As a member of the hugely successful pop group Steps, Dunstable's Faye Tozer had many No. 1 hits and launched a global dance craze! Now starring in Tell Me On A Sunday - in Milton Keynes in June - Andy Smith was very excited to catch up with her!

Can you tell me what Tell Me On A Sunday's all about?

A girl has given up on a relationship so she runs off to New York to find a new man, but what she really needs to do is find herself.

She goes through speed dating, she finds a married man and she finds a man that's far to young for her. It's a giggle but it all kind of ends in tears. In the end she realises that you don't have to be together with somebody, it's OK just to be you and be fine with that.

Faye in Tell Me on a Sunday Win tickets!

And this is all played out through the wonderful medium of song?

It certainly is! There is a small bit of text and that's during the speed dating and that's your comedy moment!

If you laugh and you cry, then I've done a good job!

Obviously you had a very established pop career. To go into a musical, especially a one woman show, isn't this a very bold step for you?

Lots of people have said that, but I don't think I would have gone into a musical had it not been this, because this show had such a big credibility about it and I thought it would be so much more of a challenge than just to do a cameo part. That's one of the reasons that I went for the audition.

I've done my rehearsals, I've done my training and I've done my background. I haven't just stepped off the pop wagon and thought 'Oh right - I'll just do a show!'

I've done the work and I think it's come out really well and I think I've challenged myself.

I understand that you've taken acting and singing lessons for this part.

Yes.

But you were already a singer. Surely you didn't need to learn any more?

It's a different style of singing darling!

I'm not attempting to say Steps were manufactured in any way but when you say a different style ...

They WERE manufactured! Completely manufactured!

But by different style, do you mean that when you sang in Steps they stuck it through an auto tuner so you didn't have to sing in key?

No, we DID sing in tune!

But the thing is the WAY you sing. Having a microphone right in front of you, you can sing quietly or make all sorts of interesting and different sounds but to actually be in an auditorium and hear every word that the person on stage is singing takes a lot of energy and a lot of skill.

I've suddenly developed all these muscles in my throat!

Faye - has she got a thick neck now?! Win tickets!

You do look kind of Arnold Schwarzzeneger around the neck area!

Oh - don't say that [laughs!]

I've never known more about the insides of my throat in my whole life! It's just a totally different technique.

I'm not singing pop tunes. I'm telling a story and there's drama and thought processes behind it. I'm not trying to excite young kids.

I was excited!

[laughs] I'm glad!

Whenever I interview ladies, I always end up asking about the skimpy clothes they wear on stage for some reason! But in the excerpt I saw earlier you were wearing possibly the frumpiest outfit I've ever seen. How can you get into character when you're wearing that dressing gown?

It's not my favourite outfit I have to say but the whole thing is she's a NORMAL girl. And it's supposed to be her other half's dressing gown - and that's why it's a bit of an ugly colour. Cos blokes wear ugly dressing gowns.

I was going to argue but mine looks very, very similar!

This show has been compared with Sex and the City hasn't it.

That comparison has only been made because that's what she's going to find! She's gone to New York and she's trying to find a man. That's why you see that quote coming up again and again.

Faye in Steps (2nd from right)

Is this the beginning of a fabulous theatrical career? Can we look forward to the day when we see your name on posters saying Faye Tozer - without the 'from Steps' underneath?

I don't think the 'from Steps' will ever leave my side. It's tattooed on my forehead unfortunately. But I'm not going to grumble because that's where I came from and that's why people know me and no one can take that away from me.

But I like doing this. I'm so over the moon with all the reactions and write ups I've had so far. And you get so much satisfaction from having a live audience and singing every night - not miming!

And not going on telly and waving at kids!

Just one final question. What was it like growing up in Dunstable?!

[Laughs] We made our way alright. We had fun. The thing is, when you're deprived of new and exciting things to do, you make your own fun! And I'm more grounded for that so lucky me!

Win tickets to see Tell Me on A Sunday >>

Grantham gets hooked!