A Chat with Natalie O'Donnell

She's one of the many talented Australians currently working and living overseas, and this week Natalie O'Donnell of Mamma Mia and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee fame caught up with AussieTheatre.com's Troy Dodds for a chat about her career, her move to London and her marriage to Simon Gleeson...

TD: You’re now living over in London – you must run into fellow ex-pats quite often?
NO: It's quite incredible, I feel like so many friends from home are here at the moment. When I first moved over I bumped into a few ex-pats but now it seems every week there is someone new making the move!! It's fantastic, it makes you feel a little more at ease knowing there's a familiar face to catch up with when you need an injection of home. On top of that it's so wonderful to see Australians doing so well over here. It's not just the people in leading roles, most shows have at least a couple of aussies amongst the cast, and the general consensus amongst the industry in London is that as well as the talent Australians do tend to have a really strong work ethic, which is a nice thing to hear. I think the standard of work we produce in Australia is so high and our training institutions are so strong and it's great to see that being recognised in our performers overseas.

TD: Did you at any stage consider coming back to do the Sydney season of Spelling Bee?
NO: Oh my god, I considered and considered and CONSIDERED!!!! I love that show and that production so much, and am still really sad that I'm not going to Sydney, but I now have a beautiful six month old little girl to think about and it would have meant splitting up the family for a while which I just couldn't do. It's hard enough to be away from your other half with work, but the idea of taking her from her daddy for eight weeks just wasn't imaginable. So motherhood and family won out on that one!! I know that Lisa will be wonderful in that role. She's in for a great time.

TD: The Melbourne season must have been a hoot?
NO: It was a wonderful experience. I have to say it's been one of my favourite jobs, and I adored playing Olive. She was such a beautiful little soul, and she goes on such a wonderful journey. The cast and crew were amazing. So funny and warm. I've known Bert Labonte and Tim Wright forever, so when I found out I was getting to work with them I knew I was going to be in for a great time, and then the rest of the cast were just brilliant. The rehearsal process was so relaxed and we really got to play. Although it felt like we spent most of the time laughing! I haven't laughed that much in a very long time. It was so freeing and I think that kind of environment gives your the courage to make a fool of yourself! Especially when you are terrified of comedy like I am. The dynamic of the group was so right on and off stage, and I think that the audience could see that we were really enjoying ourselves. And then the audience participation added a whole different dimension again, because it was so different from night to night. I also I found out I was pregnant about a week or so before opening, and everyone was so supportive and nurturing, plus they managed to keep it a secret which I thought was incredible! So in between laughing and throwing up from pregnancy I had a ball!

TD: You originated the role of Sophie in Mamma Mia – tell me about the experience.
NO: It was massive. I had originally been up for the 'Ali'/'Lisa' roles so getting 'Sophie' was a a very welcome surprise. It came at the end of a pretty turbulent time and I was working six days a week just to get by in Sydney. I just remember this overwhelming excitement and relief that I got the job and I was going to be back with my family in Melbourne. Then it was just an incredible journey. A massive learning curve in surviving and enjoying eight shows a week for an extended run, and handling the responsibility of having a lead in a big budget musical. Luckily I was surrounded by a bunch of people who taught me so much and really took me under their wing. It was a huge honour to work with the creative team we had. Phyllida Llyod was a wonderful director and I didn't realise until I got to London just how well regarded she is. She managed to create this really beautiful and detailed little world that just happened to have an ABBA soundtrack, and embraced all the things that we as Australians brought to the show. It never felt as if we were just following numbers of past productions. We were given permission to start from scratch and I think they may have even taken things that we developed and added them to other productions which was a bit of a buzz. The hype for the show was so enormous, and I don't think any of us were prepared for the response we got from the audience. It felt like a rock concert as opposed to a musical. People just took it to their hearts. The last night of Melbourne was like nothing I'd ever experienced. It was something like ten minutes of standing ovations. Just mind blowing. I think the most important thing for me though were the friendships I built through that show. I was surrounded by three incredible women in the ' Dynamos', and they got me through the inevitable hard times that come with a long run. Especially Anne Wood. She's just this amazing woman. A wonderful actor, and a very classy woman. I feel really very privileged to have been given the opportunity to be a part of it all. It will always hold pretty special memories.

TD: Do you have any advice for Australian actors considering the move to London?
NO: It's kind of hard to give advice on moving here because everyone has such a different experience. Personally I have loved making the move and it's been great to see how things work over here. There is so much to do and see. I think that you'd be pretty hard pressed to be bored in London. But I do think it's the kind of city you have to stay open to. As much as things can happen quickly you also have to be prepared not to get to disheartened if things don't happen over night. I also think we all make the most of the Australian network over here. You generally find that people are happy to try and give you as many contacts and as much help as they can when you arrive, so it's really not as daunting as it seems. And I always take comfort in the fact that there is an industry in Australia that I love and am so proud to be a part of , so if at the end of the day if London goes sour then I'd be quite happy to be back home!!

TD: You’re married to Simon Gleeson – how did you two get together, and more importantly, how did he propose?
NO: I think he'd kill me if I talked too much about it. But we were friends at WAAPA and finally got together when I moved backed to Melbourne for Mamma Mia. We'd actually been engaged before and decided not to get married, so I was surprised when he did propose this time around. Although a week or so before he was acting a little strange so I knew something was up!! I was rehearsing Spelling Bee and he took me out for dinner to 'Cafe De Stasio' in Melbourne for a beautiful meal, then to the place we first got together which has an amazing view of the city skyline. It was all very romantic, although I  think he was almost more excited that Tim Watson (ex Essendon captain and one of Simons heros!) was having dinner across from us!! We ended up having a very small but beautiful wedding in the English countryside in January this year.

TD: What’s next for Natalie O’Donnell?
NO: Well I've just started back on the audition trail after time out for our daughter Molly. It's been very strange getting out there again, but i'm quickly getting back into the swing of things and can't wait for the next job. And I guess most importantly I'm getting used to motherhood and finding the balance between that and work. Molly has changed my perspective on things and I'd like to think I'm a lot more relaxed about it all. It's hard to stay too worried about work when you get to come home from an audition to see her little face. But in saying that, I feel really ready to get back to it all, so hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

TD: Do you think we’ll ever see you back home in Australia?
NO: I hope so!! I'd jump the chance to come home for the right job. As I mentioned before I think the quality of the Australian industry is inspiring and I most definitely want to continue being a part of  that. I'd love to be a part of some new Australian work, that really excites me. Luckily there seems to be quite a few great young writers and composers developing some great work at the moment, so hopefully that opportunity will come. Ultimately I would love to be able to work both here in London and in Oz, so that's what we're working on at the moment. But at the end of the day Australia will always be home.