YOU may not have heard of her but once heard she's never forgotten.

Marina Laslo is a soprano turned jazz singer who is well known as a recording artist in her native Russia.

She was once famous for attracting crowds of 4,000 in St Petersburg with her soul stirring operatic singing.

Moving to the UK seven years ago, the woman with the haunting operatic style voice has stepped away from classical crossover and reinterpreted favourite pop songs in her most recent album Classic Revolution.

Keen to reinvent herself once again on the stage, Marina has taken on the challenge of stepping into the shoes of one of the Hollywood greats.

She is playing Marlene Dietrich in Dietrich Letters, which is coming to Weymouth Pavilion on May 24 as part of its worldwide tour.

And of course Marlene Dietrich continually reinvented herself, transitioning from silent film star to screen siren and sex symbol.

Ahead of my interview I am asked by her publicist to supply my questions in advance, to allow for the fact that Marina is still learning English.

I find that the bubbly woman on the phone enthusiastic about her new stage show and that her fluency in English belies her lack of confidence in her ability to speak it.

Marina is also extremely humble about her world class voice, which will no doubt send shivers down the spine of those watching her at Weymouth Pavilion.

She tells me: "I've been in this country since 2008.

"At the beginning I had my parents in Russia but now I just have my brother.

"I have no regrets about moving here - London is my home now, I even like the weather!

"I love the people and it feels like I'm at home here!"

Marina's story is an intriguing riches to rags tale.

She descended from Russian high society and was brought up attending music school in Russia.

She juggled music lessons with a life at home caring for a sick mother.

Marina took a chance on a new life in the UK where she was completely unknown.

She said: "Growing up it was my father who had what you would call the blue blood.

"My mother was very down to earth. They both were very different people.

"When I moved to London my first room was one square metre!

"It was really small, some of the time I was sleeping on the street.

"I didn't speak English at all. It was a really really lonely time."

Slowly but surely Marina began to to find her feet in London and eventually caught the attention of multi-million selling producer Robin Millar whose curriculum vitae includes Alison Moyet, Chrissie Hynde, Sade and David Gray.

She said: "I had already recorded albums but with Robin Millar I moved to a different sound.

"We did two albums together, one based on jazz standards and another that was completely classical.

"He's a really good friend of mine and it was a pleasure to work with him."

Marina cites her musical influences as Ella Fitzgerald and numerous classical Russian musicians.

But the woman who is on her mind morning, noon and night at the moment is Marlene Dietrich.

"She has become part of my life!" Marina says.

"I have a fun relationship between me and her.

"At some times I have loved her and at other times I have loved her!"

Dietrich Letters will introduce Dietrich’s music to a new generation, as well as evoking memories for fans that followed the actress’ career.

The show also includes archive materials and letters from the Dietrich Estate.

Dietrich Letters even uses memorabilia once belonging to Dietrich, who died in Paris in 1992 at the age of 90.

It would appear as though the woman with the angelic operatic voice is her own worst critic.

Marina confides in me: "I'm still quite scared about doing the show.

"I don't look like Marlene Dietrich at all.

"I've done two of them so far, the first one went well but in the second one there was a bit of trouble."

Ever the perfectionist, Marina has assiduously studied for the role.

"It was three years ago when the idea first came about for me to do the show," she said.

"A really good friend who is a producer said I should sing stuff from Marlene and then I started working on my own research and started reading books about her.

"I read a lot of her letters, she really liked to write.

"There was so much truth in her letters and they were so interesting.

"She was in love a lot of times."

The Dietrich Letters tour will go all around the country finishing on June 7.

Pre-show nerves are part and parcel of the experience for Marina.

"I get very nervous," she said.

"Compared to Marlene Dietrich I am very nervous, she was very confident.

"I wear a cross for luck, before that I was wearing my mum's cross.

"I also try to do breathing exercises and I try not to speak to people half an hour before the show.

"I really try and get the concentration going."

Remaining relatively anonymous in this country, steering her own path, you'd think that Marina has avoided the mainstream completely.

But it turns out she has caught the attention of none other than Simon Cowell.

"I heard that he liked one of my songs.

"I was very surprised to hear that, but when I met him he was completely different to how I thought he would be.

"He's not very strict in real life and he's more human.

"I think that his TV shows do help a lot of young people in this country to have the opportunity to get noticed, especially if you're not in London."

Beyond the UK tour of Dietrich Letters is a tour of Europe.

"The most scary part of it will be performing in Berlin, where Marlen Dietrich was born!

"As far as I know she is still very much loved there so it will be a very big responsibility."

*Dietrich Letters is at Weymouth Pavilion on Sunday May 24 at 7.30pm.