Sarah Camilleri is 27, but could easily pass for a teenager.

In fact, in Numru 9, the TVM drama which is set to continue this season, she plays the girlfriend of a young footballer named David, who is a full nine years younger than her.

We have met at Paparazzi which she enjoys coming to because of the view and because it is close to her home in San Gwann. It is also one of the places which she definitely knows has vegetarian dishes on its menu.

Growing up as she did in the Taz-Zwejt section of San Gwann, she has seen enormous changes in the landscape.

“I was ten when we moved here from Balzan. When I look at the photos I realise that there were just a few plots in the area and the rest were all fields. Now it’s completely built up. It’s a nice area though, very quiet and everyone keeps to themselves. There aren’t too many nosey people around,” she smiles.

When you meet this petite, fragile-looking young woman, it is hard to believe she is the mother of a six-year-old child, Liam. As a single mother who juggles working with her passion for acting, Sarah has learned to be super efficient and organised. When she tells me about all the things she is involved in I feel tired on her behalf.

“I actually started out as a dancer. I began dance at the age of four with Alison White, and I remember my very first ballet lesson as if it were yesterday. Even as a little girl I knew that it was something I wanted to do.

“I took part in Alison’s cabarets for nine years, but after getting my diplomas about a year and a half ago, I decided to have a break. My life has always been full of rehearsals and I never knew what it was to have a free Saturday afternoon. However, I’ve realised that I miss it a lot and I think I’m going to take it up again.”

With dance came an introduction to musicals and acting to which Sarah was immediately attracted. It was while she was performing in a show that she was spotted by Narcy Calamatta, who gave her a bit part in a re-make of Wenzu u Rozi.

“I told him I would do it as long as I didn’t have to speak in a dialect, because I don’t know how!” she admits.

This led to an introduction to Charles Xuereb, head of Audio Vision where the TV drama was being produced. When they were looking for a new face to take on the role of Rozina in a re-make of the classic Salib tal-Fidda, written by Fr Wistin Born, Sarah’s name came up.

Charles took a chance on the young, relatively new actress and in his own words “she passed with flying colours.” When I ask Sarah how she did it she says simply: “Ray Calleja.”

Ray is, of course, the accomplished actor/presenter/producer and director who brought the new version of Salib tal-Fidda to our screens. He also had the lead role of Xandru, Rozina’s boyfriend.

“I learnt so much from him; I have him to thank for everything. I was playing the role opposite him so before each scene he would spend up to a half an hour talking to me about it, discussing the character and what was taking place. I suppose I had an advantage since it was originally a novel so I knew what would be happening from beginning to end, as opposed to when you’re receiving scripts one at a time. I could understand the character as well as the era she was living in. For example, a young girl in those days would never go up and tell a guy she likes him.”

It was a startling but successful TV debut, and despite the long hours and the often-tedious waiting around, Sarah – whose experience was in theatre - discovered she enjoyed the process of working in a different medium.

The popularity of this series made Sarah a recognisable (and much admired) face for people of every generation. The older ones loved the story for its nostalgic value, while younger viewers simply fell in love with the lovely Rozina. With her infectious giggle, limpid brown eyes and charming smile, it is easy to see why.

When Audio Vision was presented with a new idea for a series by scriptwriter/director Mark Warner, the choice fell on Sarah once again to play one of the lead roles. This was last season’s surprise hit Numru 9 which revolved around football and a young player named David, struggling with adolescence and his love of the game.

“So far I’ve never played anyone my age, but when they cast me as David’s girlfriend, even I had to laugh at being cast in a part meant for someone so young. We really clicked however, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with Clint Spiteri, who was a complete newcomer.”

Numru 9 was another resounding success, and was rated the second most watched local drama after Dejjem Tieghek Becky.

“I suppose people liked it because it was different, set in the world of football which hadn’t been done before. When I read the script I liked it immediately and chose it over another drama which I had been offered. Funnily enough though, I think people recognise me more from Salib tal-Fidda. I found the attention surprising at first, I never realised how many people watch local drama, but then you get used to it …” she adds with another giggle.

Numru 9 is set to continue this season with new twists in the plot, which the producers are keeping firmly under wraps.

“There are some new characters being introduced – I have a girlfriend who is a bit wild and I’m supposed to set her straight. They always give me the part of the naïve, innocent girl or someone’s lover. I’m always kissing and crying! I would love to be given more of a challenge; to play someone really wicked. In fact, for my drama exams I always choose to play a character who is suicidal or depressed.”

She smiles her irrepressible smile and it’s hard to imagine her being either of these two.

So what is Sarah Camilleri really like?

“I’m definitely not depressed but I’m not naïve either. I like to experiment, I hate routine and I love challenges. However, I do like to help others and I’m very sensitive. When it comes to my friends I can immediately guess when something is wrong. That’s also why I’m a vegetarian because I feel bad about killing animals.”

I feel momentarily abashed because I do eat meat.

When it came time to choose from the varied, colourfully descriptive menu, Sarah had chosen ‘Fork it’, which is a vegetarian pasta dish made from fresh vegetables. I had ‘Nut Case’, a salad made with chicken breast, grapes, walnuts and rucola. As usual at Paparazzi, the portions are enormous and even other diners can be heard exclaiming at the quantity of food on their plate.

When you hear Sarah’s story, you cannot help but admire her for keeping her career on track despite the unexpected arrival of a little baby boy.

“I became pregnant while I was still a University student,” Sarah explains.

“It never occurred to me to stop, even though it was difficult to go to lectures after being up all night with the baby. To study for my finals, Patrick’s mother used to come every day to stay with Liam, because my mother works as well. In the meantime I was also doing my last dance exam.”

Patrick is Liam’s father, and although they are no longer a couple, he and Sarah have established a very mature, civilised arrangement for the sake of their child.

She credits Patrick with teaching her a lot about stage acting and they still collaborate together on projects for Curtainraiser Theatre Troupe. At the moment they are working on an upcoming production called Halloween.

As a graduate in theatre studies, which she followed with a PGCE to get her teacher’s warrant, Sarah has been teaching drama at St Albert the Great College for the last four years. Before that she taught at the St Aloysius summer school, the Drama Centre and at Masquerade drama school when it first opened.

Was it awkward to attend University while you were pregnant?

“No because my friends were very OK with it. My mother wasn’t pleased, of course. The priest who baptised Liam put a bit of pressure on me by giving me a lecture. I guess some people accept it and some don’t, but I really don’t pay attention to what others say. I was happy so that was all that mattered,” she shrugs.

In the meantime, she continues to take performing arts courses with Trinity College which cover acting, music and dance.

“I think with acting you have to train continuously, you can never reach a point where you say, ‘I’ve learned everything there is to know’”, Sarah points out.

“Ideally I would love to simply be an actress, but that’s impossible. However, I’ve discovered that I enjoy teaching. I teach drama at primary school level to boys aged 4 – 10 years. With the older boys in Form 1 and 2, I teach drama and PSD (Personal and Social Development, or Life Skills). I prefer the older boys for drama, but the younger ones are just so cute and innocent. They come and hug you and are always paying you compliments.”

On top of all this she has to find time for her son, although now that he has started school at St Albert’s as well, it has made life a bit easier for Sarah.

“Of course, I have a lot of help from my mother as well as Patrick’s mother.”

You would not think it to look at her, but she says she is quite strict with Liam.

“You have to be otherwise, you’ve had it. It’s the same with my students – I have a good relationship with them but I’m firm.”

Becoming a mother at such a young age has matured Sarah and it has also given her a talent I find many women possess – the ability to multi-task.

“I’m very organised, always making lists and reminders because I’m very forgetful. I would say I’m more practical than a perfectionist – if things don’t go according to plan, I can be very flexible.”