She is now playing the title role of Fanny Brice in the season-opening Funny Girl in the Minerva Theatre.

Although the Jule Styne< correct> musical was famously filmed with Barbra Streisand as Fanny, and Sam says: 'It is quite a big sing.

'Although the singing roles I've had before have primarily required an actor who can belt out the odd number, this required me to have a few singing lessons before we started rehearsing.

'But it is an actor's role because it's quite a journey, from a young girl just trying to make it in show business, with everyone telling her she hasn't got the looks and should give up, to becoming a hot star but with her personal life in a mess.'

Sam is delighted that Chichester is staging Funny Girl in its smaller theatre.

'I'm excited about it because it's an intimate piece and it's an advantage to be able to play it right down. We can just talk to each other and draw the audience in.'

She says it has a similar feel to the Donmar Warehouse production in London of Merrily We Roll Along, for which she won an Olivier award in 2001.

She has also been honoured for her performance in another Sondheim musical, A Little Night Music, and another distinction was playing Barbara Windsor on stage and screen.

That was first in Terry Johnson's play, Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, at the National Theatre, and then in the film version, Cor Blimey!

Asked how she approached the challenge of playing a living legend, Sam says: 'The first port of call was watching loads of Carry On films, and then looking at her earlier films where she was very naturalistic, before she developed the Babs character.

'The great advantage was that she was very much around and very supportive.
'But in any case the script itself was so brilliant I couldn't read it
without hearing her voice.'

Funny Girl runs until June 14. Tickets: (01243) 781312.