David A Ellis talked to film actress Shirley Ann Field when she appeared at the Gateway theatre Chester in Daisy Miller.

How old were you Shirley when you decided you wanted to become an actress?

It was very early on. I was around seven years of age. I didn’t get there until I was around eighteen because I wasn’t encouraged until I was older.

What was your first professional role?

I was in a repertory company in the Isle of Wight with the Freddie Frinton players. I was a juvenile character.

How many feature films have you made?

About twenty. I started out doing tiny parts doing one-liners. It’s one up from being a crowd player or extra. I never got my one line right because I think it’s harder to play small parts than big parts.

What was your first major role?

The Entertainer, playing the beauty Queen alongside Laurence Olivier

You were in the 1960 film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning with Albert Finney. Some of those early black and white kitchen sink dramas, as they were called, such as A Kind of Loving, The L Shaped Room and A Taste of Honey were very good.

The best, we set the trend for actors being able to speak in real voices, Albert and myself. We didn’t only just make it acceptable; we made it sexy to have a working class accent.

Have you done much stage work?

From time to time, between my films. I have gone on filming every decade. I made films that have stuck in people’s minds. In the 1980s I did My Beautiful Launderette and in the 1990s I was in Hear My Song.

Which do you prefer, filming or stage work?

I don’t really know – I like the process of filming. I like the fact that you can create on the spot and it’s captured and it’s there. What can I say about the stage. It’s like a party every night. Sometimes it’s a terrible party and sometimes it’s wonderful. It’s up to you to try and make it a wonderful party, not just for you on stage but also for the audience out there, because they are half the process. The audience in the theatre are as important as the actors I think, because it’s a two-way interaction. We have to work hard and not let the wheels show and I hope we have done that in this lavish production with lovely wigs and costumes.

I suppose the difference in stage and film is if you get a blank on stage you have to try and cover it up where with film you can do a retake.

With an enormous amount of money involved you’ll find most film actors make it look easy. They know what they are doing, and how they are doing. They will go to their marks, not let it show, keep their costume in place and remember their lines. Film acting is very underrated.

What attracted you to the play Daisy Miller?

First of all I’d just moved agencies, secondly I wanted to work and I wanted people to know I wanted to work. Thirdly it was a big leap for me to play someone who is conventional and correct, because if you look at all my films and my theatre I’ve always played the rebel.

Have you any plans to retire?

I’d like to retire if I could afford to and had something better to do. You tell me anything better than my job and I’ll settle for it tomorrow. The only thing that more than equals it is being a mother and grandmother.

The acting profession is something that gets in the blood and is something you want to do for as long as you can, isn’t it?

I don’t think actors ever retire, they don’t need to. How many actors were badly advised when younger putting many in a position where they have to work when older? I’m on the equity council now and one of my causes is to help young actors coming up, to work if they want to when they get older – not because they have to.

Finally, Have you been to Chester before?

Yes, I love Chester, it is a wonderful city.

Thank you Shirley.