Reflective, emotional and very funny, Five Blue Haired Ladies… follows the lives, gossips and often fiery relationships between five women who meet in New York’s Washington Square Park on a daily basis.

Reminiscing about their youth and exchanging anecdotes about their lives – the funny things, the sad things and the odd things that have happened to them over the years – a bond of friendship soon develops between the differing characters.

Featuring an all-star cast – including singer Anita Harris, Emmerdale’s Lorraine Chase and British New Wave film icon Shirley Anne Field – the show explores the unique brand of friendship that comes in the later years of life.

“It’s a wonderful juxtaposition of wit and drama and it works a treat on that level. There’s a huge amount of nostalgia. The characters are very clear, they literally jump off the page,” explains Anne Charleston, who plays the fiery Rose.

“She’s a tough cookie and quite confrontational. She has issues and some of them are with the other ladies – but then they all, at various stages, take issue with each other.

“There’s a lot of shifting allegiances because deep down, they are terribly fond of each other. They have moments where the bickering escalates into quite a problem, but I suppose any group of close friends do.”

The story, and indeed the role, is no stranger to Charleston. This current production celebrates the tenth anniversary of John Penzotti’s play, something Charleston was a part of back in 2001 – along with current co-star Shirley Anne Field – as part of the inaugural tour.

“It’s a lovely role and a lovely play. I think it’s popular due to the comedy and drama – there’s a hell of a lot of heart and love behind the writing. A lot of the people John is writing about are people he knows,” she explains.

“He writes about them with such compassion and affection that it’s transferrable for the audience. He clearly likes writing about women of that vintage – he told me his mother is very much part of Anna, Shirley Anne’s character.”

Although chiefly making a name for herself in the past decade as a stage actress, Charleston was known to millions as Madge Bishop in Neighbours throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Her association with the role, however, presents something of a double-edged sword for the actress.

“I don’t have much choice really – Madge is part of my past, although people don’t quite realise how operative the word ‘past’ is because I haven’t played her since the year 2000,” she sighs.

“But obviously she was a large part of my career and she did me a lot of favours, so I can’t complain too much. I still keep in touch with my Neighbours co-stars. I caught up with Elspeth Ballantyne [who played Cathy Alessi in the soap] a few weeks ago – she was doing a personal appearance in support of Prisoner.”

It’s easy for the Neighbours association to dwarf all other roles, but Charleston has appeared in everything from lesser-known soaps Number 96 and Bellbird to Prisoner: Cell Block H, Crossroads and Emmerdale, as well as countless stage appearances in everything from Calendar Girls to The Vagina Monologues.

“I started off in theatre back when I was 16 and I worked in the industry prettymuch solidly until Neighbours.

I enjoy playing good roles. I don’t care whether they’re on television or on stage or whatever,” she explains.

“When I’ve done theatre for a long time I want to get back to TV and vice versa. I love to work and I love playing interesting people doing interesting things.”