You’re coming to The Arts Centre Gold Coast for an exclusive double-bill performance of Wrecking Ball and Rumour Has It. Can you give us a little hint as to what lucky ticket holders can expect?
I am equal parts excited and terrified about what Saturday may bring; I’m not even sure what to expect myself! Our Adele and Miley are both extremely volatile characters. I think those with a double-bill ticket are in for a real treat because the two shows are so vastly different. Rumour Has It has been described as like a great late-night chat with your best and oldest friend, whereas Wrecking Ball is almost like therapy. But both have the most incredible set lists, moments of sass and silliness, but also a good amount of heart.

What was it about the songs of Adele and Miley Cyrus that inspired you to create these stage-shows?
Adele is undoubtedly one of the greatest songwriters and storytellers of our generation. To think that she was just 16 when she penned her Grammy Award winning debut single Chasing Pavements is mind-blowing in itself, and testament to what a special talent she is. And then there’s the 21 album on which every single song is a masterpiece. I discovered this particular album at a very chaotic time in my personal life and felt an immediate, profound connection to her music. Adele is a sensational storyteller and for an actor/singer, you couldn’t ask for better material to sing.

Then there’s Miley, who’s just fascinating as an artist and human being. A lot of people feel very strongly about her – for or against – and yet very few know much about her at all. My writing partner Adam Brunes and I were fascinated not so much by Miley’s music but by her story. Miley was born ‘Destiny Hope Cyrus’ because her father was sure she would grow up to change the world. She was raised in an extremely religious family – something very familiar to me – was thrown into the spotlight from a very young age and in many respects denied the opportunity to discover her true self. She’s extremely smart, supremely talented, and a passionate humanitarian. Our show Wrecking Ball is less a Miley Cyrus biographical tribute and more an investigation into what it means to grow up and into yourself. One of my favourite lines from the show sums it all up rather succinctly, “Do you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?”

Miley Cyrus is obviously fairly out there in terms of her, let’s call it ‘on-stage persona’, how do you go about channelling your inner Miley?
Wrecking Ball has undergone several iterations and evolutions since we premiered the work at the Brisbane Powerhouse in 2014. In the earliest version of the show, Miley’s shock-tactics took centre stage. She said every offensive word under the sun, stole people’s drinks, invaded everyone’s personal space… It was the Miley that we’re often served up by the tabloids but it felt quite two-dimensional to us as creators. While that’s undoubtedly part of the real Miley’s persona, we knew there were many more interesting layers, so we set out to fill in some of the blanks.

Are there any sledgehammers that make an appearance in the show?
Literal sledgehammers no, metaphorical sledgehammers … plenty! Wrecking Ball time and time again gives me one of my most validating moments as a performer when, at the same point in the show every single time we perform it, you could literally hear a pin drop. What more could you ask for as a performer?

Adele and Miley are almost on opposite ends of the spectrum as far as characters go. How do you navigate the major shift from one to the other?
I’ve never had to do it before in the same night so we’ll soon find out! These characters are completely differently, and so too was the process of creating them. For Adele, I get to put on the most gorgeous fat suit and gown, in which I feel my absolute sexiest and most comfortable. For Miley, I embarked on a huge transformation physically whereby I had to commit to a complete lifestyle adjustment where health and fitness is concerned. As Miley, I’m almost at my most uncomfortable because I have to be completely fearless and vulnerable. For Miley, I have the most extraordinary trainer, Mark Vaiao, who whipped me into shape originally and continues to keep me in line.

What’s the best and worst part about taking on a character as opposed to being on stage as Naomi Price?
The best part about performing as a character is that I can be as inappropriate and politically incorrect as I like because it’s not really me speaking. I feel safe performing behind a character. One of the biggest challenges for me going on The Voice Australia was that I couldn’t lose myself in a character. It’s incredibly daunting to put your whole, truest self forward in everyday life, let alone in front of an audience of several million home judges. But putting myself out there week after week as Naomi Price was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life and I left the show with a real sense of empowerment and achievement.

Congratulations on making the top six of The Voice Australia! What were some of the highlights from that journey?
Thank you so much! The real highlights for me were the behind-the-scenes moments working with the absolute best in the business. It takes a literal army of people to enable us singers to deliver two minutes of great television each week, and their individual passion, commitment and experience just fuelled me to better myself. I felt I owed it to them to nail what I had to do, because without fail they were nailing their respective jobs week after week. Then there was the time with Ricky of course. Everybody knows that Ricky is one of the world’s greatest entertainers, but few know he’s also one of the most extraordinary human beings. He’s incredibly kind and generous and loving. Every single thing he says is a masterclass. He made me view the world and, more importantly, myself differently, and for that alone I’ll be eternally grateful.

You were tipped as being Ricky Martin’s leading lady. That must have felt pretty amazing?
I copped a great deal of heat during the show for Ricky’s alleged favouritism because of my partner Luke’s time on the show in 2013. I never felt though that having met Ricky previously gave me any sort of competitive advantage. If anything, I put more pressure on myself to do him proud. To be his last-standing female performer was absolutely amazing.

What are some of the biggest lessons you took from that experience?
The biggest thing I took from the show is the importance and social responsibility of using any kind of authority position with great care and respect. My personal stance on marriage equality was a big talking point about my time on the show, and I’m proud that I was able to use that platform to continue this very important discussion in the public forum.

Of course it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, you’ve weathered your fair share of negativity in the spotlight. How do you deal with public criticism?
I’d experienced a taste of public criticism vicariously during Luke’s time on The Voice in 2013 but it was very different this time round when I was front and centre myself. What a lot of people forget is that the ‘characters’ they see on TV every Sunday night are real people with real lives, real families, real colleagues, real friends, real flaws and real feelings. I’m a 31-year-old with a great sense of self… There are few derogatory things a stranger could say to me about me that I haven’t thought about myself during bouts of self-punishing over the years. The thing that most upset me on The Voice was witnessing the unwarranted hatefulness hurled at other, younger, more vulnerable singers on the show. I was very welcoming of home critiques of our performances but criticisms of our personalities and personal lives felt completely unjust. We are all fighting battles that other people know nothing about. Let’s try to be kind.

Can you describe the feeling you get when you step out onto the stage to perform?
It’s a mix of adrenalin and anxiousness and complete calm because I know deep down that there’s absolutely nothing I do better. Besides cooking perhaps… Luke will attest I am a rather excellent home-cook!

What originally attracted you to musical theatre?
I come from a very musical, creative family so music and theatre was always in my blood. Musical theatre offers audiences an escape and it’s incredibly gratifying as a performer to be able to take audiences on that journey.

Your partner Luke Kennedy is also a successful performer. Are there any joint productions in the works?
Luke will be joining me on vocals on Saturday! Luke was involved creatively in the earliest versions of Rumour Has It, assisting with the vocal arrangements for the show. It’s been a couple of years since he’s performed in it so it’s really special to have him back for this performance, and for next month’s season at Queensland Theatre Company. As for other joint productions in the future; Luke has always been and will forever be my favourite leading man so I’m sure there’s every likelihood we will continue to perform together!

How do you define ‘success’?
Success to me is being able to look back on something and feel a genuine sense of pride and accomplishment.

Finally, any advice for artists looking to pursue a career in music?
Diversify. When I was rehearsing my first ever professional production – The Wishing Well for Matrix Theatre and La Boite – my director Michael Futcher advised that the best way to ensure longevity in what is a very fickle industry is to diversify. In addition to performing, which is certainly my first love, I also love writing, directing, producing and production managing, and it’s in these secondary strands that I’ve been able to ensure a full-time career in this crazy industry!