DUOMagazine
HARRISON FOSTER MasterChef Top 10 Finalist What’s your link to Townsville? I grew up in Balgal Beach and, after school, worked at an aquaculture farm, breeding clownfish and marine species. I then went on to work locally at the pineapple farm up there before cocktail bartending at island resorts on Fitzroy and Heron Island.
Do you still come ‘home’ to Townsville to visit? I’ve still got plenty of friends and family in Townsville and I often make trips back up North. I love the people in North Queensland. They’re my people.
SARAH MURR Musical Theatre Star
What was your time on MasterChef like? I made some good friends and had some cool experiences while filming the show but it was also one of the most stressful times in my life. The days were really long with the constant fear of not knowing what would happen next. It was worth it though – I got to eat a lot of really amazing food and meet some top chefs as well.
What’s your link to Townsville? I grew up in Townsville and graduated from Ryan Catholic College in 2011. Since I was a little girl I’ve had dancing, acting and singing lessons and eventually joined the Townsville Choral Society and NQOMT and performed in several of their shows. I had always dreamt of being on stage. It felt like such a distant dream but I’ve been lucky enough to live my dream at 22.
Where are you now? I’ve made the big move to Tasmania where I’m exploring my options post-MasterChef. Right now I’m making cheese and cured meats with an artisan cheese company down in Southern Tasmania called Flowerpot Cheese. The produce here is second to none. Tasmania has the most amazing seafood, meats, cheeses and, of course, alcohol. Being particularly fond of good food I felt like this was the place to be for me.
Where are you now? I’m travelling the world with Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Misérables as the first cover (understudy) Madame Thenardier and Ensemble member. At the beginning of last year I’d never been overseas. Now I’ve performed and travelled to Manila, Singapore and New York and, in October, I’ll be going to London and Dubai. Leaving Townsville to study a Bachelor of Musical Theatre at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University was the
hardest thing I’ve ever done but the best. In my final year we were lucky enough to be put forward for industry auditions. I auditioned for Opera Queensland and scored my first professional show as a minor lead role in the beautiful opera Candide. Shortly after that I auditioned for Les Mis, which I’m touring with now. This year I’ve spent more time overseas in hotels than in my own bed! How did your time in Townsville set you up for success? I had so many opportunities to perform – musicals, Carols by Candlelight, the national anthem at the Cowboys, Fire and Crocs games and even my own cabaret. Do you still come ‘home’ to Townsville to visit? It’s hard to keep in contact while you’re away working due to time zones so FaceTime is my saving grace. My parents are pretty good at it now and so are my dachshunds! Between tours, I love coming back just to relax in my childhood home and drive around familiar places. I will always call Townsville home and I’m so proud to say where I’m from.
DUOMagazine October 2016
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