“Life is about timing,” smiles Michelle Collins—and in many ways, she couldn’t be more right. For decades, she’s been best known as the formidable Cindy Beale on EastEnders, one of the most iconic, calculating, and unforgettable women in soap history. But now, Collins is stepping away—temporarily—from the cobbled chaos of Walford to take centre stage in a deeply personal project at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Her new play, Motorhome Marilyn, isn’t just a show—it’s a statement. A statement that women in their sixties aren’t slowing down, but soaring. That layered, complex characters aren’t exclusive to screen villains or femme fatales. And that Michelle Collins still has many more stories to tell.

Set in the flashing neon dreamscape of Las Vegas, Motorhome Marilyn tells the story of Denise, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator living in a shabby motorhome after chasing Hollywood dreams in the 1980s. With themes of broken dreams, aging in the entertainment industry, and the blurry line between fantasy and identity, the play is an intimate character study—and a dark comedy at that.

But beneath the sparkle of stage lights and Monroe’s legacy lies something raw and painfully real: Denise is a woman on the fringes, surviving in a world that promised her more. She’s tragic, yes, but also tough. Her story echoes with familiarity for Collins, who sees echoes of Denise in Cindy Beale.

“They’re both survivors,” Michelle explains. “They’ve both been abandoned, deluded, and bruised by the world—but they keep fighting.” It’s this unflinching resilience that connects Denise and Cindy. Even when the dream fades or becomes a nightmare, they keep holding on. For viewers used to Collins playing Cindy—brash, bold, and full of dangerous charm—seeing her as a broken Monroe impersonator might be jarring. But it’s also a bold reminder of her range.

And what timing it is. As EastEnders simmers with scandals and Cindy’s affair with Junior sets tongues wagging, Collins is making headlines not for her character’s chaos, but for her own courageous artistic leap. She’s proving, once again, that she’s not just Cindy Beale—she’s a woman with her own voice, one that still has plenty to say.

There’s a powerful commentary here on ageism in entertainment. As Michelle herself says, “When I was younger, if someone had told me I’d still be acting in my 60s, I’d have thought I’d be retired or dead!” It’s a stark truth for many actresses, but Collins defies the stereotype. She’s still ambitious, still youthful, and—in her own words—”probably the happiest I’ve ever been.”

In many ways, Motorhome Marilyn isn’t just a play. It’s a celebration. A tribute to all the women who’ve dared to keep dreaming past the age when society tells them to stop. And Michelle Collins is leading that charge—not with Cindy’s sharp tongue, but with Denise’s fragile courage.

So, will Denise ever meet Cindy in a soap twist too wild to imagine? Collins laughs: “Maybe Denise could be Cindy’s long-lost twin!” And with EastEnders, you never really know. But for now, Michelle Collins is writing her own plotline—live on stage, with no retakes.