IT was my fourth attempt at interviewing Susan Hampshire about her role in the comedy Relatively Speaking which is coming to Wycombe Swan.

The first three tries had ended with me talking to a flustered press officer.

The first time Susan had muddled my time up with another journalist's. Then she phoned on a day that hadn't been scheduled, apologised and said goodbye. Then, on the day that was meant to be our interview slot (and nothing could go wrong, the press officer had assured me) Susan had a slight mishap with her car and left the theatre she was working at early.

Finally, on the fourth attempt, she rang. As I picked up my receiver I heard the crackle of mobile phone interference.

Susan said: "I'm travelling down to the theatre in Brighton."

"You're not driving?" I asked.

"Oh yes, but I do have my hands free my God I nearly went into that car."

I implored her to pull over, for fear that I would be the journalist responsible for Susan Hampshire having an accident, but she insisted on driving on.

"I've got to get to Brighton, I've got to get to London. I've got to wash my hair for the play tonight, I can't, there is no time."

So we carried on.

Susan is busier than ever. As well as this tour, she has been filming the BBC drama Monarch of the Glen.

"I'm doing something every day, getting up at six o'clock, going on television, doing radio on a Sunday, doing the show at night and then preparing for television."

Now aged 60, she has no intention of slowing down or taking easy at her Chilterns home with husband of 20 years, Sir Eddie Kulukundis.

"I do love acting but I am earning a living as well."

And she is thoroughly enjoying her role as Sheila in Relatively Speaking.

"It is the most delicious play. Everybody who comes to see it says they feel so much better because they laugh so much. People who go to see it won't have to go to the doctor next week, they will feel so much better because they have seen the play.

"My character is a bit of a nit-wit but turns out to be someone quite clever and actually sticks to her turf at the end of the day.

"I find her very interesting to play but she is not like me."

Susan is choosy about what work she takes on, wanting everything she does to have a feel-good-factor, a description that certainly fits Monarch of the Glen.

"I think Monarch of the Glen is so successful because it is very difficult to write good comedy with a nice family. There is a hole in the market and people are desperate for family entertainment where there is no sex, no violence and no bad language."

But filming it in Scotland means she has to be away from Eddie for six months at a time.

"It is difficult but Monarch of Glen is filmed in the summer and Eddie is greatly involved in athletics and he loves watching the athletics on television so he doesn't miss me much as that takes up most of his time."

Susan is still remembered fondly as Fleur in The Forsyte Saga, Glencora in The Pallisers, Sarah Churchill in The First Churchill and 'the old tart' in The Grand.

"I very much enjoyed playing the old tart," she says with a chuckle.

Her workload is even more remarkable considering that because of her dyslexia, she cannot just pick up a script and learn her lines. She has to colour code scripts to help her memorise her part.

"Much more energy goes into everything. It is much more time-consuming. So much time and so many hours."

She was in her mid-30s when she admitted to being dyslexic.

"It was a big risk to my career. It could have been very damaging and probably didn't do my career any good at all. But I have never regretted standing up and being counted because I feel the more people who highlight this problem, the better."

As with her career is not busy enough, there is also work at her home under way.

"I am very busy at my home in the Chilterns at the moment because my housekeeper and her husband are moving in, so I am converting it."

Sadly, she has been burgled twice.

"There is nothing left now, there is only junk. One of the nice things is that now there is nothing left to take and I feel quite relaxed."

She then exclaims: "I have just seen four red kites fly by."

Susan, please get to the theatre in one piece.

Relatively Speaking is at Wycombe Swan from February 5 to 10, call the box office (01494) 512000