bit.”
Any concerns she had about the show “going down the panto route” were swept away when Michelle discovered who the production’s creative team and other cast members were. A co-production between Music & Lyrics Limited and West Yorkshire Playhouse, the show had already been a smash-hit in Yorkshire. With Phill Jupitus, Martin Kemp and Jason Manford (and Lee Mead in Jason’s place for a section of the tour) also signed up, Michelle was instantly reassured and set about throwing herself into the role. Or rather roles. Plural.
“In the first half I play Mrs Phillips, secretary to Lord Scrumptious,” explained Michelle. “She’s quite passive-aggressive and is secretly in love with him, I think. The Baroness, in the second half, is quite clever. I’m not going to tell you who I based her on, that would be unfair, but it’s someone in the public eye,” she teased, adding: “To me the Baroness and the Baron are George and Mildred [of 70s TV sit com fame], but she’s always got the upper hand. He’s just a child who abuses his power and wants to be mothered.”
Agreeing that Chitty bears all the hallmarks of a traditional musical, for Michelle there’s a particular ingredient that makes it extra special.
“It’s the wonderful songs,” she sighed. “Some musicals don’t have memorable songs, but in Chitty every single one is unforgettable.”
But song and dance is not something she has huge amounts of experience in.
“I am definitely not a West End Wendy type,” she laughed. “I did a few tap classes as a kid but I gave it up because I didn’t like it that the lessons took place above funeral directors in the Holloway Road.”
Even though her CV includes a couple of musical credits (Daddy Cool and The Take That Story), for Michelle, neither entailed the epic, high-octane production numbers that Chitty demands.
“I have had to work really hard and I’ve found joints in my body that I never knew I had,” she said, with a playful grin. “But I’m 53 years old and I’m prancing around the stage in my fishnets and heels, so life could be a lot worse.”
When it comes to having sufficient stamina for a show like Chitty, an experience earlier this year made her realise that she’s tougher than she thought: the TV show Bear Grylls: Mission Survive.
“It was seriously hard-core,” she said of her time in the South African Bush. “It was beautiful, but weather-wise it was extreme and we lived off soldier’s rations. For me to even be in it was a challenge, but I definitely found out that I am more courageous than I thought I was.”
Best known on TV as conniving Cindy Beale in EastEnders and feisty landlady Stella Price in Coronation Street, Michelle also has a clutch of impressive film and theatre roles to her name. Not bad for a girl who at 17 was turned down by every single drama school in London.
“I went to quite an academic grammar school. My mum was a single parent and we didn’t have much money, so stage school was out of the question. I started at the Cockpit Youth Theatre when I was 15. That’s when I realised that I really wanted to act.”
Joining the pop group Mari Wilson and the Wilsations at 18, Michelle hasn’t looked back. Of being rejected by drama schools she shrugged. Having achieved success under her own steam it’s not something that troubles her and, typically, she uses the experience as a silver lining to encourage others.
“I always tell young people that positives can come out of failure and not to let it put you off.”
That determination and focus is still much in evidence.
“With two shows a day I have to conserve my energy, but I’m trying to use the time when I’m not on stage constructively,” she said. “I’ve just produced a short film which I’ve written and I’m acting in, and I’ve written a kids’ book that I hope will come out later this year.”
There’s also her ‘Women in Media’ networking group that she created and runs with comedian Brenda Gilhooly. “We set it up as a forum where women can share ideas, inspiration and expertise. We meet monthly and have breakfast, listen to a guest speaker and chew the fat,” she told me.
A real no-nonsense grafter, given her schedule there’s not much time for relaxation, but when she does snatch some free time her needs are pretty low maintenance.
Michelle reflects that touring does bring home how much she misses her daughter, now away at university, her mum, her boyfriend and little pooch, Humphrey.
“Walking my dog in the park with my boyfriend, seeing my mum and catching up with my daughter – simple pleasures are what I love most,” she said.
“I thrive on being busy and being busy makes you appreciate the simple moments more.”
Putting the finishing touches to her make-up ahead of curtain up, we returned to chatting about the enduring success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
“It is a show that has heart, honesty and truth,” she declared, giving a smile as wide as Chitty’s wingspan. “I’m so excited by how popular it is – we have packed houses at every performance!”
The success is well deserved. The entire cast and crew work their socks off.
As for the Baroness, she’s marvelously minxy. Michelle, on the other hand, with her infectious enthusiasm, husky laugh and determination to work hard but enjoy the ride, is a delightful tonic.
For more information, visit www.chittythemusical.co.uk
Facebook: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The Musical
Twitter: @ChittyMusical / #chittymusical
Vicky Edwards