You recently appeared as Rita in Tim Minchin’s Groundhog Day The Musical. What was it like playing Rita, and working with the iconic Tim Minchin?
I LOVED playing Rita, she is one of my favourite roles I’ve ever played. Not only is she a beautifully fleshed out character who is a smart, pragmatic career woman, but she is also someone who shows her flaws and shows her insecurities and complexities. She is not perfect, she is not naive, she is smart and dry and funny and simultaneously deeply empathetic. She approaches life and each day with possibility. She looks for the good in people, she goes in assuming best intentions and she chooses – even when faced with arrogance or misogyny or unexpected challenges – to embrace radical hope and kindness. It is a deeply powerful thing to get to play a person like that eight times a week. It helps re-affirm those choices and perspectives for approaching my real life everyday as well.
And working with Tim is a dream. He is an absolute genius – his material is witty and funny, and beautifully detailed and full of ideas and thoughts and feelings. The writing is so good that it does all the work for you. And as a man and a friend he is also a dream. He is deeply invested, he is always looking for ways to improve things or expand ideas. He is a great collaborator and will always work with you to find something new, or adjust something musically to make it fly for you. It is really an incredibly rare and completely thrilling thing to work with Tim. This is the second time Ive worked with him on a musical and both times I have found I am the most challenged and the most rewarded.
What is it about acting/singing/dancing that you love?
I love that I get to explore and learn about different parts of myself and the human experience. It sounds cliche, but it is really amazing to get to stand in someone else’s shoes and look at the world from a different perspective. I also love what watching performance – particularly live performance – does to others. It can unlock things for audience members, help them process and make sense of relationships and emotions and ideas. We meet so many people at stage door each day who tell us how watching the show had them crying or laughing or grinning from ear to ear. We see people hugging their family and friends closer because of the message of the show. It’s so special to feel like we are part of helping people connect and feel joy and hope.
What is your dream role?
There are many roles I would love to play, some being Jenna in Waitress, Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. But I mostly love to originate a role – be part of making that character from scratch; so I’m going to say that the next dream role is one that isn’t created yet!
What do you love about Melbourne?
So many things! I love the food and wine and culture of this city. I love how easy it is to get around and go to a museum, or a park or see a theatre show. I mostly love that the theatre community is so connected here in Melbourne – all the theatres are just round the corner from each other, so it has that New York and London feel of a really dense and connected theatre scene. You can catch up for drinks after a show or a meal between shows with friends who are in a totally different show down the road – its the best city for that.
Where are your favourite places in Australia to travel to and enjoy?
I love anywhere that is close to the water! So going to beaches, bays, visiting a lake house! When in Sydney I can’t go past Clovelly and Bronte beach or down near Elizabeth Bay or on the Harbour. I’ve always wanted to go up to Hamilton Island, and I also love Byron Bay. I love being down in Queenscliff or Mornington in Victoria.
What does being Australian mean to you?
To me it is working hard, being respectful, being grateful and caring for the beautiful land and country we are lucky to reside on. It is recognising the diversity of Australian people and culture in our country and finding ways to respect and generously support each other. It is also just the little things of being human – trying to do better and behave better each day, so I can feel proud of being Australian and how I move through the world.
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