La Voix Humaine, Opera North, Leeds Grand Theatre, February 14, 17, 19, 21 and 23

The Yorkshire soprano, who had some of her earlier roles with the Leeds company, is not making it easy on herself as she is performing Francis Poulenc’s 1959 solo show La Voix Humaine, based on a play by Jean Cocteau that follows one side of the final phone conversation between two former lovers.

“I wanted to come back with something people didn’t expect me to do,” says the Doncaster-born singer, who will be appearing as Elle in five performances at Leeds Grand Theatre between next Friday and February 23.

“I could have returned with an operetta or Gilbert & Sullivan. But I’m eight years older since I last sang in an opera so I said let’s do something very mature, more grown up.

“It’s a very difficult one-woman show – 40 minutes of intense, passionate, powerful singing.”

Lesley approached Opera North about a return to the operatic stage.

“It wasn’t deliberate that I hadn’t done an opera. I seemed to be doing a lot of telly, touring and musicals in the West End like The Sound Of Music and I thought to myself, ‘What’s happened to my opera work?’.

“I’m passionate about opera. It’s what I was born to do but it’s a long time since I was in a bona fide opera so I contacted Opera North through my agent and said I wanted to come back – and to Yorkshire,” she says.

“I last sang with Opera North 30 years ago and in that time they’ve become the most extraordinary company, an international company in their own right. They welcomed me with open arms. It’s lovely to be welcomed into the Opera North family again.”

La Voix Humaine is being staged in a double bill with Purcell’s Dido And Aeneas, in which Garrett does not appear. “That’s a fascinating companion piece dealing with the same subject but set 300 years earlier. We’re actually opening these two operas about abandoned women on Valentine’s Day,” she notes.

“This is the biggest challenge I have ever had and I’m frightened to death, I admit. But I wanted to go back and do something different. I didn’t know the piece and it’s taken me month and months to learn. It’s been a real labour of love; it’s great to stretch yourself.”

When Lesley was looking for a role for her comeback she found the opera repertoire was limited for more mature sopranos.

At 57, she falls into that category. She thinks composers should be writing more and better works for women her age. “Before, women weren’t powerful. Once they were past child-bearing age they were written off. Now we have equality and opera songs need to reflect that,” she says.

“It’s a practical thing too. In the past when women got older and past the menopause, they’d lose the top of their voices. That doesn’t happen now because of HRT and better health care. We’re all going on into our seventies and so we need better roles,” she adds, citing Dame Josephine Barstow as one of those opera stars still singing at that age.

Lesley has never forgotten her roots and has always kept a home in the county. “I love Yorkshire passion and traditions. There’s a sort of passion I find in Yorkshire that I really value and come home for that. There’s a wonderful resourcefulness that matters to me enormously, and loyalty too,” she says.

“The return to Opera North has whetted my appetite. I hope, if this is successful, I’ll be making return visits to Opera North – and there are lots of lovely northern festivals on both sides of the Pennines.”

• Lesley Garrett plays Elle in La Voix Humaine, Opera North, Leeds Grand Theatre, February 14, 17, 19, 21 and 23 at 7.30pm, except for the Sunday performances at 4pm. Box office: 0844 848 2700.