'The Queensland Ballet’s Trilogy triple bill season in Brisbane has already been and gone but you can bet the lucky dancers who performed lead roles in the world premiere of Cathy Marston’s My Brilliant Career won’t be forgetting this season in a hurry!
Hollywood star Sam Neill, who starred as Harry Beecham in the 1979 film adaptation of My Brilliant Career came to see the show and stopped by afterwards to meet Queensland Ballet’s cast. In his autobiography Did I Ever Tell You, the actor has famously credited the movie for launching his own career as an actor.
“My Brilliant Career was a game changer for me. Not just because it was a great acting calling card for the future, but it also took me to Australia – a place I’ve loved ever since,” said Neill.
Principal Dancer Victor Estevez, who brought Sam Neill’s character Harry to life in the ballet, shared his excitement about meeting the actor.
“It was remarkable. I’ve looked at Sam Neill when he was in the movie and I got all my inspiration for the character for him, so I think having him in the audience tonight uplifted my acting,” said Estevez.
QB Principal Dancer Mia Heathcote and Soloist Laura Tosar share the dual roles of lead character Sybylla by portraying the two different sides of her personality. Heathcote said she never imagined dancing the lead role of an Australian classic story in front of the screen legend.
“It was great to have him in the audience, I’m a huge fan, so I was really excited,” said Heathcote.
This comment was echoed by her co-star Laura Tosar.
“I also had this sense I knew he would understand the story better than anyone else, as he would have had to study it. He would have felt it, the study and behind the scenes to get into character, so I was [onstage] hoping he’d enjoy it,” said Tosar.
My Brilliant Career is British choreographer Cathy Marston’s ballet adaptation of the celebrated Australian novel by Stella Maria Sarah ‘Miles Franklin’. Marston specializes in re-creating literary stories for the stage, and previous works include adaptations of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ and Emily Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights’. In fact Cathy Marston is soon to begin a new chapter of her own as Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer of the Ballett Zürich in Switzerland.
First published in 1901, the novel My Brilliant Career became an Australian classic, and author Miles Franklin has had a major impact on the development of Australian literature through her endowment of the Miles Franklin Award – which has been presented annually since 1957 to ‘a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.’
The new ballet was generously enabled by donors Ian and Cass George, and Neill praised the investment in a new Australian work.
“It’s so important we tell our own stories wherever we are. To have a great ballet based on an Australian Story, in an Australian context, that’s priceless,” Mr Neill said.
The QB company is now considering requests to tour the show.
Watch a video of Sam Neill meeting dancers of the Queensland Ballet and speaking about the Trilogy program here.
And read Denise Richardson’s review of My Brilliant Career here.