Who is Sonia Todd?
Sonia is a well-known face on Australian TV and is about to appear on stage in The Worst Kept Secrets at the Seymour Centre.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
I think I would have liked to try harder to be able to sing. I had a very patient teacher at NIDA but I really needed to start younger. I imagine it must be a wonderfully fulfilling feeling – and even nicer for those around you if it’s in tune.
Who inspires you and why?
People who still manage to find time to show kindness and compassion to other people while living busy and energetic lives. How does Angelina do it?!
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Clone Angelina. (and Brad too).
Favourite holiday destination and why?
There are so many wonderful cities like New York and Tokyo that I loved visiting but we recently went to a small coastal village in New Zealand called Hahei and I have to say it was beautiful. I’ll take nature any time.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
I would take them to Clarkes Point Reserve in Hunters Hill in October when the Harbour Sculpture exhibition is on. It’s like Sculpture by the Sea but not as crowded (yet). Then we’d have lunch at the Deckhouse restaurant at Clarkes Point where the view is eastward across the water to the Harbour Bridge. It’s great to see Sydney from a different perspective.
What are you currently reading?
I have just finished Tracey Chevalier’s The Last Runaway. Her books are always able to immerse the reader so solidly in the world of the protagonist. She often gives the characters occupations with their hands and I think this helps the reader really settle into the life of the characters and look out at the world from the character’s point of view. I want to start reading either Wolf Hall or perhaps Anh Do’s The Happiest Refugee. My son has just read it for school and suggested I would like it. So it will be one or the other depending on my mood… and time.
What are you currently listening to?
I love Lorde – she is very creative and manages to evoke a mood and rhythm with all her songs that is distinctive and great to listen to. I love watching her perform too, you can see she really enjoys herself. Also recently I have been listening to Karen Carpenter. I was quite young when The Carpenters were popular and they were a bit too mainstream for me, but now I appreciate how rich, beautiful and pure her voice was. I don’t know much about singing (see above) but I think she had a remarkable range. Her early death was such a loss.
Happiness is?
Either lying on a beautiful beach with a good book and knowing work is just around the corner or else standing in the wings experiencing the wonderfully terrifying thrill of being about to go on stage. The Worst Kept Secrets is a special joy as I will be working with my husband Rhett Walton.
What does the future hold for you?
A bit of time off before Christmas to spend with family.
Sonia Todd is NIDA graduate who has worked extensively in television, theatre and film. Whilst at NIDA she was one of a group of students who co-created Strictly Ballroom.
Sonia is best known for her roles on Police Rescue (for which she won an AFI award and a Logie), McLeod’s Daughters and Home and Away. She has also starred in the mini-series The Potato Factory (AFI Award nomination), Simone De Beauvoir’s Babies, as well as Rake, Janet King, Water Rats, Halifax FP, Marriage Acts, All Saints, Good Guys Bad Guys, Heat, Mirror Mirror, Come In Spinner and many more.
Sonia’s stage credits include The Winter’s Tale, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Golden Age for Nimrod Theatre, and Harold In Italy for the Sydney Theatre Company. Her other theatre credits include Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Table for One and most recently Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced. Her film credits include Shine opposite Geoffrey Rush and Rescue – The Movie.
Sonia is currently appearing in The Worst Kept Secrets at the Seymour Centre until 22 November. For more information, visit: www.seymourcentre.com for details.
Image: Sonia Todd