Some Time With… Susan Stanley: “The scenes in Hotel Amenities are passionate. I decided to have very limited contact with the other actor, so that when it came to the actual shooting we really were strangers. “

Susan Stanley is an award-winning Irish actress from Dublin who recently played the lead role in Hotel Amenities for the Spanish Production Company Atraco Perfecto Productions. The short film was on the European festival circuit of which she won the Best Actress Award at the Malaga Film Festival 2013. Hotel Amenities has been preselected for the prestigious Spanish GOYA Awards and has been screened in London at the Portobello Film Festival 2014.

Susan also played the lead role of Sue for Atraco Perfecto Productions award winning short film Shadows in the Wind where she was nominated for best actress.

She appears in a new play called The Separation directed by Simon Evans in the Project Arts Centre, produced by Susan and writer Richard Molloy.

You can view her show-reel here.

 Q As an actress, what would you say is more you, theatre or cinema?

A I love both mediums but I’d say I feel more at home with theatre because I trained at a drama school that focused primarily on classical theatre training. You can’t beat the thrill of live performance when you’re in the theatre, if you’re having a good show and the energy feels right with the audience time sort of stands still. It can be quite special. However film flexes different muscles and if you are connected to the director and the other actors it can be quite magical, but once that shot is over it’s gone for good which can be tough!

Q Talk to us about the award winning short film Shadows in the Wind. Would you like to share any good memories working with Atraco Perfecto?

A Working on Shadows in the Wind was an incredible experience, Julia Guillen Creagh (the director) saw my photo when I was in my final year at LAMDA (drama school) and she contacted the school saying she wanted to meet me. We met one day in central London and we connected immediately, there was a strong energy between us, then she came to see one of my final theatre graduating shows with her producer and they offered me the job. Working in Madrid and Asturias was amazing. The Spanish crew were so warm and talented, I felt at home immediately. They had built a set in Asturias replicating Early 20th century New York and it was fantastic. Julia (the director) and I worked so well together and as we had rehearsed in London before we travelled to Spain we had already built a working relationship, lots of trust and mutual respect.

Q Hotel Amenities will be screened this year at the Portobello Film Festival. Do you have good expectations?

A Thrilled that Hotel Amenities will screen at the Portobello Film Festival. Delighted for Atraco Perfecto and Julia that the film has had such a brilliant response. They are artists who sacrifice a lot for their work so it’s wonderful that their film has a platform here in London. I hope lots of people get to see it.

Q There are very intense passionate scenes in this film. What did you take as an inspiration to play the role?

A The scenes in Hotel Amenities are passionate but what really helped was that Julia and I decided early on that I would have very limited contact with Alex García (the other actor) before we shot the film so that when it came to the actual shooting we really were strangers. I think that comes across on screen, the nerves and excitement of meeting a stranger in a hotel room. Alex and I also had strong chemistry which helped. He was great to work with, as soon as we started shooting I felt like I could really get lost in the character.

Q Hotel Amenities was preselected for the Spanish Goya Awards. How did you feel when you heard the news?

A I am so happy for Julia Guillen Creagh that the film got pre selected for the Goya Awards. What an honour! I was very excited when I heard about the nomination, it felt surreal.

Q  Talk to us about your projects. I hear that you are also producing a play?

A I have just finished a theatre project in Dublin called The Separation which ran at Project Arts Centre – this was the debut show of my new theatre company – Pixilated. We are now bringing the show to London and it will open here in the new year which is very exciting. Along with the writer, Richard Molloy, I worked on this project for over 2 years so for it to finally be realised and to be successful has been one of the highlights of my career so far.

Q What would you like to be doing in 10 years?

A Julia Guillen Creagh and I want to make a feature film together though we have yet to write a script! I would love to still work in the theatre as an actress but I want Pixilated to continue to create new work in theatre and film. I am about to direct my first short film, Paradise, so I hope I will be directing as well as acting and producing. As long as I’m working I’m happy.

Tags: Alex Garcia, Atraco Perfecto, GEFilms, Goya Awards, Great Expectations Films, Hotel Amenities, Julia Guillén Creagh, LAMDA, Malaga Film Festival, Paloma Fraile, Paradise, Pixilated, Portobello Film Festival, Premios Goya, Project Arts Centre London, Richard Molloy, Shadows in the Wind, Simon Evans, Susan Stanley, The Separation