The phone won’t stop ringing for Anita Dobson, who is starring as Hollywood legend Joan Crawford in theatres across the country. Chris Price caught up with her.

The glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing is yet to lose its sparkle with Anita Dobson.

The 63-year-old actress, best known as Angie Watts in EastEnders, has had a flood of decent parts offered to her since her run on Strictly last year.

Her latest stage role is in Bette and Joan, a comedy looking at the tempestuous relationship between Hollywood icons Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

After the production Anita has a week off before a week in Cyprus for two open-air performances of Fiddler on the Roof. She has not stopped working for a year and a half.

“I have been very lucky,” said Anita, who is married to Queen guitarist Brian May.

“I have had one role after another and they have all been great stuff.

“This is coming from a woman who said she was going to partially retire, but when you have got the roles coming in you have got to do them. I can say no. I don’t need to work, but I have been offered some fantastic things. I can sleep when I am dead.”

It feels all the more appropriate that Anita’s own resurgence is in a play about the comeback of two of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were in their 50s when they signed up for their 1962 comeback movie, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? The play is set during a day of filming for the psychological thriller, which was nominated for five Oscars.

While both actresses maintained there was no disagreement publicly, their relationship broke down on set and developed into a lifelong feud. Joan accused Bette of kicking her during the filming of a scene and reportedly retaliated by wearing weights under her clothes in a scene in which Bette had to carry her.

“Both of them behaved appalling,” said Anita.

“Bette was very controversial and outright rude and Joan couldn’t handle it, so she went into subterfuge, most famously wearing the weights when Bette had a bad back and putting her back out. That was a nasty thing to do.

“They were both horrible to each other but it has to be said Joan Crawford took that part to Bette Davis. She knew there was one woman in Hollywood who could play that part and cope with being required to be that ugly. She also knew having Bette’s name next to hers would be good at the box office, but in doing so, she caused herself a lot of pain.”

Anita stars opposite Greta Scacchi, who plays Bette, and protests – perhaps too much – against any suggestion there is any sort of similar rivalry between the two: “You have to get on with the people you are working with. You have got to make it work. I have fun whoever I am working with, otherwise life is miserable.”

Then again, it is hard to imagine the smiley, game-for-a-laugh Anita who made it to week nine on Strictly could ever hold a grudge.

“I try not to,” she said. “My grandad used to say ‘it is not what happens to you, it is how you deal with what happens to you which makes you who you are’. You have to just let it go.

“Generally speaking, I don’t hold a grudge. Life is too short.”

this can run on directly from the copy if that suits betterStrictly Come Dancing has had a huge effect on Anita’s career in the past 18 months, but she very nearly did not sign up for the show.

Anita said: “I was asked to do it twice and said no, but the third time my friend said ‘they are not going to keep asking you and you are not getting any younger, so if there is any hidden desire to do this, now is the time’.

“My parents went ballroom dancing and I thought ‘well at my age now, what can they do to me?’ and I loved it and had a fantastic time. I am really glad I did it.”

The only person with slight reservations was her husband, Brian May, who Anita admitted had a difficult time while she was on the show.

“All the partners of everyone who has ever done the show have found it difficult,” said Anita. “Your other half disappears off and has this fabulous time in the glitzy world which you are not a part of.

“He bit the bullet and supported me as much as he could.”

So could Brian ever step out on the dance floor himself? Asking this question is the only time Anita gets agitated in the interview.

She said: “My husband is not only a scientist and a rock god but he has earned a PhD and written books with Patrick Moore on the universe. I think he has got more than enough on his plate. Each to their own.”

Bette and Joan, starring Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi, runs at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre until Saturday, May 26. Tickets £12 to £29.50. Box office 0844 871 7627.