What happens when you mix Julie Andrews, musical theatre, and a dash of cheeky cabaret? This week, Alexa chats to performer and singing teacher Rosie Williamson about her show What Would Julie Do?—a musical comedy cabaret. Rosie shares how she built a heartwarming, hilarious, harmony-filled show that uplifts audiences and champions mental health causes. Plus: perfectionism, parody law, and why your passion project might just be your best work yet.
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCASTT
4:16 What are the first steps to devising your own show?
10:54 How audiences describe ‘What Would Julie Do?’
12:58 Performing as a singing teacher
18:23 What’s it like working with a friend?
20:46 Rights and approvals
23:16 How to hire singers
26:06 Balancing performing and teaching
29:11 Getting the project off the ground
33:29 Funding
43:42 Should devising be a standard part of theatre training curriculums?
About the presenter click HERE
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS
Yvonne Kenny
Matt Samer
Dan Turek
Singing Teachers Talk – Ep.154 Managing Imposter Syndrome, Low Confidence and Overwhelm as Singing Teachers
Develop Your Creative Practice (DYCP)
Singing Teachers Talk – Ep.213 Medicine to Music. A Journey Back to A Creative Calling
ABOUT THE GUEST
Rosie Williamson is a singing teacher, writer & performer based in London. She has always loved Julie Andrews and has often been compared to her. Her secondary school form tutor wrote in her leavers’ year book that she was “just like Mary Poppins”!!! As years passed, Rosie realised she was, unfortunately, far from “practically perfect in every way” so started to ask herself “What Would Julie Do?”.
Rosie now writes, hosts and produces the critically acclaimed musical comedy cabaret series “What Would Julie Do?”. The cabarets combine self-help and show tunes; taking inspiration from Dame Julie Andrews and other favourite things, with parody songs and laughs aplenty! The shows have been performed at some of London’s top cabaret venues and were part of the inaugural Accalia Arts Festival in 2019. Rosie’s spin off solo show Eliza von Poppins presents…A Practically Perfect Guide to Living was selected for development as part of the John Thaw Initiative Mental Health Season at the Tristan Bates Theatre. The full production debuted at Brighton Fringe in 2019, gaining great reviews and an excellent audience reception and has since been performed as part of Mountview’s Catalyst Festival in London.
Rosie trained as a classical singer at the University of Sheffield and University of York, and trained in Musical Theatre at Associated Studios. As well as playing fairies and children in various operas, she has appeared as Gabby Logan’s body double(!) and was part of a 16-voice ensemble in LMTO’s concert production of Camelot at the London Palladium. Alongside her performing work; Rosie is in demand as a singing teacher; training young professionals at Arts Ed, LAMDA and privately. She tries to live by Mary Poppins’ philosophy: “Find the fun, and snap, the job’s a game” whichever of her professional “hats” she is wearing.
Instagram: @msrosiewilliamson & @whatwouldjulie
Get Your Tickets to What Would Julie Do here
