SINCE leaving Corrie actress Sally Lindsay has taken on Shakespeare, played Marilyn Monroe, presented on This Morning and even bagged herself a role in the new Wallace And Gromit film.

And now she's tackling the ultimate northern drama, playing wayward mother Helen in Shelagh Delaney's A Taste Of Honey.

The show opens next week and rehearsals are all-consuming.

“It's so intense because everything has to be absolutely right,” said Sally, who shot to fame as Rovers Return barmaid Shelley Unwin.

“I met the director Jo Combes a couple of years ago when I was in Corrie and I've always wanted to work at the Royal Exchange — every actor does.

“When this came up Jo asked me to audition and being one of my favourite plays I was thrilled.

“The play is such an iconic Manchester thing, you think ‘bloody hell, you can't mess this up’ but I'm loving every minute of it. This is what I left Corrie for.”

Sally plays irresponsible mother Helen.

“Helen is just a really crap mother,” said Sally.

“She's a bit of a pub tramp as well. She's a real good time girl, everybody loves her in the pub and wants to buy her a drink. She gets an odd couple of quid here and there to feed her and her daughter, but she manages to get through life on her wits.

“She's a fantastic character to play and I'm working hard to make people not hate her”

Sally believes the role, among others she has had since leaving the soap, has helped make her a better actress.

“When you do something as massive as Corrie for five years you want to do something completely different when you leave,” she said. “I wasn't in any mad rush to be back on TV, I just wanted to try other things. And I have. I did my first Shakespeare last year, I've played a stand-up comedian, and I've played Marilyn Monroe — all brilliant stuff that I'd never be able to do on telly. Theatre gives you an opportunity to experience the diversity that telly doesn’t.”

Earlier this year Sally even got to do something most actors would sell their granny for — provide the voice for a Wallace And Gromit character.

“That was unbelievable,” she gushed.

“I get to see the finished version this week. I'll be only the third person to see it — they're bringing the DVD to my agent by police escort! I play Piella Bakewell, who is hilarious.

“Wallace And Gromit creator Nick Park actually heard me on Mark Radcliffe's radio show when he was driving back to Bristol from a meeting in London and said ‘that’s Piella’s voice’. He'd been searching for someone for six months but just hadn't heard her yet.

“He didn't even know I was an actress or that I could do it — he went home and Googled me! But he's brilliant, one of the best people I've ever worked with.”

Sally is also well-known for having more celebrity numbers in her mobile phone than Max Clifford.

She is often pictured with buddies Peter Kay and Alan Carr, and recently got engaged to boyfriend Steve White, who is Paul Weller's drummer .

“The reason I know so many comedians is because we were all doing the circuit years ago and we all got famous together,” explained Sally.

“They're some of my oldest friends. We never go out — they come round to my house. Don't get me wrong, I like a free glass of wine like anyone else, but I'm not into the showbiz lifestyle.”

Instead Sally is content to spend her nights in with fiance Steve in their homes in London and Manchester.

And besides, at the moment she's too busy getting early nights ready for rehearsals for A Taste of Honey.

“The show is nearly 70 per cent sold out for the run so I'm really working hard to make sure it's perfect. But I'm loving doing it, it's such an honour. It's one of the best things I've ever done.”