In fact, it's only the second time ever she's toured a play, says Kelly.
"I have only ever toured one other time, in the States with The Graduate which must have been four years ago. And I enjoyed it very much. It was really wonderful.

"It was such a great experience, You get to experience each audience, and each audience is different. Each audience is unique and reacts differently. You never know - and that's what makes it so interesting."

And that's what brings her to the UK where she's starring in Terrence McNally's classic love story, Frankie & Johnny in the Clare de Lune, at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre from Monday-Satuday February 8-13 and the Connaught Theatre, Worthing, March 2-6.

There might be a few geographical references that the audiences won't get, As she says, the piece is very very American.

But audiece response so far as been encouraging: "It's been going OK. I think perhaps it is a little slow, but the audiences are loving it."

Hard-boiled waitress Frankie and cock-sure chef Johnny find themselves in bed together after a first date. Johnny is certain he has found his soul mate, but Frankie is far more cautious and less inclined to jump to conclusions. As the night unfolds, they slowly begin to reveal themselves to each other as they take tentative steps towards the start of a possible relationship in a tender romantic comedy.

"People have told me that they have laughed and they have cried, and for me, that's what makes the character of Frankie so interesting."

Performing it in the UK obviously adds another dimension.

"I have never worked here (in the UK) before. I guess Michael Lunney, the director and producer, just asked my agent, and so I read the script and I loved it.

"I just thought that it is funny and it has got pathos, and I thought it would be fun to create the character of Frankie.

"She is such a broken person, but there is a lot of hope. As a character, she has had a bit of abuse in her background. She has very low self-esteem. She is low in confidence."

Many people will instantly think of the film starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, but that won't be a distraction for Kelly: "I saw the film when it first came out, but I barely remember it."

Besides, the play was a play before it was ever a film - and that's maybe a further reason to do it.

Kelly studied at the Juilliard School in New York where she performed in William Congreve's Love For Love, directed by John Blatchley.

She graduated in 1983 and began landing acting roles shortly afterwards. Her breakthrough role was that of an Amish mother in the movie Witness with Harrison Ford, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe award.

"I have not really done so much in the last eight years because I have been raising my kids, but prior to that I already tried to do a play at least every other year. That was the reason I wanted to get into the business."

There was no acting background in her family: "I was the black sheep!" And at the Juilliard, the training was firmly focused on the stage.
"I don't know really how the films happened. I was doing a play in New York and I was one of 20 background girls, just the same as any other girl, and somebody came to see the play."

One thing led to another and she was asked if she wanted to do a film with Tom Conti - a tough decision because the Juilliard policy was 'that you couldn't work and be at school - and I really wanted to graduate."

But by fitting the shooting in during holidays, she managed to combine the two - and the film Ruben, Ruben set her up nicely.

"It was all really by accident, but it was a stroke of luck. Tom Conti is a great teacher. I learnt so much from him."

The play sees Kelly star opposite Rolf Saxon whose many films include Mission: Impossible and Entrapment.