Australian theatre’s glamour girl on the path to stardom

Australian theatre’s glamour girl – Christie Whelan – is set ot become the country’s leading female musical theatre talent over the next few years.

Australian theatre’s glamour girl – Christie Whelan – is set ot become the country’s leading female musical theatre talent over the next few years.

The industry is raving about Whelan’s performance in the musical Sugar in Melbourne, and plenty are quietly talking about the already established actor’s strong future in Australian musical theatre.

Whelan finishes her tenure in the short Production Company season of Sugar on Sunday (October 3) and jumps straight into a season of her cabaret, Britney Spears: The Cabaret, in Melbourne from October 6.

Whelan first came to major attention back in 2007 when she unintentionally became embroiled in a scandal surrounding the Kookaburra production of Company. Whelan was ill and took a now infamous show off, in which scenes were cut and all hell broke loose.

She has come a long way since then, and her career – rather than that incredible story – is now doing the talking.

Nominated for a Helpmann Award this year and a former Sydney Theatre Award winner, Whelan is enjoying an impressive rise up the theatrical ladder.

Whelan recently had a sensational Melbourne Theatre Company debut earlier this year as Janet in The Drowsy Chaperone, starring alongside Geoffrey Rush and Rhonda Burchmore.

She was nominated as Best Supporting Actress a the Green Room Awards for her performance in Once We Lived Here, and has starred in The Production Company musical The Boyfriend .

Her debut in Grease: The Arena Spectacular was so lauded she was invited to London to reprise her role. She won Best New Actor at the Sydney Theatre Awards for her role in Company and Britney Spears: The Cabaret won her another nomination last year. Other musicals include Rocky Horror, Eurobeat, 42nd Street, Starting Here, Starting Now and The Shakespeare Review. 2010 marked Christie’s film and television debuts.

Following a highly acclaimed sell out season in 2009 at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Raval in Sydney, Britney Spears: The Cabaret is coming to Melbourne for a limited season at The Loft, Chapel Off Chapel from October 6-24.

Performed by Whelan, and written for Christie by award winning writer/ director Dean Bryant, Britney Spears: The Cabaret is a satirical and realistic look at the perils of fame and is described as ‘adroitly scripted, ‘hilarious’ and ‘bittersweet’. 

Whelan plays Britney who shows us life through her eyes.  Hilariously funny and at times exceptionally sad. Under the musical direction of Mathew Frank, Britney’s greatest hits are transformed into cabaret songs, seamlessly intertwined into the fabric of her life. 

It was during the workshops of Once We Lived Here that Whelan caught the eye of writer/director Dean Bryant. Bryant and his writing partner, Mathew Frank, then began work on Britney Spears: The Cabaret as a vehicle for Christie to utilise her full range of talents as a comedienne, singer, dancer and actress.

In his review of Whelan’s cabaret in Sydney last year, Troy Dodds said, in part: “The tall, beautiful – oh let’s cut the crap and call her sexy – Whelan delivers a hilarious, clever and polished performance that while not high art, is certainly entertaining.”

Britney Spears: The Cabaret plays at Chapel off Chapel from October 6. Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au.