What was your first-ever car?
A 1983 Holden shuttle van. It had such a huge impact on my life.
It was a nine-seater. It had fold-down seats and it had an excellent dual purpose in that I was able to transport all of my friends around when we'd just turned 18 to different nightclubs and what have you. The second amazing purpose was to turn it into a bit of a camper van. I put in some curtains and a mattress, so when all my friends started having their 18ths I'd always just park out the front of their house and sleep in the back. I also took it on two big trips: from Melbourne up to Port Douglas and across the Nullarbor.
What are you driving these days?
A 2014 Toyota HiLux dual-cab ute. There's a bit of a story behind it, obviously. My husband and I are now looking to buy a pub. We're going to become the real-life Monsieur and Madame Thénardier out of Les Mis. So this is a car that's going to be very practical when the time comes as far as loading up all the different sorts of things that we might need. And we also had to get dual-cab because we've now got two little boys.
What's it like to drive?
It's beautiful. My husband used to have a BMW, which was the good car. But as soon as we got this truck, neither of us wanted to drive the BMW anymore and we sold it. We love the truck. I love being up high, and I love getting kids in and out of a car that's high up.
What's your pet road peeve?
Selfish parkers - people who take up two spaces with one car. That just really gets me, especially living in inner-Sydney.
How did you develop your love of driving?
I think my love of travel and road trips especially stems from my childhood. When I was six my parents piled me and my older brother and sister into a camper van and drove around Australia for three months. I think that really ignited a love of the Australian landscape.
Any favourite drives?
I do love the emptiness of the Nallarbor. It's very humbling. It makes you realise you really are just a speck in the universe. You drive for two whole days where you really see nothing. It's pretty amazing. And then I'll say up north around Kununurra, the Kimberley, all around there. I also did a drive from Broome up to Cape Leveque. My mum and I got a lift with the mail van and it was one of the bumpiest rides of my life, but Cape Leveque was just so beautiful. It was worth the ride.
Vital statistics
$2500 - the price of my old Holden shuttle van
3 - the number of vans I've owned
The lowdown: the queen of comedic character cabaret harbours ambitions of more great Australian road trips.
Career highlights: leading roles in musical theatre productions including Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Hairspray; appearing on the sketch comedy television series The Wedge; making her film debut in the 2015 comedy The Mule.
Current project: starring as Nina in Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin musical, playing at Sydney's Lyric Theatre.
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