SHE may have an impressive theatrical CV, but Birds of a Feather star Lesley Joseph seems slightly daunted at the challenge her latest role presents.

Lesley will play nightclub singer and recovering alcoholic Evy Meara in Neil Simon's The Gingerbread Lady.

A familiar TV face, Lesley is perhaps best known for playing man-eating Dorien in the series Birds of a Feather. However, she also has a wealth of stage experience ranging from Annie in the West End to The Miser, The Vagina Monologues and her own one-woman show, Singular Women.

Lesley said her new role was very different.

"It's unlike any other part I've ever done - it's a socking great lead and a bit scary," she said. "Evy's this wise-cracking, brittle, big lady and it's an epic part, a bit of a challenge for little old me!"

The play follows Evy in her struggle to get her life back on track with the help of best friends Jimmy and Toby and Polly, Evy's daughter.

Lesley said that while the play was great fun, with some brilliant one-liners, it had a dark side to it, as it looks more deeply into the effects of alcoholism.

The actress said that she had considered attending a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous to research her part, but decided against it.

"I thought that would be a little bit intrusive on people with real problems, when I was just acting it," she said. "I'm leaving my character to the director and it also depends on the other actors and how they play their parts."

Lesley last visited Malvern Theatres in 2003 to appear in Alan Bennett's Office Suite and said she was looking forward to returning.

"Malvern is so pretty and all the theatres we're doing have a great theatre-going public, so it's really exciting," she said.

The play opens in Cambridge on Tuesday (June 8) and Lesley said she was hopeful that it would be received well.

"If it works, people should be blown away by it," she said.

The Gringerbread Lady comes to Malvern Theatres on June 14 and runs until June 19. Tickets are £12 to £20 on 01684 892277.