Antonia Prebble on Cabaret

You can read the Antonia Prebble interview, by Matt Deevee, on AntoniaPrebble.com by downloading the special pdf file from there. I have copied and pasted the text below though incase you can’t acess pdf files.

Spotlight on Antonia Prebble…
The Court Theatre’s summer musical is always a must see attraction in Christchurch. Packed with glitz, glam and utterly fantastic music, you’re sure to have your foot tapping in no time. This year, The Court is proud to present the world-famous musical CABARET for a limited 12 week run and is delighted to announce that Antonia Prebble (of Outrageous Fortune fame) is set to star in the iconic role of Sally Bowles.

We were fortunate to have Antonia join us in Christchurch for the day for our CABARET photo shoot (as she is extremely busy with publicity work, acting and working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature) and sat down with her for a little one-on-one Q&A time.

What attracted you to the role of Sally Bowles?
She is so iconic! She is one of the THE great female roles in the canon and I can see myself really developing my craft and learning a great deal from portraying her… so I couldn’t pass on it.

Have you ever seen CABARET performed live?
Apart from a high school production and a few Youtube clips I haven’t actually seen the full version of the musical. I am definitely going to watch the movie at some stage though. So many people around the world seem to perform and love CABARET which shows that it really has legs!

What’s the deal… Not only are you a fantastic actress, but now we find out you can sing too? Where does all this talent come from?
To be honest, I really don’t consider myself a singer but I did start my acting career in musical theatre as a young Wellingtonian. Recently, I was involved in The Peach Theatre Company production of Sweeney Todd, but playing the lead in such an iconic show is a bit of a departure from the norm… hence my mild terror.

Your first thoughts on drinking Gin and Prairie Oysters?
Worcester Sauce?! Haha… hey, you can’t knock it till you try it so I’m willing to give it a go.

How did you hear about the role at The Court?
Sandra Rasmussen (CABARET’s Director) approached me about auditioning on the opening night of Sweeney Todd and I didn’t really even consider it (as I wasn’t sure I was ready for it), but then I got over my uncertainty and thought I’d give it a crack. My audition went well and the timing was good so everything worked out in my favour and here I am!

You’re predominantly a screen actress, how does it differ from theatre?
On a film set you don’t have that immediate contact with the audience that you have on stage. On stage you have the most amazing amount of adrenaline coursing through your body as you’re not only giving so much energy to the audience, but receiving it right back from them tenfold! You also get far more time to properly develop your character during the (much longer) rehearsal process…. Oh and the hours are far better in theatre!

Finally, what are you most looking forward to doing in Christchurch?
The only other time I’ve been to Christchurch I went to The Dux de Lux. I’m looking forward to going there again. I am also hoping to get in a bit of travel and go on a few little exploring adventures around the South Island.

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Five things you probably don’t know about Antonia …
1. When it comes to music, my tastes vary quite a lot… I like a bit of everything.
2. I’m all about ‘80s fashion. I have seven ’80s jumpsuits in my cupboard and I love them all!
3. My favourite musical is Les Miserables. I saw it in the West End and it has stayed with me for years!
4. Unlike most other actors, I love dress-ups. Going over the top with your costume is always great fun!
5. I love finding gems in second hand clothes stores… am looking forward to finding a few hidden treasures in Christchurch.