The sun is out and Martine McCutcheon is in buoyant mood. As she keeps breaking into fits of giggles during our telephone conversation, she admits in her familiar Cockney chirrup: “I’ve got that Friday feeling, I can tell you!”

Life hasn’t always been so rosy for the singer and actress, who in recent months has battled depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. Her illness made it impossible to work and she was declared bankrupt last January.

Now with a new husband on her arm, and offers of work coming her way, the future is looking bright for the 37-year-old.

Her return to the world of entertainment is the Don Black Songbook – a tour celebrating the life and work of the legendary British lyricist, which comes to the Pavilion in Bournemouth at the end of March.

“It has been such a pleasure to be working on this,” says Martine.

“Don has been involved with a wealth of songs and lyrics. The man’s a genius.

I’d be a fool to turn him down.”

Indeed, Don has put pen to some of the greatest songs of the last 50 years, including Diamonds are Forever, Thunderball, Ben, Born Free and Tell Me on a Sunday.

“It’s a whole list of some fantastic songs, and some you didn’t realise he’d done,” she enthuses. “It’s a case of ‘I know that... I know that... I know that...’. It’s like when I went to see Frankie Valli, thinking I’d only know December 1963 but there were others I recognised too (sings Who Loves You down the phone to me in high voice before giggling).

She obviously can’t help but entertain, and has wanted to from an early age.

Her first acting job was at the age of 12, but it wasn’t until she landed the role of Tiffany in Eastenders in 1994 that she became a household name.

Since then you’ve seen her in myriad roles, including the Activia adverts, and starring alongside Hugh Grant as his love interest in Love Actually. Her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in London’s West End won her a Laurence Olivier Award.

She has also been a TV and radio presenter, and after she left Eastenders to pursue a singing career her debut single Perfect Moment reached No.1 in five countries.

She explains to Seven Days: “I love being creative, and to keep working ...keep testing myself. I ask myself: ‘If I wasn’t scared, what would I do?’ “Things constantly scare the life out of me. But the biggest regrets are the things you don’t do. You just have to go for it.”

That’s perhaps why she said yes to Don Black when they met at a mutual friend’s birthday.

“Don told me he’d always wanted to work with me and I was so excited to hear it. I have always loved singing his songs and for the man himself to ask me to perform them is such an honour.

“I was nervous at first and said I would think about it. But then I learned that Gary Wilmot and Ricardo Afonso would be on board and then all the boxes started to get ticked.

“Perhaps not least because Don and I were both born in Hackney and both made it to Hollywood!”

Martine will be singing some of her favourites of Don’s including As If We Never Said Goodbye, Unexpected Song and Take That Look Off Your Face.

“Having an orchestra there with you is the best feeling in the world. I want people to walk in, hear the swell of music, and get goosebumps.

“The evening will have great class, spotlights, quality music, and hopefully it will be inspiring.”

In turn, Martine takes inspiration from a number of people from many walks of life.

“In the public eye I love Stevie Nicks and I love Barbara Streisand. In my personal life it’s my girlfriends, my mum and my husband inspires me every day (she married singer Jack McManus in 2012). I’m also inspired by the people who are happy doing what they want to do. There are so many rules these days!

The money you are meant to have, the things we’re meant to be. You have to be brave enough to pursue what you really want and not worry what other people say about you.”

And she knows what she wants to do.

“As well as a new album, which I’m working on now, I want to do an amazing blog and video for ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) sufferers.

“There are lots of cowboys out there. I want to put people right, but not for profit. Above all I want to do more TV work. I’ve just finished working with David Jason on a radio play. That was amazing – I’d love to work with him again.”

Another love for her is this part of the world. “I have spent many a happy hour in the New Forest. It’s my best friend’s family home. I had a bridal shower there and some fantastic New Years Eves!”

So she’ll be happy coming to the south coast again as part of a tour that marks a new chapter for Martine, and she’s looking forward to sharing the experience.

Her message to Seven Days readers is: “Come along to the show, enjoy it, switch off, forget your problems for a while and just be swept away.”

  • A Life in Song – Lyrics by Don Black is at the Bournemouth Pavilion on March 31