LIFE’S
A STAGE
Photo Yanni
By Melissa Walsh
A
ll the worlds a stage’ and it certainly has been for Cindy Pritchard, a veteran of the theatre for more than three decades. The bubbly thespian has tread the boards with fellow actors Hugh Jackman, Bert Newton, Debra Byrne, Marina Prior, Barry Otto, Nancye Hayes, Peta Toppano, Rachael Beck, June Salter, Todd McKenney, Steve Bastoni and John Waters to name a few. She’s been an original cast member of many Australian musical theatre productions including "Les Miserables" in the ensemble and Madame Thenadier cover, "Beauty and the Beast" with Hugh Jackman, as the egg timer and Mrs Potts. She was Miss Flannery in "Thoroughly Modern Millie", Sophia in "Me & My Girl", the employment officer in "Sweet Charity", Baroness Elberfeld and the late June Salter's understudy in "Sound of Music", and the matron in "Oliver". She has performed countless shows of “Fiddler on the Roof”, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and the role of Earth
E ssence
62 | PENINSULA
May 2017
Mother in the Australian regional tour of "Menopause the Musical”, as well as Grandma Poss in "Possum Magic" and Miss Plum in "Hairy Maclary and Friends". She was a regular singer, accompanied by John Foreman, for over five years on Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton, has sung on two ARIA award winning cast albums, and played roles in “Blue Heelers’, "A Country Practice" and "Sons and Daughters". It’s a long way from the bright lights of show business but Cindy finally found a place to plant her roots down by the beach on the Mornington Peninsula and, at 58, is enjoying the best of both worlds. “I was singing as soon as I could talk. Apparently I used to stand in front of the radiogram in my nappy and sing and dance, and whenever mum and dad had people over I had to entertain them whether I liked it or not,” said Cindy, who was born in the NSW town of Orange. “We had a pianola which I taught myself to play by ear so that I could accompany my songs. I was always performing in school productions at Orange High School. I was first at rehearsals but didn’t have the same enthusiasm for school work.”