If she had to choose, the multi-talented Charlotte Sinnamon, who recently played Lady Windermere in the Mornington Peninsula Theatre Company’s production of Oscar Wilde’s famous play, would choose the stage. However, she says that initially, being an actor wasn’t a choice.
When she was four, Charlotte’s mum enrolled her in drama class so that she could make friends outside of school. “I wasn’t sporty or arty, but I really liked talking,” she chuckles. “When I was about eight, my drama teacher said, ‘You know you’re actually really good at this; I hope you stick at it,’ and that was it. I started auditioning and getting a lot of lead roles, so it’s something I’ve always done. It was never a decision.”
That initial drama school was Helen O’Grady Drama. Charlotte studied there for eleven years. She also studied at the Young Australian Broadway Chorus at the Australian Youth Theatre and in America, where she won awards for her work on screen, a testament to her talent and hard work.
“I loved it. There’s a completely different attitude over there. We do have a bit of tall poppy syndrome here, where if you say you’re an actor, people say, ‘Oh? What have you been in?’ whereas over there, they say, ‘What are you interested in; what are you hoping to do?’ I would have loved to have stayed, but organising visas and green cards is tricky.”
Until recently, Charlotte took time out from acting to do a Bachelor of Communication Media with a Minor in Cinema Studies from RMIT. She was also the principal of Helen O’Grady Drama in Mount Martha. Her students ranged from four-year-olds trying to learn, as she did, sociability and some life skills through the performing arts to VCE students and young adults. She’s moving on to other things, but is still passionate about teaching drama to children and still works with children in community theatre.
I feel like I’m around my people when I’m in the theatre
The stage called her back and, before Lady Windermere’s Fan, Charlotte played Brooke Ashton in Windmill Theatre Company’s Noises Off. Although Charlotte has worked in other media, including film, theatre is her first love. “I feel like I’m contributing to something bigger than myself; it’s always a team effort. I genuinely feel that it’s my place. I feel like I’m around my people when I’m in the theatre.”
Charlotte believes training gives actors an edge when working in other media. “Theatre actors tend to bring a lot more to the screen because of the training that we go through”, she says. “You can’t always stop and do another take. It feels very slow on the set. There’s a lot of waiting around. In the theatre, you get up, you do it, and it’s done. When you’re onstage, you have to get it right the first time or fix it if it’s not quite right.”
Success is often a case of who you know, but Charlotte says, “You still need a level of skill, and you can’t just walk into it and hope for the best. There’s a big difference between someone who has trained and someone who hasn’t. Drama schools are helpful for networking and connections, along with social media.”
Like many others in the arts, Charlotte bemoans the funding cuts often applied to the arts during tough times like COVID-19 and the economic crisis. “Often, the first thing to go is the arts. You can’t follow a passion anymore; it has to be something practical. And think of what we were utilising during Covid; you watched television, played video games, read a book, listened to music, enjoyed the artwork in your house. Even things like furniture have a creative history.”
Charlotte believes in the healing power of the theatre. “We all have difficulties in our lives, and being able to play a character and step outside of yourself is actually quite therapeutic; to be able to put your emotions into something else.”
The theatre can also play an important part in social commentary. Charlotte believes Oscar Wilde was ahead of his time in this regard. In Lady Windermere’s Fan, he explores the rights of the individual over society’s expectations. The play was performed in a circular stage setup and was Charlotte’s first time performing in this format. Charlotte was excited but wasn’t quite sure how the format would work for the play.
“I found it a genuine pleasure. It feels more natural than being on a stage – and I grew up on a stage – more like we would actually speak to people. I found it easier to play with, to be honest. There’s a bit more election available to the audience – there’s not that line there that says us versus them. I’m finding people are much more engaged.”
Just as Charlotte chooses the theatre, she chooses to live in Langwarrin. “It’s very peaceful here. I’m close enough to the city to be able to access everything but far enough away from everything to be able to relax as well.”
IG: @charlottesinnamon