I was reminded of star choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips while watching the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5 at the New Theatre last week. Not because she had anything to do with the show — it’s one of the few modern musicals that doesn’t appear on her CV — but because Arlene and Dolly have quite a lot in common.

Both could be said to be “getting on a bit” (Arlene is — whisper it — 69), but both still appear to fizz with energy from morning till night. Since her highly publicised sacking from Strictly, Arlene has not only choreographed and directed shows, she’s acted as “Dance Tsar” to the nation, charged with the responsibility of improving the UK’s health and fitness in the run-up to this year’s Olympics. On top of that, she’s found time to deny, in the Daily Mail, that she’d had a facelift: “Absolutely not,” the Mail reports her as saying, even though she did admit to discovering a “miracle treatment” to improve her skin.

Arlene is in Canada where she’s taking part in Over The Rainbow, a TV casting show to find a Dorothy to star in the Toronto production of The Wizard of Oz. This task completed, she is now working on rehearsals for the show itself. So it’s by email that I talk to her about another new production — or, to be precise, “completely updated” production, as the advance publicity describes it – which she both choreographs and directs. The show is Starlight Express, the pioneering Andrew Lloyd Webber skating extravaganza, which returns to the New Theatre over Christmas.

Arlene’s involvement with Starlight began in 1984, when Andrew Lloyd Webber asked her to choreograph the premiere production. Was it, I ask, a scary challenge at the time?

“I’d say more exciting than scary, as I’d already choreographed a huge roller-skating dance number in the film Can’t Stop the Music in ’79 – while pregnant with my first daughter! “Having been friends for a few years, and him seeing my work on the film, this was what drew Andrew to using me to create, really, what had never been done before: a whole musical on roller skates.

“I think the scary part was trying to find skaters who could dance, and dancers who could learn to skate and who could all sing Andrew’s fantastic music to the standard we needed. I remember sitting in auditions thinking: “How are we ever going to do this?” And 30 years later we’re still going!”

When Arlene and I met up at the time the show first went out on tour, a near-vertical skating ramp at the back of the set was proving quite a challenge. Is it still in use? “No, we have a fantastic new set — although it is slightly smaller, it has moving ramps. Skaters do flips and handstands off them — it’s really exciting to watch.”

3D video is used to enhance some sequences.

3-D has come a long way in the last few years, with a much greater ability to sock you between the eyes if used well. Has the technology, I ask, been upgraded in this new production?

“The actual body of the film hasn't changed, although I know there have been a few improvements made which are far too technical for me to explain! The audiences go wild, ducking from ‘pieces of flying train’ whizzing past their eyes, and cheering for the good guys and booing the bad!”

And the choreography — what’s new this time? Has Arlene learnt lessons leading to new routines? “I haven’t so much learnt lessons, more kept the show current. Starlight Express is a pop musical, and through the years we’ve always made changes to both music and choreography, as we have done this time, to update the show for today’s pop culture. “New hip hop choreography, songs and a brand new feel to keep us skating!”

New Theatre, Oxford
Until December 29
Tickets: 0844 871 3020
or atg.tickets.com/oxford