Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1275149
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 AUGUST 2020 2 THE Q&A SANDIE VON BROCKDORFF BY LAURA CALLEJA suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt Maltese actress Sandie Von Brockdroff moved to London to train as an actor at ArtsEd, but after her course was cut short by the coronavirus, she found herself back in Malta for the foreseeable future. Last weekend she performed a sold out run of WhatsTheirNames Theatre's Shakespeare in the Garden: Comedy of Errors, at Villa Bologna alongside some of the island's best talent. Von Brockdroff also appeared in Measure for Measure, MARA and Sette (VII), as well as many of Teatru Manoel's ToiToi and TMYT shows What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? I love sleeping in, it's such a luxury, so ideally sleep more. Maybe some yoga if I'm feeling crazy. What is the best advice you've ever received? I'll give you two quotes – the first is "It's a sprint not a marathon" which every artist should know. The second is one I learnt in clown class: "Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?" That's Charles Bukowski. What do you never leave the house without? Phone, keys, money – though with contactless it's mostly phone and keys. I sort of made a song to remember these. Pick three words that describe yourself. Passionate. Open. Curious (this question took longer than I thought to answer). What do you consider to be your greatest achieve- ment? Teaching English in India and Cambodia. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Baby pasta with Bovril/Marmite and cheese. I could eat it for days. What is the most important lesson life has taught you? Humans are indescribably fascinating. I genuinely believe we are inherently good creatures, I guess many get lost along the way. Property and cars aside what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought? Do flights count? I'm not much a big spender but one of my favourite buys of this year was a pair of Balinese patterned dungarees I found at a second hand shop in Greenwich. What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger? That we're all monkeys trying to figure out life. Who's your inspiration? My mentor. What has been your biggest challenge? Figuring out life. If you weren't an actor what would you be doing? An astronaut. Or maybe more realistically an archi- tect. Or else a lawyer or diplomat. Probably even a journalist. Do you believe in God? Yes. If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be? Meryl Streep. And Sally Cookson. Yes, Sally, you're in the same boat at Meryl right now, I love your work. What's your worst habit? Biting my nails… eh, who am I kidding, I'm not too bothered about nail biting. What are you like when you're drunk? Fun. Promise. Who would you have play you in a film? It would have to be a budding Maltese actress in the year 2050 who would take on Hollywood and win all the Oscars obviously. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Lying. What music would you have played at your funeral? 'I Was Here' by Beyonce – ideally sung live by Be- yonce. What is your most treasured material possession? My notebook(s). What is your earliest memory? Maybe watching a Panto and being enthralled by the magic. That memory is actually very real. Or else singing and dancing in the aisle of a Voices concert at the MCC. When did you last cry, and why? I cry often so today. A friend of mine gifted me a book out of nowhere. Who would you most like to meet? Virginia Woolf. What's your favourite food? Anything soup – brodu, minestra, carrot, tomato, pho, ramen. I want 'em all. Who's your favourite person on social media right now? Jameela Jamil. If you could travel in time, where would you go? 1960s. What book are you reading right now? 'Not That Kind Of Girl' by Lena Dunham. She's such a gem. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Time travel and also flying. What's one thing you want to do before you die? Skydive and ideally have travelled most of the world. What music are you listening to at the moment? I'm really into Nick Mulvey and LEON recently. In the shower or when you're working out, what do you sing/listen to? Spotify's "Songs to Sing in the Car/Shower" playlists. Easy-peasy.