It's a good job that Denise Van Outen is so un-starry and genuinely friendly; it would be easy to dislike her out of sheer jealousy.
Naturally but arrestingly pretty, with a figure you’d cheerfully do a deal with the Devil for, she is also dazzlingly talented.
A triple threat musical theatre star, radio and TV presenter, author and designer, she can now add playwright to her accomplishments.
Starring in Some Girl I Used to Know, the one-woman play with music that she has co-written - which comes to the Pavilion Theatre in Rhyl from March 6-8 - during a break in rehearsals she explains where the inspiration for the show came from.
“I absolutely loved doing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s [one-woman musical] Tell Me on a Sunday – well, I did once I got past being petrified of being on stage on my own,” she laughs.
“I loved the way that the predominately female audience related to the character. I remember my mum and my auntie and their friends loving the film Shirley Valentine the same way – a whole generation of women understood Shirley and related to her.
“I hope that Some Girl I Used to Know will have that same kind of relevance. I’ve always been a girl’s girl and when we all get together my girlfriends and I often find ourselves reminiscing about the past and our first loves.
“That’s where the idea came from; I wondered what would happen if someone got back in touch with their first love through social media. I wanted to explore the idea of a woman who thinks she can have it all, because there’s always a price to pay.
“And although my character is the opposite of Shirley Valentine in many ways, that sense of wanting something different is the common denominator.”
And so Stephanie Canworth was born. A woman to envy, on the surface she has it all; a successful career, a doting husband and an established role as a media darling.
But then a facebook ‘poke’ from her first love propels her down memory lane. Suddenly there are question marks hovering over every aspect of her life. Should she follow her heart, or count her blessings and kick her nagging doubts firmly into the long grass with a Louboutin-shod foot?
“It is a bit like the film Sliding Doors in that respect and you wonder which one will she go through,” nods Denise, who looking at least ten years younger freely admits that the big 4-0 beckons this year.
“I suppose it’s about redefining what you want and revaluating what you have. It’s a show about feelings. You can’t take away feelings; you can’t just turn them off.”
As for her two right hand men on the project – collectively they form a pretty heavyweight triumvirate – Denise admits that she is thrilled to have enlisted multi-talented Terry Ronald (songwriter, vocalist, producer and the award winning author of the novel Becoming Nancy) as her co-writer, with Steve Anderson (songwriter, producer and collaborator for singers including Britney Spears, Westlife, Atomic Kitten, Kylie and Susan Boyle to name but a few) joining as musical supervisor.
“We all worked together on Rent: Remixed in 2007 and we’ve stayed friends. I’ve never put pen to paper this way before, but when I told Terry about my idea he loved it. Suddenly we found ourselves meeting up in a little coffee shop and working on a script. Because the story was so firmly in my head the writing just flowed.”
A play with a musical soundtrack rooted in the 80s and 90s, don’t, however, expect to hear Denise belting out Stock Aitken and Waterman’s back catalogue.
“It’s not a musical, but I do think that good pop, lyrically, is really well written. I wrote this long list of personal favourites and sent it to Steve. I have very eclectic taste and there were some that were so cheesy that he just laughed at them, but we’ve ended up with some brilliant songs that really work with our story.”
And from the sound of things some songs have been dramatically re-imagined - Sonia’s You’ll Never Stop Me From Loving You as a ballad?
“Yes, really,” she giggles. “I knew it could work, but Steve needed persuading. He said he’d give it a go and when he rang me the next day he had to admit that he was pleased with what he’d done. We’ve put our own twist on songs that people will know and that they will hopefully like.”
Admitting that initially the project caused her terrible butterflies, a try-out run last year at Leicester’s Curve Theatre reassured Denise that fretfulness was quite unnecessary. The feedback was terrific and a tour was immediately put together.
“I did the Strictly arena tour last year, but that was dancing in the day and partying (I won’t lie, it was carnage!) at night. But even though I have been offered tours before this will be my first. Taking a show that I am so passionate about around the country is very exciting for me.
“Part of the excitement of touring is the chance to see and discover places that I don’t know. I chose the places we are going to with the show because they were either places that I have always wanted to visit or places that I wanted to return to.”
Although she jokingly puts her ability to juggle numerous commitments down to “lots of planning and lack of sleep”, Denise admits that she is very careful about managing her schedule in order to achieve a healthy balance.
As for down time, hard as it is to imagine such a glamorous creature sporting a onesie and a big pair of furry slippers, Denise insists that she and her toddler daughter Betsy love nothing more than a cosy Sunday snuggle on the couch in front of a Disney movie.
“Cooking a big roast, meal planning, sorting out school uniform – that’s down time for me these days and I love it,” she grins.
And don’t be surprised if you see Denise out jogging or at your local sports centre at various dates on the tour. A dedicated and active supporter of various causes, Sport Relief is a charity she has long supported.
“I don’t know yet what I will be doing for them in March, but I expect I’ll be getting into training for something!”
Talking of support, Denise credits her girlfriends as providing her with fantastic back-up.
“They are part of my family,” she says, suddenly quieter. “I wouldn’t have got through life without them. We look after each other.”
And so, with a milestone birthday looming and with the benefit of experience, what sage advice does Miss Van Outen have when it comes to personal fulfilment? Her response is quick, and sounds like it might be personally tried and tested.
“Follow your instincts and listen to yourself. We’re all guilty of listening too much to other people, so be fearless. Oh, and laugh whenever you can, throw in some jazz hands and have a few cocktails!”
Tickets are £20 concessions £2 off. Call the box office on 01745 330000 or book online at www.rhylpavilion.co.uk.
