LADY SUZANNE
is one of a kind
You may have never met a lady in person before, but if you saw the Echuca Moama Theatre Company’s ‘one-act play’ productions, you would have seen one live on stage. IVY JENSEN sat down with Lady Suzanne to find out how she made it to the stage. not be royalty, but she’s a Lady nonetheless. And the 48-year-old Kyabram woman always loves introducing herself as ‘Lady Suzanne Talbot-Sullivan’. “I got a lot of raised eyebrows when I used to introduce myself in this way, it was always tongue in cheek, and some people never quite got the humour,” she laughed. Suzanne’s sister bought her the title as a “cool Christmas present” one year. “I am the proud owner of a plot of land on an estate in Scotland,” she said. “I can proudly stand on this plot and wave to my neighbours. Actually I could probably hold hands with them, it is that small. “Landowners in Scotland are either called Laird or Lady. Needless to say, I relished any opportunity to proclaim myself a Lady.” It’s this dramatic side of her personality that comes out to play occasionally, much to the delight of audiences. But what many people don’t know about the Echuca Moama Theatre Company (EMTC) member is that she prefers not to be in the spotlight. “I am actually quite shy and like to stay in the background more often as I become wiser in years,” she said. “However, every now and then I get this urge to get my creative on.” When she was a child, someone asked Suzanne why she liked the theatre. “I remember thinking about it and telling them, ‘the smell’,” she said. “Now I don’t mean the smell mid-show or midcostume change when there may be a healthy
suZanne sPenceR maY
MARCH 2020
amount of perspiration, I mean the smell of the makeup in the green room, the dusty smell of the empty theatre waiting in anticipation for the audience to appear, of walking through wardrobe as the aroma of the costumes hits you. “To me all these smells are part of a wonderful process that prepares you for the magical ‘what if?’ and ‘what story is going to be told tonight?’.” Born in Mt Tom Price, Western Australia, Suzanne grew up surrounded by theatrical people, her parents involved in local theatres, on stage and backstage. “My earliest memories involved this glorious room which seemed to be full of an endless supply of dressing up clothes,” she said. “There was always music, singing, dancing and drama. “My parents were subjected to many an hour of serious dramatical productions.” Suzanne studied drama, dancing and singing and remembers “every single night at one point being out at some lesson practising, learning and making lifelong friends”. After high school, Suzanne decided to travel, not returning home to live until more than 20 years later. In that time away, among many other adventures, she studied at the London Centre for Theatre Studies and played various roles such as Kitty Verdun in Charlie’s Aunt; Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible; Dee in I am Yours; and Teresa in The Memory of Water. It was there while studying a Shakespearean master class she met her first husband, John. Suzanne was Maria and he was Sir Andrew Agucheek in Twelfth Night. “At one point, Maria was expected to grab Sir
Andrew in a manner that greatly embarrassed me,” Suzanne said. “Even though I was quite reticent to follow the director’s directions, it did break the ice between us, so to speak. “We eventually married and spent our time together in various theatrical pursuits.” One of these was a group called Lights, Disability Action. Its various productions included cabarets in and around Dublin, ad shows and documentaries about disability and the arts John was one of the performers and writers. “This is where I started to get more involved backstage, including stage managing and choreographing,” she said. Through this group, Suzanne was involved in theatre workshops in Maine and the US and performed in the NTWH Alumni Gala Performance. “I was privileged to be involved in a production at the Tribeca Theatre Festival in New York,” she said. Tragically, John died from cancer in 2004, and Suzanne’s life took a different direction. Needing to keep her mind and soul occupied during her grief, Suzanne took on a four-year honours degree. “It was after a chemistry exam in year one that I sat down and said, ‘I need to include something creative’,” she said. So, she joined the Cork Institute of Technology Drama Society, became the chairperson and put on a semi-professional production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest which she produced and played the role of Nurse Ratchet. “Our society won an award for this production
