TINA BURSILL ‘THIS ROLE IS HARD YAKKA’
BEING WICKED EVERY NIGHT TAKES SOME WORK
When Tina Bursill was a little girl, her mum Aileen didn’t just read her Cinderella, but really made fairytales come to life.
“Mum was a wonderful artist, so she’d do up beautiful illustrations to enhance the storytelling,” the Doctor Doctor actress tells New Idea.
“I remember beautiful drawings of mushroom houses, carriages and smoke coming out of chimneys. It was fantastic for a little girl.”
Those precious childhood memories remained the most beautiful thing Tina had ever seen until she signed on to play the role of Cinderella’s wicked stepmum in the musical now touring the east coast.
“From the costume to the sets and the beautiful singing and dance numbers, everything is just beautiful and a real dream come true,” says Tina.
“It’s really like seeing mum’s illustrations coming to life and I feel transported to another world.”
The role sees Tina taking to the stage to perform singing and dancing numbers in an elaborate costume, which includes a fitted bodice, two big bustles and “many,
many layers” of material – which is no easy task at 70.
“I’m certainly learning new things that my body can and can’t do,” she explains with a laugh.
“At my age, it’s hard yakka. I’m doing sit-ups every night to make sure
I have a really strong core.”
Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s stepmum who treats her like a scullery maid while focusing all her love and attention on her social-climbing daughters, isn’t the first schemer that Tina has portrayed.
But whether she’s playing Meryl in Doctor Doctor or Eve in Wentworth, Tina admits that she relishes playing the bad guy.
“Of course, it’s always more fun to play people with flaws and examine the why and how they got to where they are today,” she says.
“I just try and bring heart to each so-called villain I play.”
While the classic tale may have been written 325 years ago by Charles Perrault, Tina reveals Cinderella is surprisingly relevant today.
“The story is empowering for women in a witty way,” she says.
“The musical also has a wonderful theme about kindness, which we could all use more of,” Tina adds.
FOR DATES AND TICKETS, VISIT CINDERELLAMUSICAL.COM.AU