Former Hollyoaks and Two Pints of a Lager and a Packet of Crisps star Natalie Casey is among the leading ladies of 9 To 5 The Musical, which arrives in the county this week. She chatted to Kathryn Tye about girl power, bad bosses and singing about chickens.

More than three decades after comedy 9 To 5, starring Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda as three office workers who turn the tables on their horrible boss proved a box office smash in 1980, a musical stage adaptation is touring the UK.

With music and lyrics written by Dolly, it follows the same story, starring Natalie Casey, Jackie Clune and Anita Louise Combe as the trio of feisty females and Ben Richards as the misogynist employer who gets his comeuppance.

Natalie plays the role of Judy Bernly, a downtrodden woman back at work for the first time after her husband ran off with his teenage secretary.

The character was played by Jane Fonda in the film, something Natalie admits being a little intimidated by.

She joked: “I’m worried if I muck it up she will beat me to death with her Oscar!

“Seriously, I think that what I found important is that you can’t attempt to emulate her performance, as ultimately she’s a better actress than me, so you have to do your own interpretation.”

While Judy starts off as a mousy character, she becomes stronger throughout the show, thanks to the support of her two new friends.

Natalie, 33, said: “She has a full transformation from mouse to ass-kicker, something I really like. I was a massive fan of those late 1970s, early 1980s, female empowerment films like 9 To 5. You don’t get those kind of movies anymore, with funny women who are also beautiful and smart.

“The sad thing about the current state of feminism is that people think all the work’s done and there is still a long way to go. Women are still meant to be weak, not say anything and not be too funny.”

The forthright Lancashire-born actress found fame playing feisty TV characters, first the wacky Carol in soap opera Hollyoaks, then outspoken Donna in sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps

She said: “I’m lucky in that I have played parts that are bolshy women.

“What’s interesting is that a lot of the stage work I do is women who are mousy and then turn out to be ballsy. It’s nice to do that.”

Natalie once encountered her own nightmare boss, although she didn’t go to the extremes exhibited by the women in 9 To 5 – who kidnap their employer.

She said: “I found that the key to dealing with my boss was keep agreeing with him and then doing what you wanted to anyway. But I’ve been lucky, it only happened once.”

In addition to her TV and stage work, few people may also be aware that Natalie holds the record for being the youngest female recording artist in Britain. At the age of three her single Chick Chick Chicken reached No.72 in the 1984 UK chart.

Natalie said: “I always loved performing, although my mum and dad are market traders so I don’t know where I got the genes from.

“Though I do have a lot of family members on my dad’s side who used to do club singing or run club nights and I think to be a market trader you need a certain amount of showbusiness in your blood. Performing was just something I have always wanted to do.”

And getting to sing songs written by Dolly Parton is another ambition which she can now tick off her list.

Natalie said: “I am a massive fan. She is an absolute genius in that she writes a song that appears to be simple but is incredibly complicated and will stay in your head for days but never get annoying.

“I still play 9 To 5 on my iPod, I never get tired of it.

“We haven’t met Dolly yet though we have had a lot of video messages off her. I’m hoping that at some point I will get to shake her hand, although someone will have to hold me back because I will lose it and probably just bow down in front of her waving my arms.”

9 To 5 The Musical is at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre from Monday, July 8 to Saturday, July 13. Tickets from £18. Call 01227 787787.