With her trademark shriek of "Rickaaaay!", Patsy Palmer became a household name playing loud-mouthed Bianca in EastEnders.

Since she last played the role in 2002 on the hour-long special Ricky And Bianca, Patsy has struggled to achieve the same level of success and public recognition which EastEnders afforded her.

When the crime drama, McReady And Daughter, failed to make it past the first two episodes, the red-headed actress turned her attention to theatre, making her West End debut as a bedraggled mother in the comedy Mum's The Word and starring in the hit musical Tell Me On A Sunday. Her latest role sees her taking the lead in Stepping Out, an award-winning comedy by Richard Harris, which starred Liza Minnelli in the 1991 film version.

The play features a group of women - and one man - who by day live pretty mundane lives but by night step into their steel-capped shoes to try their hand at tap dancing. They dance mainly as a respite from their depressingly humdrum lives: most are unhappily married, some suffering from physical and mental abuse from their spouses. The solitary single bloke just joins up for company.

Brighton-based Patsy - who last year moved her family out of London to the south coast - plays the part of dance instructor Mavis, struggling to get the ragtag bunch of amateurs prepared for a live show. When she was first offered the part, Patsy admits she turned it down flat without bothering to read the script.

"It was because of the kids and because we were moving," she explains. "They were settling into their new school, then I was asked if I would do Stepping Out and I said no. I didn't even want to know what it was. It could have been Hollywood for all I cared."

A typical Bianca-type response from the actress renowned for her unpredictability away from, as well as in front of, the camera. But despite refusing point blank (and possibly because no other work was in the offing at the time), Patsy mulled it over and began to have second thoughts. She says it was when a friend, who hadn't been in touch for some time, called her and said she thought the play was "hilarious" that she finally reconsidered.

"I thought, 'this is a sign - that she's phoned me out of the blue - maybe I should think about this'." Although Patsy - real name Julie Harris - hadn't tap-danced since she was a child, she decided it might be fun to give it a go.

With only a few weeks to prepare for the part, was it hard to get back into the swing of things?

"Not really," she says. "The director, Bill Kenwright, takes no prisoners. He knows what he's doing. It's amazing how much you pick up - like a sponge when you were a kid."

It's no secret that, in a bid to boost ratings, EastEnders has recently been resurrecting a lot of old favourites such as Dirty Den, Phil Mitchell and Sharon Watts. Although she acknowledges the notoriety playing Bianca gave her, Patsy has vowed never to return to the role.

"EastEnders turned everything on its head," she muses. "I wouldn't change it for the world. But I'm a lot happier now. I've got my family and work's just something that you do."

Starts 7.45pm. Tickets cost £15-£24. Call 01273 764405.