For decades, the swansong of legendary musical writing partnership Rodgers and Hammerstein was associated with the 1965 Academy Award-winning film adaptation, in particular the iconic image of Julie Andrews spinning around on a Salzburg mountainside.

All that changed for British audiences in 2006 when that modern mogul of musicals Andrew Lloyd Webber launched his search for an undiscovered performer to play the role of free-spirited novice turned inspirational governess Maria von Trapp in a stage revival of The Sound of Music. The eventual winner of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, Connie Fisher, performed the role in London’s West End for 18 months and has now returned to the part that made her famous for the show’s UK tour.

‘She’s very lovable, Maria. I’d love to play her until I’m 83,’ laughs Fisher. ‘She’s like a big snugly jumper; she’s not got a rough edge to her.’

The Welsh-raised actress was keen to do the tour partly to meet fans from across the UK who hadn’t had a chance to see the London production. ‘I didn’t expect to get such a different reaction from different parts of the country,’ she says. ‘Audiences are much more vocal in their appreciation the further away from London you get.’

While she wouldn’t rule out a return to the role of the singing postulant, Fisher is keen to explore other avenues when this tour ends. ‘I won’t stop singing but I’ve been doing musicals for a while now and I’d like to give the old voice a rest and concentrate on straight acting.’

Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 19 Jan–Sat 20 Feb