Nathan Stafford is an ensemble member and cover for Dimitri in Anastasia The Musical, which opens in Adelaide tonight. We speak with him about the childhood experiences that first drew him to the stage, the early training and professional work that shaped his approach to performance, and the physical and technical demands of balancing ensemble work with cover roles in a large-scale musical. Read our interview with Nathan below.
ABOUT NATHAN
Nathan, you began performing arts training at a young age — what first pulled you toward the stage?
At the age of 9 I first watched my cousins perform in an Adelaide Hip Hop group called Dance One 50. Watching them up on the stage and experiencing the community that was created around the performance felt inspiring as I wanted to be able to give back that experience of excitement and awe to audiences. From that moment I started dancing and then became inspired by the King of Pop and entertainment Michael Jackson. The stage presence and effect that Michael had on his audiences and the world was inspiring and was ultimately the effect that I wanted to have on my audiences.
Looking back, was there a moment when you realised this could become a real career?
I continued chasing my dream of being an entertainer for people, but it wasn’t until I saw my first musical, A Chorus Line, at the Festival Theatre that helped shape the direction I wanted to take. I don’t believe I could have seen a better first musical. The story of a group of individuals at different stages of life coming to audition for the big show that they all desperately want. It taught me about the ambition, rejection, dedication and challenges that it takes to be a performer. It inspired younger Nathan to take on the challenge in the hope that one day I would be one of those performers dressed in gold and living the dream.
Your early credits included Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Sound of Music and Swan Lake. What did those experiences teach you about performing?
Being exposed to the professional world at a young age taught me more about the processes that are involved in creating a professional musical. It sharped my hard work ethic to be able to live up to the standards which I had seen growing up on the Festival Theatre stage. I am very grateful for those experiences in my childhood as they have helped me go into the musical theatre industry as adult with more confidence in what is required and expected to create and withhold a professional show.
Being exposed to the professional world at a young age taught me more about the processes that are involved in creating a professional musical.
Was there a particular teacher, company, or production that shaped your path into musical theatre?
My early years of training started at a couple different dance schools which I am grateful for helping me find my feet but, the school that really propelled my growth as a performer was Kerreane Sarti’s Total Image Dance Centre (TIDC) Kerreane’s dance school really shaped me into a versatile performer where I was exposed to all styles of dance and I am very grateful to all my teachers at TIDC for the encouragement and support through my years of training which has now lead me to the professional world with great confidence in my abilities. Another company I must thank is Adelaide Youth Theatre (AYT) led by Emma Riggs. This company is where I truly learnt my love for storytelling and was able to put all my skills that I learnt at TIDC into musical theatre experience. At AYT I was able to shape my artistry as an actor and storyteller.
Musical theatre asks you to sing, act and move all at once. Which part of the craft came most naturally to you? Which skill did you have to work hardest to develop?
I started with dancing first and is always something that has come to me naturally. I have always loved to move my body. Still to this day when I am discovering and creating a character for a show it is always the physicality that I find first which then helps me discover the other aspects of the character. Acting and storytelling has also always been something that I feel has been within my natural abilities. At a young age I was always portraying characters at home in dress ups and costumes, I have always had a deep connection to storytelling and make believe.
Singing started later in my journey, but still in my early childhood, so I believe it is something I have always tried to work and train more. However, with the training I received at a young age and professional experience I believe I have developed all my skills to the professional level which allow me to use my abilities in whatever means is necessary to create a character that tells the story most effectively.
When you think of yourself as a performer, do you feel more like a singer, an actor, or someone who sits in the middle of both?
I don’t really see myself as either of those, as I feel as though those labels don’t exist in the musical theatre world. Our job as a musical theatre performer is to tell a story so I like to think and refer to other performers or myself as storytellers, as we all tell a story through our voice, body and mind we just use those three differently and that’s what creates character and interest.
Our job as a musical theatre performer is to tell a story so I like to think and refer to other performers or myself as storytellers
ABOUT ANASTASIA THE MUSICAL
Photo: Jeff Busby
What was it about Anastasia The Musical that made you want to be part of this production?
As most performers do when receiving a musical audition brief, I listened to the cast recording and was absolutely drawn to the music and story that was told by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The score is so lush and orchestral. Personally, I love big orchestral pieces they are always just so amazing to listen to as an audience member and the thought of being able to perform alongside that music every night was a drawing card for me for this show. But ultimately, I just love the story of this show and its messages of self-discovery and finding oneself along a journey. The themes and messages of the show are so universal and I wanted to be apart of a show that reaches as many people as I can.
But ultimately, I just love the story of this show and its messages of self-discovery and finding oneself along a journey. The themes and messages of the show are so universal
As someone in the ensemble, how do you make each role feel distinct when you’re covering so many different worlds in one show?
Personally, I have always found my characters through physical discovery, once I decipher the given circumstance such as; where am I? what time period? What would my character experience with their senses? I simply start experimenting and playing around in rehearsal with physicality and characteristics that support the given circumstances of the world that my character is in. I refine this by looking in the mirror sometimes to see if what I am doing with my body is still in line with what I am wanting to achieve for my character within the scene.
You’re also a cover for Dimitri. How do you balance staying ensemble-ready while keeping a principal track performance-ready at all times?
Doing my ensemble track is second nature to me now. My mind and body have now adapted to the show’s requirements for my ensemble track. The challenge with my job in the show is maintaining my covers of Dimitri and Rothbart, one of the ballet tracks. Since my covers are quite different in skill set it requires rehearsals which we have occasionally to rehearse the covers for the show so that the material stays in the body so that we are ready whenever we need to step on for the roles.
In my ensemble track there are elements that both support my body for going on and singing solo for Dimitri and going on for a ballet solo for Rothbart. My ensemble track involves singing similar lines in the sheet music on the top tenor line which is also what Dimitri sings, and I also do jumps and lifts in my ensemble track which keeps my body strong and agile for when I need to do the ballet.
What has been the biggest technical or physical challenge in this production for you?
The biggest physical challenge with this show is maintaining the versatility to be able to do everything that’s required of you as a performer. There’s singing, dancing, fight choreography, lifts and intimacy work. It’s about having the physical stamina and strength to execute all of that
consistently, whilst still making it look effortless and remaining emotionally connected to the story.
Staying present and in focus is very important especially when swings and covers on as things feel slightly different when different performers are on, which is exciting and keeps it fresh and exciting for everyone, so the goal is to maintain fluidity and flow so that the whole company moves and works with whoever is on the stage that show.
The biggest physical challenge with this show is maintaining the versatility to be able to do everything that’s required of you as a performer. There’s singing, dancing, fight choreography, lifts and intimacy work
You’ve been performing Anastasia The Musical around Australia since December. What do you do to keep each performance alive and responsive over a long season?
A huge part of it is connecting with the other performers on stage. Even though we have the muscle memory and repetition that comes with doing the same show eight times a week, our job is to make it feel just as fresh as it did on opening night in Melbourne. Every audience is different, and every performance has the opportunity to be slightly different because of the people you’re sharing the stage with. We’re also very lucky to have the creative team around us, who can give us an external set of eyes from the audience’s perspective. That helps us continually refine things and make sure we’re not just going through the motions.
The show moves between Russia, Paris, memory and fantasy. How do you help carry that emotional shift as a performer?
I think it’s important not to forget the power of all the other departments that are helping to tell the story — set, lighting, props, sound, costumes, wigs, hair and makeup. It really is a group effort to transport the audience to all of these different places.
The weight of the story doesn’t entirely land on the performers’ shoulders. Yes, we are the faces of the story, but it isn’t until all the elements come together that the audience is able to be transported to the different settings and worlds of the story. As performers, we get to respond to all of those elements and allow them to influence our performances to support the atmosphere and setting within the story.
I think it’s important not to forget the power of all the other departments that are helping to tell the story — set, lighting, props, sound, costumes, wigs, hair and makeup. It really is a group effort to transport the audience to all of these different places.
What do you think makes Anastasia The Musical resonate with audiences across generations?
I think a big part of it is the story’s themes of self-identity, belonging and discovering who you are. Those are things that everyone can relate to, regardless of their age or where they come from. Although the story is set in a very specific historical world, the emotional journey is incredibly universal. It asks questions about identity, family, home and where we belong, which I think is why audiences across generations can find something of themselves in it.
How important is trust and connection within this cast, especially when people are covering multiple tracks?
Trust is incredibly important, particularly because we have so many technical elements happening throughout the show. We have fight calls, lift calls and intimacy calls at the hour call, so there’s a huge amount of preparation and communication that goes into making the performance safe and consistent. When people are covering multiple tracks, you have to be able to trust the person beside you completely. It creates a really strong sense of teamwork because everyone has to be ready to support each other and know that the person next to them has their back.
What has performing this show meant to you personally, especially with an Adelaide audience seeing you come home to perform?
It’s always incredibly special to come home and perform for an Adelaide audience. Having family, friends and teachers who have supported me throughout my journey sitting in the audience makes it particularly meaningful. It’s a really lovely full-circle moment to be able to share something I’ve worked so hard on with the people who helped me get here in the first place.
It’s always incredibly special to come home and perform for an Adelaide audience
Why should people come to see Anastasia The Musical?
For me, it’s escapism. There’s nothing quite like seeing a story told in real time, with real people, right in front of you. Theatre has this incredible ability to transport you to different places and different eras and, in doing so, give you experiences and perspectives that you might not otherwise encounter. I believe theatre can teach you more about yourself and the world you live in better than anything else, often without you consciously realising it. Yes, Anastasia is incredibly entertaining, but it’s also an experience that can make you feel, think and see the world a little differently. There’s something really special about being in a room and sharing that experience with hundreds of other
people at the same time.
For me, it’s escapism. There’s nothing quite like seeing a story told in real time, with real people, right in front of you.
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We thank Nathan Stafford for this interview and look forward to seeing Anastasia The Musical in Adelaide next week.
KEY INFO FOR ANASTASIA THE MUSICAL
WHAT : Anastasia The Musical
WHERE & WHEN:
ADELAIDE : Festival Theatre, ADELAIDE 2, 4-9, 12-16, 18-23, 26-30 August
BRISBANE : Lyric Theatre, BRISBANE 16-20, 23-27, 29-30 September
HOW: Buy your tickets for the show in Adelaide here and in Brisbane here
Discover other events with links to France and the Francophonie happening this month in our What’s on in August
