Samantha was born in Yorkshire in a sleepy village “with one pub, a church and lots of cows”. She comes from what she describes as a “very poor, working class family and wanted to be an actress from an early age due to a life changing experience with Darth Vader. Auditioned in London when 16, she was told she was too young and needed to “live a little”. So she bought a one-way ticket to London when she was 18 and lived “a lot, lot, lot!” She worked for Elton John and Billy Connolly among others for several years. Samantha auditioned again and was accepted at three drama schools and chose Drama Centre for it’s “method” training. She didn’t get a grant so Elton, Billy, Kiki Dee and others paid her fees and rent. After three years she came out of Drama School ready to take over the world. She performed with various theatre companies, wrote and performed in a very successful one-woman play. She moved to Gozo and had “two gorgeous children”. And here she is making her debut on the Maltese stage in Masquerade’s Whose Life is it Anyway? on 3, 4 and 5 February.

n How old are you? Star sign and date of birth?

Old enough to know I don’t look good in Lycra anymore ! Virgo, perfectionist. Date of birth – Post punk, but still managed to dye my hair blue.

n Significant other? Children?

Very significant! Two. Girl – Hannah. Boy – Arlo.

n What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?

Exactly what I’m doing now.

n What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Sunday. Being with my husband and kids, walking my five dogs on a cold crisp, sunny day in Gozo.

n What is your favourite occupation?

Being a wife and mother.

n What is your greatest fear?

Losing a child.

n What is it that you most value in your friends?

Brutal honesty and unbending

loyalty.

n How would you like to die?

Breaking the record for being the oldest living human being and still not dribbling.

n What is your greatest extravagance?

Shoes, shoes and more shoes !

n What is your greatest regret?

Not marrying my best friend sooner.

n What is your most treasured possession?

Honestly, I couldn’t care less about possessions.

n Which talent would you most like to have apart from the ones you already have?

I’d love to be a great dancer. I used to do two-and-a-half hours of classical ballet every day in a room with no mirrors, one day the room wasn’t free so we had to go somewhere else where we were surrounded by mirrors and realised my hopes of being a prima ballerina were definitely over!

n What do you regard as the lowest depth of

misery?

When my mother was killed in a car crash.

n Where would you like to live?

I live in Gozo. Where else would I want to live?

n What is your most marked characteristic?

Honesty.

n Who are your heroes/heroines in real life?

Dame Judy Dench for being the most amazing actress and a very nice person too. My husband who is my soul mate and my rock. My friend Susie for always being there for me.

And of course Darth Vader who was so cool at being a baddie made me want to go into acting.

n What is it that you most dislike?

Dishonesty in friendship. People who smile at you and cut you to pieces in private.

n What is your motto?

What goes around comes around, be kind to those around you.

Treat them as you would wish to be treated

yourself.