Give us an insight into a young Gretel – have you danced since you were a child?
I grew up in Rockhampton, Central Queensland and started dancing, singing and acting classes when I was about four years old. It was something I just naturally possessed the enjoyment for and couldn’t refrain myself from doing. I don’t ever remember a time when I didn’t have my mind set on being a performer. I used to dance seven days a week at Narelle Aspinall’s Capricorn School of Dance in Rockhampton, back it up with singing lessons every week with Christine Netherwood, and attend Speech and Drama classes with Judi Scheuber. They were my sole coaches throughout my entire childhood until I moved to Sydney when I was 15.

Do you remember the first time you ever performed for an audience?
Sure do! It was my first song and dance solo. I was a grasshopper loose in Queensland – hilarious! I remember someone telling me to make sure everyone could hear every word I was singing, so I had to perform nice and big for the people in the back row. And boy, did I perform big! I basically shouted the entire number. Everyone sure heard it, and the opening line from the adjudicator on my report card was ‘My, you have a big voice pet!’ I’ve never looked back!

We are super excited to see the upcoming production of Singin’ in the Rain! Were you a fan of the film growing up?
Absolutely. Growing up in Central Queensland, professional theatre never made it to the stages up in Rockhampton, so my introduction to performing was based on the movie musicals (especially the ones played on a Sunday afternoon on free-to-air TV) and Singin’ in the Rain was one of the most frequent movie musicals played. I was so inspired by these three triple threats – dancing, singing and acting on TV! I wanted to do that!

We hear audiences might get wet?!
MIGHT?! Absolutely you will get wet! If you have booked the first 3 rows (aka the ‘Splash Zone’) you are given a complimentary poncho. Be prepared. You’ll have fun and so do we!

You’ve already wowed audiences with roles in Grease, Wicked and Mamma Mia – what’s one dream production you’d like to tackle in the future?
This is like asking someone to pick their favourite child! It’s just too hard. However with the influx of amazing animated movie musicals hitting the screens, I would love to play Elsa in the stage version of Frozen! It’s currently being workshopped overseas. Fingers crossed we see it on Australian stages.

You’ve won a fair few awards in your career, but what would you say is your greatest achievement to date?
It’s hard to pin point one particular achievement in my life, as I am who I am today because of some many moments. But I suppose receiving the call when I was cast as Sandy in Grease the Musical was a turning point. Up until that point, I was working a lot as an ensemble member, small roles and understudying a lot. Sandy was my break through and such an achievement to have wonderful producers and directors (even from the UK!) recognise me and trust that the role would be safe in my hands. I suppose that’s an achievement in itself – it opened up some many doors for me and I’m constantly aiming for more.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced as a performer?
Performance anxiety that results in on-stage panic attacks can be a really hard thing for people to overcome. I experienced it a few times when I was playing Sandy in Grease the Musical. Sometimes you can get so affected by trying to strive for absolute perfection – eight shows a week, six days a week, for 18 months! But you have to realise that nobody’s perfect and that’s the magic of live theatre – things will always be different. So learning to control that panic button can be difficult and challenging and something I’ve done a lot of work on.

You are an accomplished tap, jazz, contemporary and ballet dancer – which one comes in handy the most on the d-floor?
I will say it until the cow’s come home – ballet. Ballet supports all of those genres of dance. Without it, you have no technique, core or strength. It is the backbone to all of those forms of dance. Some of the best hip hop dancers I know have incredible ballet training! Ballet isn’t the greatest form of dance to bust out on the dance floor, but it sure comes in handy when you need to save yourself from falling, avoid injuring yourself and have a lengthy dance career.

What’s your jam song that always makes you get up and dance?
Easy! Shania Twain’s ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ – the dance remix release. When it comes on at warm up, that stage is mine! haha

For those of us with two left feet, what is the one dance move that we should have in our arsenal?
You can never go past the old retro 80s grapevine! It’s the master of all moves.

Singin’ in the Rain is being staged at QPAC until October 30. Be sure to head to the QPAC website to purchase your tickets before they toe-tap their way out of reach.