Emily Dreyer

Grace Driscoll: What drew you to working on a show as iconic as Company?
Emily Dreyer: The music! Stephen Sondheim is an absolute genius and the score is just incredible. Every musical number in the show is catchy and innately engaging… as well as challenging at times for singers which makes it just as much fun to rehearse as it is to watch being performed. Also, some of the cast and production team I have worked with before so it’s always a pleasure working with them again!

Why do you believe audiences should come see this show?
It’s so relatable, the music is outstanding, it’s hilarious and it will overall be a fantastic night out… to be honest I wouldn’t want to miss it!

What first ignited your passion for dancing/musical theatre?
I grew up training in ballet at the Elizabeth McGirr School of Ballet doing one big concert every two years! One year we did a version of Mary Poppins and I got the chance to be Jane (one of the children), after our one show was over, 11 year old me was so depressed for about two weeks… that’s when I knew I needed more. I then moved into other styles of dance and seriously started musical theatre training two years ago when I started at ED5International.

Where do you hope to see yourself professionally in 5 years time?
In a touring company for a musical but if we are really reaching for the stars Broadway!

Who is your musical theatre inspiration?
It changes all the time but at the moment it would have to be Donna McKechnie and Charlotte D’Amboise. Donna McKechnie was the original Kathy in Company and then went on to be the original Cassie in A Chorus Line. Watching footage of her performing is just so inspiring and to be able to do a solo dance number in a musical is so rare and Donna McKechnie is just incredible. I feel so lucky to be playing the same role of Kathy and being able to dance “Tick-Tock”, which is often left out of productions of Company. Charlotte D’Amboise played Kathy and Cassie too, but many years later in revivals and she is just as inspiring but reminds me of how it’s important to put yourself and your strengths into the role. I have so many people that are always inspiring me from my teachers, my dance students and of course the cast and production team of Company at Limelight on Oxford.

Grace Driscoll

Emily Dreyer: What about your character Marta is similar to you?
Grace Driscoll: I love playing Marta, as I feel like she is a very heightened version of myself. I think we share the same passion and thirst for life, and that even the smallest things excite us. We both love experiencing new things, and are open to learning from every person we meet. I am however, without a doubt, a self-professed dork- which isn’t what most people necessarily think of cool, trendy Marta. In order to find my way into her, I tried to channel my natural weirdness but in a way where she is 100% unapologetic about it. Embracing herself, her ideas and her opinions wholeheartedly and boldly, is what I believe makes her so confident and so effortlessly cool.

What is your favourite part about being in Company?
My favourite part about being in Company is working with such an incredible team and just doing a musical. Because I’ve only just completed studying, it has been such a long time since I’ve done a musical, and to get the opportunity to now do it, with material as rich as this, in a brand new theatre and with a company this talented, feels like an absolute dream! Being the baby of the cast, I am constantly in awe of everyone’s talent, experience and expertise in their craft and have learnt so much from every single person.

If anyone could come and see the show who would it be and why?
I think this show is perfect for… everyone! The story is so real and so accessible for anyone who has ever been in a relationship. I think Sydney audiences young and ‘older-than-young’ will enjoy what this musical has to give, so I encourage everyone to book tickets and have a night out at the theatre. Also, come and checkout the incredible new venue that is Limelight! I anticipate it will soon be a prime theatre-goers hot spot.

What brings you to musical theatre?
I was first introduced to musicals by my grandfather’s collection of old movie musicals that I would play, entranced and on repeat whenever I visited, including The Sound Of Music and The King And I. It wasn’t until I was 10 where I saw a community production of Guys And Dolls that I became hooked on musicals and performing. This passion has since taken me through two training courses, 800km away from home, and given me many lifelong friends. There’s something so special about combining the elements of song, music and dance in order to tell a story. I love reading a script or a score that is rich with good writing and detail, and wanting nothing more than to share it with audiences.

Dream musical role and why?
Too many to list! My number one role would definitely be Natasha in Dave Malloy’s Natasha, Pierre And The Great Comet 1812. Similar to Sondheim’s Company, Malloy’s writing is so detailed and intricate which makes for some stunningly beautiful songs. I also love the fact that the show promotes diversity in its casting, despite the setting being 19th century Russia.

Emily Dreyer and Grace Driscoll can be seen in Company by Stephen Sondheim.
Dates: 14 November – 1 December, 2018
Venue: Limelight On Oxford