Frances Barber’s character Dolly Nolan was at the centre of some pretty heavy storylines in the first series of hit detective drama Whitstable Pearl, and she’s got more on her plate in series two. 

Having encountered suicide and domestic violence first time around, the restaurateur worries she’s facing the onset of dementia in the new series before finding romance with a man her daughter Pearl thinks is totally unsuitable… with good reason.

Frances, 66, is delighted the scriptwriters worked such subjects into the series, especially the one about finding love late in life. ‘It’s wonderful,’ says Frances. who’s happy in a relationship of her own but prefers not to reveal details as he’s ‘not in the business and doesn’t like me talking about him’.

‘You don’t often see love between people of a certain age on TV, which is a shame because love doesn’t stop when you’re 40. I was delighted when I read that storyline – as long as there were no bed scenes. Those days are behind me now.’

Whitstable Pearl centres on Dolly and Pearl (Kerry Godliman), who run a seafood restaurant in the Kent seaside town of Whitstable. 

Frances Barber (pictured), 66, plays Dolly Nolan in detective drama Whitstable Pearl. Dolly is the mother of private detective Pearl and becomes increasingly involved in solving the crimes her daughter takes on

Pearl (right), played by Kerry Godliman, had a romance with DCI Mike McGuire, played by Howard Charles (left), in the first series 

Pearl’s also a private detective and the first series saw her forge a romance with DCI Mike McGuire (Howard Charles, best known as Porthos in the BBC’s The Musketeers). But that’s obviously turned sour, because in series two they’re both dating newcomers – McGuire’s with Kat (Emmerdale’s Emily Head) and Pearl’s with teacher Tom (Peep Show’s Robert Webb).

Each of the six episodes revolves around a crime, with Dolly becoming more involved in solving them. ‘Dolly’s a bit of a Columbo, she starts to get involved in cases in series two and by series three, which we filmed recently, she’s the main detective for a while because Kerry was away filming something else.’

Whitstable Pearl is just one of several projects that have kept Frances busy recently. She had a role in Acorn TV’s The Chelsea Detective with Adrian Scarborough and was on the West End stage earlier this year in Steven Moffat’s dark comedy The Unfriend, alongside Lee Mack.

Frequent collaborators during her 40-year career include Gary Oldman on film and Sir Ian McKellen on stage, as well as the Pet Shop Boys, and she once dated director Danny Boyle. She’s now working on playing Mrs Thatcher in When Maggie Met Larry, a Radio 4 play about how Laurence Olivier helped the former Prime Minister find a voice that would appeal to voters.

At a time when actors over the age of 65 often have to be content with supporting roles, Frances is bucking the trend. How does she do it? 

‘Luck has played a part, and also the fact that I was never the pretty young thing,’ she says. ‘So I was never typecast, I could play a variety of parts. If you were the young beauty and continued on that path, parts dried up.

‘I’ve learned from Ian McKellen, Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi, working well into their 80s. If they can do it, I’m going to give it a bloody good shot too!’ Retirement simply isn’t an option. ‘What would I do?’ she laughs. ‘Have a gin and tonic at 11am and say, “Well, that’s that, then”?’

When she’s not solving crimes, Pearl (pictured) runs a seafood restaurant with her mother Dolly in the Kent seaside town of Whitstable 

It’s this work ethic that makes the new dementia storyline all the more poignant for Frances. ‘She comes home to discover her lawn has been cut, there’s bread in the toaster and the kettle’s on but she has no recollection of doing any of it. 

‘It’s a worrying time for someone who grabs life with both hands. It made me think about my mortality. I live in a huge loft – by the time I’ve walked from one end to the other I’ve forgotten why I made the journey in the first place. 

‘Everyone my age is the same. Friends such as Derek Jacobi say to me, “I can’t remember this or that any more,” but I tell him it’s just old age, nothing to worry about.’

With an illustrious career behind her, maybe she should start on her memoir before the memories fade. ‘I have stories but they’re far too scurrilous,’ she laughs. ‘I couldn’t, I’d have to move to Canada!’

FIVE more fabulous female sleuths to stream

Mrs Sidhu Investigates (Acorn TV, U)

Meera Syal (left) may talk to her aubergines but she’s also a mean amateur sleuth who manages to win over DCI Burton (right)

Meera Syal’s mumsy Indian cook may talk to her aubergines but she’s also a mean amateur sleuth in this witty show based on a Radio 4 series. Busybody Mrs Sidhu wins over stressed DCI Burton (Craig Parkinson) with her sharp mind and spicy dishes.

Vera (ITVX)

DCI Vera Stanhope (pictured) cuts a comforting figure as she solves crimes in the Northumberland area

With her signature fishing hat and slugging a mug of tea, Brenda Blethyn’s unflappable DCI Vera Stanhope cuts a comforting figure as she solves crimes in the Northumberland area. Filming has started for the final series of the show, based on Ann Cleeves’s novels.

Sister Boniface Mysteries (U)

Sister Boniface (pictured) rides around on a moped, solving murders in the village of Great Slaughter 

This spin-off from Mark Williams’s Father Brown focuses on no-nonsense nun Sister Boniface (Lorna Watson), who rides around on a moped, solving murders in the village of Great Slaughter. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, featuring plenty of parody and pastiche.

Annika (Sky/NOW)

Single mum and detective Annika (pictured) heads up the Marine Homicide Unit in Scotland

Cerebral detective Annika directly addresses viewers in this quirky crime drama, which started on Radio 4 (Nicola Walker plays Annika in both). In the TV version, the single mum heads up the Marine Homicide Unit in Scotland, where she struggles to manage her team and her wayward teenage daughter.

Agatha Raisin (Acorn TV, Sky/NOW)

Agatha Raisin (pictured) is like an Ab Fab Miss Marple. Having had a career in PR, she moves to a quiet Cotswolds village and becomes a detective 

Think of amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin (Ashley Jensen) as an Ab Fab Miss Marple in this delightfully kitsch series based on MC Beaton’s novels. Former PR hotshot Agatha moves to a quiet Cotswolds village and turns detective.

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• Whitstable Pearl is on Thursday, 9pm, U&Drama.