Kitty Sudbery’s most recently released project – the supernatural horror feature film Borley Rectory: The Awakening released in the UK on Monday 13th October on DVD and VOD including Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Sky Store, and for the film, she worked opposite Julian Glover as Harry Bull and Patsy Kensit as Constance Bull, and Kitty played Young Kitty Bull. Upcoming for Kitty is thriller film Emerald Cottage, in which she plays Meg, with the film written and directed by Jason M.J. Brown (who she worked with previously on Creep Encounters), feature film Husky Christmas as Maisy, and she has filmed a lead role in horror film The Green Monster. For Christmas with the Pups, Kitty played co-lead character Beth Grant and reprised her role for last year’s sequel Christmas with the Pups 2: Pups Alone, and she has previously worked on horror film Cinderella’s Curse as Athena, The Evil Fairy Queen as Violet Richards and short films Fairyland as Young Faye and The Memory Tin as Ruby, with the latter seeing her win Best Actress in a Short Film at the 2022 Stockholm City Film Festival. Also having stage experience, amongst Kitty’s stage projects, she has worked on Shrek Jr. and Frozen Jr. We caught up with Kitty about playing Young Kitty Bull in the recent release of Borley Rectory: The Awakening, filming as Beth Grant in Christmas with the Pups and Christmas with the Pups 2: Pups Alone and her upcoming work.

Can you tell us about the supernatural horror feature film Borley Rectory: The Awakening, which was released on DVD and VOD (including Amazon Prime, Apple TV & Sky Store) in the UK on Monday 13th October, and what was it like filming opposite Julian Glover as Harry Bull and Patsy Kensit as Constance Bull?

This was an amazing film to work on and the cast and crew were impressively good. It is a prequel ghost story set in 1900, based on true events at the most haunted house in England. It is suspenseful and chilling, with a few scares along the way. The location was a historical house with its own ghostly past and the period costumes were great. It was such an honour to have the chance to act with screen legends and very interesting to watch them perform and bring something of their own to their characters and the scenes. Patsy Kensit was so lovely and Julian Glover had lots of interesting stories! It is unbelievable that he is 90 years old and still a brilliant actor full of character. He was so encouraging of me too.

How was it playing Young Kitty Bull and what was it like filming your scenes?

Young Kitty Bull had a playful element to her and it was interesting to dial up my acting, rather than the more natural, subtle screen acting I am used to. The scenes were fun to film; I enjoyed both the ensemble piece where we all had to make the various elements and dialogue work, and the more spooky one with a jump scare (and some clever camera trickery).

In the upcoming thriller film Emerald Cottage, you will be playing Meg; what was this project like to work on?

This film is incredible and I had the best time on set. I loved everything about it – the period costume, the intense scene with the actress playing a gypsy in the confined space of a real Romany caravan, conveying the creepy feeling of being followed and scared, and being killed! It is very atmospheric and subtly chilling. It was a bit of a challenge playing a dead body in a coffin; it is harder than you think!

Emerald Cottage is written and directed by Jason M.J. Brown, who you were also directed by for his film Creep Encounters as Evie; what is it like being involved with Jason’s films?

Jason is such a fantastic director. He has a vision of what he wants to achieve, but is so grounded, and everyone, cast and crew, always works together as a lovely team. I was just eight years old when I started filming Creep Encounters. It was quite challenging for them to film as it was between lockdowns. However, that also led to opportunities as Jason wrote a bigger part for me so that I came back for two more blocks of filming. He also went on to write Emerald Cottage with both Charlotte Wallis and myself in mind. It is so lovely to have someone believe in you and give you opportunities and I am very grateful to Jason for that.

You will be playing Maisie in the upcoming feature film Husky Christmas, how was your time on set?

I had such a lovely time on set. We were at a beautiful location, the biggest challenge was making it feel like Christmas whilst filming in July! I always love working with dogs and they were adorable. One of the producers had worked with me on a previous film and it was lovely to be asked to join this very small cast. I played Maisie as quite a quirky character… an 11 year old who loves tea parties with dogs!

How would you describe your character Beth Grant in Christmas with the Pups and how did you feel finding out you’d booked the co-lead role?

Beth is a sweet girl, with a bit of sass! I really enjoyed playing her. I got to interrogate her mum’s love interest, drink hot chocolate with marshmallows (although less good after a few takes!) and sing Silent Night a capella to create a romantic moment for my mum and her date. I was so excited to book this role after auditioning for Scott Chambers; and was grateful to get the opportunity knowing that so many talented acting friends had gone for it too.

What is Beth like to play and how was it reprising the character for last year’s sequel Christmas with the Pups 2: Pups Alone?

Beth is so much fun to play. She is kind, clever and fearless. In Pups Alone, you see the more mischievous side as she and the pups defeat burglars in the house. I particularly enjoyed firing a water pistol in the face of one of them, boldly stating “bite me”! I also loved some of the more tender moments with my on-screen aunt, played by Charlotte Jackson Coleman. Beth was spending Christmas without her mum and grandma, and was missing them (but trying to be brave).

What are some of your favourite memories from filming for the Christmas with the Pups films and how is it being part of the cast?

Well, one of my favourite memories has to be working with Belle and Lucie, the Pomeranian pups, who I absolutely adore. I really enjoyed helping look after them between filming too – they each had their own wardrobe of very cute outfits! It was really hard to say goodbye at the end of filming each time. I have waged a campaign to persuade my dad to get a dog. He has not yet agreed, but I am working on it…

The cast and crew of both films were also so much fun to work with. Everyone was so friendly and worked incredibly hard. On Pups Alone, I got to work with Peter DeSouza-Feighoney (The Pope’s Exorcist), who is great fun and an incredible actor! His character did not like cousin Beth at the beginning, but by the end she had won him round! I really enjoyed that dynamic.

What did you enjoy most about playing Athena in the horror film Cinderella’s Curse?

I really love working on horror films so it was amazing to be involved in Cinderella’s Curse, which premiered at FrightFest. It was great to have the opportunity to work with director Louisa Warren again. The SPX artist was incredible and I enjoyed watching her transform Chrissie Wunna into the (evil) Fairy Godmother, who I shared a scene with. Athena is the dead daughter of the protagonist in the opening sequence, who awakens/is possessed. I quite enjoyed the demonic element!

You played the leading role of Violet Richards in The Evil Fairy Queen, how was it getting into character?

Violet was a couple of years younger than I was so I had to try to think like a younger child and tap into my more excitable, playful and innocent self. They did a really good job of casting Violet’s family. We had chemistry reads and it was such a good match. I think the family was really believable and we built a close bond during the three blocks of filming, so it felt quite natural. The director, Simon Wells, was also brilliant at making me giggle! I also had to play Violet when she was under the Evil Fairy Queen’s enchantment, so a bit trance-like and in awe of her; which added a different dimension. I really loved my Evil Fairy Queen family – we all still stay in touch and cheer each other on!

Can you tell us about being part of the short films Fairyland as Young Faye and The Memory Tin as Ruby, and how was it winning Best Actress in a Short Film at the 2022 Stockholm City Film Festival for The Memory Tin?

I absolutely loved playing Young Faye in Fairyland. I was so excited to get the role, after a series of auditions. The film was all about Faye’s relationship with her mum, and also her best friend. Faye is very innocent and believes her mum is a fairy, until she follows her one night… It was quite strange to literally stop the traffic as they filmed me walking along by the side of a road! I never knew what Faye saw that night, but for the camera I had to imagine that it was upsetting and shocking as I looked on. It was probably the first film in which I got to really explore such a wide range of emotions.

I was cast in The Memory Tin after winning a national monologue competition run by the director. We filmed it in just one day and it was a really simple but emotive piece about a grandma, her granddaughters, and the contents of a memory tin. I did not even know the film had been entered into film festivals and it was such a lovely surprise to win Best Actress, especially considering all the brilliant adult actors who were nominated!

We understand you have also performed in theatre in shows such as Shrek Jr. as Donkey and Frozen Jr. as Young Anna, can you say about some of the roles you’ve played on stage and how different do you find live shows to filming?

I have had the opportunity to play many roles in many musicals and pantomimes in a variety of different theatres and also at school, where I played Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Most recently, I played Gabriella in High School Musical and The Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz (I absolutely loved embodying her and bringing my own take to this iconic character). Equally, I had so much fun playing Donkey in Shrek Jr. and do really like a comedic role. For Young Anna, I not only got to sing two well-known songs from Frozen, but also convincingly collapse on stage!

I love being on stage, where the audience are right in front of you and you get to see their reaction. The atmosphere is very different, there is a buzz, whereas on a film set it is obviously quieter and more serious when the cameras roll. However, there is also something special about screen acting and being on set, all working together to make something happen. It has its challenges – for example, filming scenes out of sequence, but it is always really exciting to see how it all comes together in the finished film (though I don’t actually like watching myself).

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

I always loved being on stage since I was very little… I starred as Pocket the Rabbit in our nursery production when I was four! I also started Stagecoach at the same age and my love for all things performing grew from there.

My on-screen debut was in Peter and Wendy (TV film shown at Christmas), filmed when I was two years old. Following a competition on ITV’s This Morning, I was part of the I Believe in Fairies sequence.

When I was seven, I was watching some films over Christmas, including the original The Parent Trap, and my mum told me about Hayley Mills being a child actor. This inspired me, and on New Year’s Day I told my mum that I wanted to be in films and she promised she would try to help me. By March, I had auditioned in London for and been offered representation by an agent. After a pause for lockdown, I started auditioning for roles and the rest is history!

What are some of your favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

I like slightly darker films and TV – I am really enjoying Wednesday at the moment, which has inspired me to watch more by Tim Burton. I love to go to the theatre, especially musicals, my favourites include Mean Girls and Dear Evan Hansen.

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

I love to sing and am a member of a rock band. I also play piano and tune percussion. I am quite creative and, in addition to arts and crafts, I have a passion for writing – I already have some ideas for a screenplay. I enjoy spending time with my friends. I also have two cats, which I love.

Do you have any further projects or filming work coming up that you can talk about and what are you hoping the next few months bring for your career?

I have just finished filming a lead role in the horror film The Green Monster. This was great fun and for the first time I got to play a teen, and play a bit older rather than younger. It was great fun to draw upon my more moody, sarcastic side for this, and I also liked being the older, protective sister role who faces off with the monster. A highlight had to be spitting out fake blood!

I have been auditioning for some confidential projects and have been invited to a screen test for something quite exciting.

I am also in discussions about potential representation in America alongside my fantastic UK agent, Aston Management, with support of my mentor, Julian LeBlanc (CEO of LeBlanc School of Acting).

I am grateful for every opportunity I get, but would really love to work on some big studio projects.

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