LADY Chatterley is something of a feminist icon for Hedydd Dylan, the actress given the task of bring the controversial DH Lawrence character to life, at Malvern Theatres.

Hedydd's portrayal means she will be naked on stage, but she said: "We’ve been very careful not to objectify Lady Chatterley in this presentation. We've tried to not make her sexy or pornographic in the typical sense."

And she added: "It’s primarily a love story but there’s so much more to it as well. It’s set during the aftermath of the First World War. It’s set against a backdrop of social unrest. Communities are trying to piece themselves back together after the trauma of the war.

"Working men are revolting against the wealthy because they realise that the camaraderie that they had during the war is over and capitalism is dividing people again. It’s a theme that’s still very relevant today – in terms of the disparity of wealth in society and the tension that causes."

But what about the nudity?

Hedydd said: "It’s quite a strong story from a feminist point of view. She’s just a human being with a right to physical pleasure. I love that; and I enjoy that the nudity in our production is very innocent.

"We’re exposed to sex quite a lot these days and it’s often portrayed in an unrealistic way. At the start of rehearsals we talked about awkward first encounters and what they were like. We didn’t want to make it too sexy. We mapped out the ways in which sex can be awkward. All those little physical difficulties, like getting your underwear caught on your shoe as you undress; that sort of thing. It’s quite sweet how things don’t always flow when two people don’t know each other yet."

She added: "This story is often thought of as a very sexy story. My grandparents’ generation used to hide their copies behind brown paper covers or read it in secret under the covers with torches. It’s hard to think of a book being so shocking in this day and age. To us, it’s simply the story of two people who fall in love."

But doesn't the depiction of sex on stage differ from sex in literature or on screen?

Hedydd said: "Absolutely. I’m not quite sure why that is. Perhaps it’s because you’re never alone in a theatre and you worry about how people will judge your reaction. We do occasionally get some nervous giggles from the audience the first time the lovers take their clothes off in front of each other – which, incidentally, is not the first time they have sex.

"The characters are shy about their nudity and it’s nice that the audience are a bit shy as well, not knowing quite how to react."

But where does Hedydd draw the line? Is there anything she would censor herself when it comes to literature?

She said: "That’s a minefield of a question! I do believe in freedom of speech but I suppose I draw a line when someone promotes abuse, sexism, racism or any other kind of hate."

Still on the subject of taboos, she adds: "I think people’s attitudes to sex have some way to go too. I’d like female masturbation to become less taboo. To be too buttoned up about sex isn’t healthy."

Lady Chatterley’s Lover comes to Malvern Theatres from Tuesday November 1 to Saturday November 5.

Tickets and further details on, November.

Tickets are on sale at the Box Office 01684 892277 and online at malvern-theatres.co.uk