The worldwide smash-hit musical & JULIET is heading to Toowoomba’s esteemed Empire Theatre in March, featuring an all-singing, all-dancing, all-star cast of more than two dozen young performers.
In the title role is Kate Hudson-James, making her professional debut. The role marks a homecoming for Kate who is a former Toowoomba resident and a recent graduate of the Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre at Griffith University.
The Scoop had the pleasure of chatting with Kate ahead of the season. Kate discusses the journey that led her to this moment and shares advice for aspiring professionals. Read the full interview below.
Congrats on your role! Let’s start by talking a little bit about & Juliet. I’ve never seen the musical myself, and I’d love to hear what it’s all about.
Thank you so much! So, remember how Romeo & Juliet ends with Romeo dead by poison and Juliet dead by dagger? Well, & Juliet starts with Juliet holding that dagger, and deciding to put it down and live her life without Romeo.
On that journey, she leans on her friends, discovers herself, helps reconnect old lovers, breaks patterns, and sings some absolute bangers. I can’t give anything else away, but I promise it is fun and glittery and will be spectacular!
Sounds like it’s going to be lots of fun! I’ve read that & Juliet is a jukebox musical. What songs are you most excited to perform in the show?
Oh, it’s got to be Since You Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. To be able to perform this song with the femme ensemble backing me up feels like girl power set to music. Absolute dream.
I love it! Let’s talk about this particular production and what makes this so special for you.
& Juliet marks my professional debut! As a recent graduate, to be given an opportunity to use the skills I’ve been learning for the past three years, and to be able to use them in my hometown in the company of friends, is so exciting. I think every performer remembers their debut, so I know this show will stay with me for as long as I stay in this career!
Can you tell us about the experiences you had at the Empire Theatre with Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You?
I was 16 years old in Mamma Mia!, and at the time, it was the most professional production I had ever been a part of. I remember the overwhelming joy and sense of belonging I had while rehearsing and performing that show, which ultimately convinced me to keep pursuing it.
Enter We Will Rock You when I was 18 years old, and I was lucky enough to be cast as Scaramouche – the first time I had ever been trusted with a role (and song list!) of that size.
We Will Rock You was the biggest performance challenge I had faced up to that point. The support and love I received from the cast and creative team helped me grow in confidence and skill, which ultimately helped me get into my Bachelor’s course! I can’t imagine what my life would look like without those two shows.
As a musical theatre degree graduate, what advice would you give to others who may be entering their first, second or even graduate year – something that perhaps you wish you’d known as you were going through?
There are so many tips I could give myself in hindsight, but I honestly think there is incredible value in learning those lessons on your own timeline. I think my biggest advice for thriving in a musical theatre degree is to prioritise your health. It’s a huge physical and emotional commitment, and proper rest and diet are absolutely key. I learned that lesson the hard way in my first year!
It’s early in the year, but what auditioning tips do you have for those hoping to pursue formal education in musical theatre?
Again, so many! My biggest piece of advice, which isn’t really advice as much as it is an ethos, I suppose, is that things will happen when they are meant to. I got rejected in my first year of auditioning for Griffith, and in my second year of auditioning for schools, I got into some and was rejected from others. There are so many factors that go into those kinds of decisions – keep working on you, keep finding joy in what you do, and when it is right, it will happen!
With your whole exciting career ahead of you, what other musicals or roles are on your bucket list?
I’m a little Wicked obsessed at the moment (who isn’t?), so Wicked is definitely on my bucket list! I’d love to play both Glinda and Elphaba one day. I really can’t choose between them!
Kate Hudson-James appears in & Juliet from 13 – 22 March at The Empire Theatre, 54-56 Neil Street Toowoomba 4350.
Tickets: https://tickets.empiretheatre.com.au/event/-juliet-gmt6nx
Website: https://empiretheatre.com.au/whats-on/&-juliet
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/empire_theatre/ and https://www.instagram.com/katehudsonjames/
Images supplied.
CAST
Juliet Kate Hudson-James
Anne Claire Sutton
Shakespeare Chris Thomson
May Luca Blyth
Francois Orlando Vella
Lance Nicholas Doyle
Angelique Meg MacKenzie
Romeo Lachlan Dodd
ENSEMBLE
Dylan Ashton, Lydia Cunnington, Flynn Walmsley, Micah Adamson, Jayden Blaxland, Micah Walmsley, Bruce Blessing, Niamh Cadoo-Dagley, Rebecca Peake, Emma Bettinson, Georgia McNamara, Rhiannon Baird, Megan Cattell, Madelyn Robinson, Lucinda Isbel, Madeleine Tooley, Jenny Kempe
CREATIVES
Music by Max Martin & Friends
Book by David West Read
Director Tim Hill
Music Supervisor Luke Kennedy
Choreographer Tess Hill
Scenic Designer Frances Story
Audio Designer Aaron Hannant
Costume Designer Debra Nairn
Lighting Designer Ben Hunt
Video Designer Jake Lodder
