Exclusive interview with  Judith Chandler, English Actress

By Jean-Paul Eliard
The 23 December 2024

Hi  Judith, I'm glad to do this interview

Can you introduce yourself to the visitors of cinema-movietheater.com?

Hi, I am an actress and former theatre producer. I founded The English-Speaking Theatre in FRANKFURT GERMANY.
I ran it as artistic director for 22 years. I actually never wanted to be found and run a theatre, but I encountered marginalisation and saw the opportunity to be able to play the parts I desired and cast the actors I desired regardless of their backgrounds. 

It sounds and perhaps looked easy,  but it wasn’t. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, and I had to create a structure that functioned.
In Germany there weren’t allot of English-Speaking actors at that time.
Initially we were a small group of actors who happened to live in Frankfurt for one reason or the other and we had to find plays to fit our types.

I was married to a German man and had two children.
I had some cultural and political connections, which I would use to build on and surround myself with influential people who would introduce me to other movers and shakers, as they say.
I had a large flat and after we had exhausted all the plays, we could do amongst ourselves, we had the idea to seek actors in the UK.
My flat became the office and hotel for the actors that we brought over from London. Perfect strangers. 

We rented a warehouse and when the initial group disbanded, as they often do. I was the artistic director and was financing allot of the costs from my own pocket.
I approached the head of the cultural department for help with the rent and when we had to move to another warehouse because the owner didn’t want people traffic in his building, as it hadn’t been rented for that purpose. the city of Frankfurt agreed to to pay the rent. 

Since I was a former primary school teacher, we had the idea to write high schools and to see what plays they were reading in English.
Plays by Tennessee William , Arthur Miller, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw etcetera. The German students made up 35% of the audience.
Perhaps 15% were native English speakers or those for whom English was a second language and the rest German.

We would make up a curriculum guide with information about the author and the play for teachers to use in the classroom.
Eventually we would invite the teachers, free of cost to a preview in the hopes they would return with their students.
On occasion we would hold morning performances for a large student group.

The city of Frankfurt gave me the opportunity to build a state-of-the-art theatre with a team of architects and an interior designer.

I received an OBE from the government of Germany, an award from the State of Hessen in Germany and an award form the City of Frankfurt.

What do you like in your character Gwen and in the script when you read it?

I liked that she was a professional woman, like me, and at the same time
she was encouraging this younger woman to trust herself more and to take risks, which I have done as well.
She was not opposed to asserting herself when she felt that someone else could do the job more efficiently.
She also puts pressure on the young woman when she is in a pinch which
I probably would have done too in a similar situation but must accept that she is not in the driver’s seat and must hope for the best. So, her protégé is now more confident and can stand up to her.

How did you prepare for your role?

I first read the script, then I think about the background of my character and the relationship to the other character in the scene and beforehand.
I always try to find a part of me that can relate to the character. In this instance, she was very much like me.
The character then starts to grow in me as I learn the lines and make them mine. I get in front of the camera and have a rehearsal period.
This was just one scene, and I did a self-tape for the production company as my audition. That means I had to record Jill’s lines as well to play off them.
I prefer to do this myself instead of asking someone else who is not familiar with the script. Lastly, I think about the wardrobe after I know my lines and feel the character. 
Unfortunately, part of my first scene was cut.

How is the shooting with Jill Winternitz, Dominic Watters, Toby Rolt .......... and the director David Lumsden?

My scenes were left to the day of the wrap, so I arrived the day before and stayed in a nearby hotel. It was in February 2023. 
On the day of the shoot, I met the director briefly and Jill. Jill and I went through our scenes, and I spent time being made up and costumed.
When I arrived the day before and received the call sheet, I was surprised to see that I had an additional scene, for which I had to learn the lines.
In my second scene with Jill on the phone, she was not required to be there but volunteered to stay to make it more real for me, which I thought was very nice of her and I appreciated that.

Where is the movie shot in Scotland, the castle is beautiful and when?

The movie is shot in Edinburgh In February. And I stayed over the next day.
To take a Take a bus tour through the city, for This was my first time in Scotland. 

What do you like at Christmas?

Christmas has always been very special for me, and I tried to make it special
for my children too.  And I thank my mother for that.
We always had family over and she cooked, And I received lots of presents,
so I love that part of it. I always have a tree.
I love the lights in the city. And I love going to the theatre and to the opera particularly At that time of year.

When and why did you choose to be an actress?

I think I always wanted to be an actress. I love playing other people and showing the journey that they make.

What is your next challenge / project?

I wish I knew. I would love A role with more than two scenes in a film.
And To have an ongoing part in a series.
I had another role after Gwen in a feature film,  in which I played an ancient wise Eastern European woman.
The film should be shown next year. MAN WITH NO PAST.

Thank you very much for your interview  Judith  I wish you all the best
 

More information about Judith on Nic Knight Management and on IMDb