5 minutes with – Tamla Kari: 'I might end up working behind a bar again'

My goals have always been quite small. The first goal was to get an audition, then it was to get a recall and then eventually to get to drama school. A few years of auditioning and I got a place at Drama Centre and it all kind of went from there really.

The Inbetweeners Movie was definitely my big break. I look back on it and at the time I had no idea what was going on. It was one of my first auditions, and I just kind of forgot about it. A couple of weeks later I was called back for a bigger part, and Joe Thomas was sat there. I was just like: "Oh, you're Simon from The Inbetweeners…" It opened doors for me in comedy. I did have to fight harder to be taken seriously for more dramatic roles, but I’m so grateful.

The thing with acting is that you don’t know where your next job is going to come from. It’s a sort of bipolar world – going from the euphoria of getting the job, and then halfway through thinking: "Ah, I've got nothing to do after this." I’m trying not to freak out because everything tends to go quite quiet around summer. I might have to start working behind a bar again until something comes up. That’s just how it is, you have to suck it up. It’s just pretty much what 99 per cent of actors have to do.

Rehearsals for While the Sun Shines have been brilliant. It’s not one of Rattigan’s best known plays which is such a shame because it's (and I might be slightly biased because I’m in it) a gem of a play. It’s very funny but it’s got heart to it as well. It’s a little cheeky one. I’m playing Mabel which is a really great part. I hope that I do it justice.

I’ve enjoyed being back on the stage, because it flexes different muscles. My aim is always to mix it up and not get stuck in one medium. I’m itching to do another film. I'm probably more confident on a stage than I am in front of a camera. That’s purely because I'm very conscious my big face is on a big screen, and I’ve got quite an expressive face…

While the Sun Shines runs at the Theatre Royal, Bath from 20 to 30 July.