'We all love boats, don't we?' says Denise.

In fact she is talking not so much about Aristotle Onassis, the yacht's owner and central character in Aristo, more about people from her home city of Portsmouth.

Her father was a navy lieutenant, her parents now live at Hayling Island and her sister is a dentist in the city. Denise attended Portsmouth High School before finding fame in TV series such as Coronation Street and theatre shows including Grumpy Old Women Live.

There, in a 10-week tour, she was able to make up for lost time with fellow-Portmuthian and PHS former pupil Dillie Keane.

Denise says: 'We have been aware of each other for years because in the early '80s we both had three-girl harmony groups. She had Fascinating Aida who are still going and I had Denise Black and the Kray Sisters. Sometimes we would pick up gigs they couldn't do.

'I have met Dilie several times on the circuit, and in Grumpy Old Women we shared a car. We would have cakes in patisseries up and down the country and talk about Portsmouth.'

Denise, 50, says she was in Coronation Street for three months before letting anyone know she was a southerner - always speaking in a northern idiom.

'I spent so many years on the road and didn't have an agent, so I would write to casting directors wherever I played. Granada were very good. They would meet you in the bar and buy you a pint of Guinness - and 10 years down the line they gave me a part.'

She played a hairdresser, also called Denise, who had Ken Barlow's love-child and re-appeared when Ken was undergoing one of his bouts of marital angst.

Now the actress says: 'I wouldn't mind another crack. She didn't cause enough trouble last time!'

Denise has also made an episode of New Tricks but cannot remember it well because she was ill.

'I had a terrible temperature and had to try to seduce Dennis Waterman.'

Not too difficult with that character, surely? 'Oh, Dennis is adorable,' she smiles indulgently.

Aristo, starring Robert Lindsay, is at the Minerva Theatre until October 11.

Tickets (returns only): (01243) 781312.