She has faced the wrath of God in blockbuster film Exodus, seen her lover’s skull crushed to death in Game of Thrones, and met a grisly end in Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare’s Globe. But Indira Varma is literally going to hell and back for her latest role in Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman.

The play opens at the National Theatre next week, with the Hornsey actress starring alongside BAFTA-winner Ralph Fiennes, and will include the rarely performed third act, which is a philosophical fight with the devil.

“It’s set in hell and it feels quite hellish,” admits Indira in a break from rehearsals.

“We all play different characters who have parallels to the other personalities we play but it’s all debate and quite complicated so we are all going a bit cross-eyed.”

Tackling Shaw is a first for the Bath-born actress whose diverse CV includes her breakthrough role in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, working with Harold Pinter at the Almeida and playing Idris Elba’s wife in television series Luther.

“It’s about a man’s quest to have it all in a way. But I do think it’s also a woman’s quest and about what is woman’s role in life.

“The character of Jack Tanner feels that women are out to lasso you and nail you to the floor so you lose your independence and freedom and ability to do what you want.

“But what I think Shaw is saying is that you can be a philosophical man and someone who wants to further humanity and you can’t do it alone and you have to do it through relationships.

“And a woman will sharpen your point,” she says with a little laugh.

It’s clear the RADA trained actress, of Indian and Swiss heritage, chooses her roles with care – she refused to strip off for Game of Thrones and supports the Act for Change campaign to increase diversity on screen.

“In this it doesn’t matter where I’m from, so sometimes it’s irrelevant, but then you go for a TV role and they say they’re looking for someone English and you think ‘well I am kind of British’.

“You always want to change people’s perceptions and how they see you.”

So what attracted her to play Ann Whitefield, a young woman who seeks to persuade Ralph Fiennes’ character Jack Tanner to marry her?

“I think what’s amazing is Shaw writes brilliantly for women and it doesn’t feel like Jack’s play,” explains the 41-year-old.

“It is Man and Superman so you think it’s all so male but I think it is about what Ann is out to get. She’s so devious and clever and manipulative and consequently so funny that it’s a gift of a part.”

She admits working with her famous co-star “a great stage actor” was also a draw, and has made her “cool” in her seven-year-old daughter’s eyes.

“She’s quite excited I’m working with Voldemort, although I haven’t told him that yet. She’s also a bit scared!”

And she is also thrilled to be back at the National, which she last graced in 2002 in Chekhov’s Ivanov, where she will transform from a 27-year-old to a 77-year-old live on stage with the help of an illusionist, and her mother, whose posture and movement she has been studying.

“When I was younger it was all lose weight, lose weight,” says Indira on the challenges of changing for roles. “But you also want to change the way you look and transform.

“It’s when they say ‘we want that character to look attractive’ and you think ‘What does that mean?’.

“It’s always difficult when you get reduced to a sexual object. But that hasn’t happened to me in while.”

She was still playing a “ball busting surgeon” in Tiger Country at Hampstead Theatre when rehearsals began for Man and Superman and has been too busy to even see previews of new Channel 4 costume drama Indian Summers, staring Julie Walters, which she co-executive produced.

“The initial seed of an idea was from me about two years ago and then they have made something brilliant from it. I was meant to see it last week but couldn’t because we were busy rehearsing.”

But despite her hectic schedule, much of her work is chosen to make sure she is home to take her daughter to school in Crouch End or pop to favourite curry house Jashan in Turnpike Lane with husband and fellow actor Colin Tierney. And says she is lucky to always be busy in such a “hard profession”.

“I have always done lots of different things and been very lucky and I have never had to worry about work.

“But when is anyone ever satisfied?” she asks. “It’s not like I’m being offered Birdman or movies like that.”

But the Hustle, Silk and Torchwood actress says the one thing she would never do is sign up to a soap.

“The idea of playing one thing would terrify me and bore me beyond belief.

“Obviously you get a pay check with TV though and I love it as much as theatre.

“You do theatre like bungee jumping really though. There comes a point where you think ‘why am I doing this? Why am I putting myself in front of these hundreds and hundreds of people, I feel so insecure and terrified?’ and yet it’s a thrill and adrenaline rush and rehearsing is one of the greatest things in the world. It’s basically playing.”

And off she goes to ‘play’ with Ralph Fiennes.

Man and Superman is sold out at the National Theatre except for day tickets and possible returns but will be screened live to cinemas from May 14 at 7pm.

Indian Summers airs on Channel 4 on Sunday, February 15 at 9pm.