Most people in Australia will know Anna O’Byrne as the woman who was hand picked by Dame Julie Andrews to play Eliza Doolittle in the 60^th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady, which Dame Julie directed.  Her extraordinary performance earned her a Helpmann award for Best Female Actor in a Musical.  Now based in London, Anna has established an international career spanning opera, film, concert and theatre, in a variety of roles including Christine in Love Never Dies, Cunégonde in Candide and Maria in West Side Story.  

I had the pleasure of working with Anna on My Fair Lady and observed an actor who is not only at the top of her game, but also hard working, humble, hilarious, driven, generous, cheeky and a wonderful leader of a company. She never had a show off…ever!! She performed Eliza Doolittle with the same level of ferociousness and vulnerability 8 times a week for over a year. 

In rehearsals I would watch Dame Julie reliving Eliza through Anna’s eyes.  Every word Anna said, every step she took, every gesture she made, Dame Julie…aka Jools or Mum…was with her. Many actors might have been daunted or phased by such an idea but not A.O.B, she merely soaked it all up like a sponge, secure in the knowledge that Dame Julie was passing on a legacy to someone into whose hands it was very safe.

Anna is set to return to the shores of home for a concert tour with West End and Broadway star Ramin Karimloo in June so we thought we would shine the spotlight on her and ask her some questions about working with ‘Jools’, what she has been up to recently, and also about her first starring role...as Mrs Lovett in the St Michael’s Grammar production of Sweeney Todd when she was 17.

1. A.O.B! Firstly, what have you been up to since you returned to London after My Fair Lady finished up in November last year?

"I was very lucky to go straight into rehearsals of the first revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White, where I played Laura Fairlie. That took me through Christmas and the new year, and following that I was doing a lot of concert work with symphony orchestras around the UK. I’ve just arrived to Melbourne via Seoul, Korea, where I sang Christine in a new concert version of The Phantom of the Opera, as part of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 70^th birthday celebrations. I’m currently rehearsing Laurey in Oklahoma! for The Production Company here in Melbourne. It’s been a busy few months!"

2. Busy Bee! That is incredible and hardly surprising.  Given some time and distance, have you been able to fully process what the experience of working with Dame Julie in the role she originated was like?

"Yes – I am still processing it – and time and distance have been vital in that processing! We were all so fortunate to be able to work with her."

3. I am sure people often ask you what it was like to work with Dame Julie/Jools/Mum, but what are the main things that you will take away from your time with her.

"They do! She is entirely beloved. I’m not sure I can fully express what she taught me in words. Her voice and advice still pops up for me, in rehearsal or performance – it could be a particular turn of phrase, an approach to a note, her terminology for dissecting a lyric, etc. She just sort of imprinted on my creative DNA. I sang The Sound of Music recently for a concert in Birmingham, and as I sang it I felt a profound sense of gratefulness for Julie, and for what we shared on My Fair Lady. I feel proud to continue to celebrate her art and artistry."

4. Let’s be real…your performance of Eliza was incredible. I watched you do it 8 times a week and was constantly inspired by how much of a powerhouse you were.  Outside of work, what did you have to do to be able to maintain that level of performance?

"Thank you! I have performed a few roles that run at an unrelenting pace, but Eliza was on another level in terms of stamina! Of course I had to be disciplined during the week – adequate rest, proper fuel and hydration, keeping fit and healthy, and establishing a good warmup routine before every show – but it became equally important to “power down” at the end of the week and switch off from work, so I could return refreshed for another week of performances. Eliza was a hugely demanding role which demanded a lot of me, but it was also a role that gave back to me in equal measure. There was always something new to explore or finesse. Eliza’s character arc is fulfilling and empowering, and her story remains so relevant. It was an honour and a joy to tell that story 8 shows a week."

5. You are coming home in June to star in a series of concerts with Ramin Karimloo.  How did that come about and are you excited to be heading home?

"Yes – I’m thrilled to be working with Ramin again having just played opposite his Phantom in Seoul. These concerts have been in planning for a while now and it’s exciting to be finalising the set list and arrangements. He is a brilliant musician and actor. I’ve never performed in this particular format in Australia, so I can’t wait to share that experience with the audiences here."

6. I have it on good authority that even though your Helpmann award winning performance as Eliza was spectacular…your turn as Mrs Lovett in the St Michael’s Grammar production of Sweeney Todd when you were 17 was equally worthy of awards.  Any chance or reprising that role in the near future?

"Ha! Sweeney is still a bucket list show for me even though I’ve done it twice now! It’s a master work. I would jump at the chance to play ANY role in that show and am waiting with baited breath for the world’s first gender-blind production of it!"

7. And lastly, what advice would you give to anyone who is currently studying or trying to break in to the ‘biz’?

"Work hard, and then when you think the work is done, work harder. Be honest and constructive in your appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses, and enjoy the graft of improving and enhancing your technique. Be kind to yourself and to others. Do your research and your preparation. Be respectful of every creative process and experience – ask questions, genuinely listen to the answers, continue to learn from those around you, open yourself to true collaboration. Lastly – cultivate an interest in something independent of what you do as a performer – a full, whole life outside of the theatre is important for your soul."