SFX Magazine

Eighteen year-old Beth Allen, who plays the key character of Amber, turns out to be a massive fan of quirky Brit band Gomez, but unlike her colleagues has no musical ambitions herself. "I'm just an actor," she says breezily. "I don't have any other particular talent."

Despite her tender years and delicate features, Beth is remarkably self-possessed and has an underlying air of thoughness about her. Indeed she describes herself as "stroopy and headstrong". Pretty and charming though she may be, you definitely wouldn't want to mess with her. "I think it comes with working in the industry and having to be quite professional," she laughs. "You just have to grow up a little bit and not be a dork."

Taking on the role of Amber wasn't Beth's first venture into fantasy television. Years ago, when she played a tribal girl in an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, Beth was accidentally whacked in the face with an axe. "It was only a little cut," she remembers. "But being Americans they were really worried about getting sued so I ended up being taken to a plastic surgeon's office and they charged us $250 for a tiny little stitch."

Beth's assassment of Amber is characteristically straightforward: "I think she's just a really good role model for young girls. In the same way as Buffy and Xena, she's just a cool character for girls to watch because she's not constantly falling at the feet of guys and doing all the girly stuff. I think it helps that the character tends to stand up for the little kids, stand up to the bully and fight for democracy!" Beth throws back her head and laughs like an overloaded drain. Unlike the character she plays in The Tribe, this girl has a wicked sense of humor.