In 2017, she did just that, starting at the ground with a “small workshop” of a Bob Dylan-inspired musical play. What began as a rather experimental two-day workshop eventually became The Girl From The North Country, a West End smash hit that ran at The Old Vic.

“I remember being a little bit nervous because I’d not been on stage for such a long time,” she says. “But I remember walking along the Southbank past all the restaurants and cafes and thinking, ‘I want to say yes to this. I love the writing and I get a nice feeling. I’m gonna say yes, I’m gonna say yes.’”

Henderson starred as Elizabeth, a woman with early onset dementia, whose condition leaves her freed from societal convention and reeling between aggression, childishness and indifference. Her soulful performance, which included yet another vocal feat in the form of a gut-wrenchingly powerful rendition of Like A Rolling Stone, was met with rave reviews and earned her an Olivier award. But, of course, it was only the work itself she really cared about. “It was a beautiful experience,” she says. “It was just glorious. I never thought that would come my way.”

Whether her next project is another surprise hit like The Girl From The North Country, another indie film like The Trouble With Jessica or something that no one ever even sees, I get the sense that Henderson will be content as long as she is invested in the process.

“I’m always up for anything really. If I read something and I think, That’s the thing I’ve been looking for,” she says. “I never know what will come next. Just have to wait and see. Hopefully something nice.”

The Trouble With Jessica comes to UK cinemas on 5 April 2024.

The quiet ferocity of Shirley Henderson: the Harry Potter and Bridget Jones actor tells Stylist about finding her voice