Who is Pippa Luscombe?
Professionally, I am a Sydney-based actress and musical theatre performer, a NIDA graduate, and a legit soprano. Personally, I’m a nineteen-year-old girl from the Shire, a Type A extrovert who has an addiction to herbal tea, lengthy conversations about literally anything, and her favourite local bakery.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
Stop ignoring my phone when it tells me that I have spent enough time on social media for the day, and start making the recipes I see on TikTok instead of saving them to never look at them again.
Who inspires you and why?
I am a big admirer of both my parents. My dad is one of those rare cases in that he knew what he wanted to do professionally since childhood and then went on to achieve it – a pipeline that parallels many of those with a career in the performing arts.
An aviation degree and about a decade of hustling later, he was offered a position as a commercial airline pilot – the dream. Today, he is a QANTAS 737 captain with 20 years of service to the company. My mum owns her own successful business as an occupational therapist and also does exceptionally well, alongside my dad, to juggle the ridiculously overcommitted lives of their three daughters.
She is also the person I credit my taste in humour to, as well as any ability I may have to give insightful advice. Both are incredibly humble, dedicated, passionate, and intelligent people, and if I grow up to achieve the kind of professional and personal success they have had, I will be ecstatic.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Be kind, be patient, and be compassionate. Lift others up and use whatever knowledge you have gained through your experience to make the process for someone else going through it a bit easier. The ripple effect is huge, and even one small rock, one small act of kindness, or one word of encouragement can feel like a tidal wave of support and comfort to the person on the receiving end.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
I don’t think I can say for certain what my favourite holiday destination is because they are all so different and amazing in their own right, but if I were to choose just one right now, I’d have to go with Fiji. The warmth of the culture and the natural beauty of this country are unmatched, and I have been fortunate enough to visit multiple times with my family growing up, as well as for Schoolies, so I have many fond memories with both family and friends tied here.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
Without question, my favourite bakery, ‘Flour’ which is a few suburbs over from me. My go-to sweet-treat and chat spot, their food is INCREDIBLE.
What are you currently reading?
Stanford Meisner on Acting by Stanford Meisner, as well as Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.
What are you currently listening to?
I’m working my way through the episodes of The Acting Mastery Podcast. Other than that, I cycle through the same 2 – 3 playlists on Apple Music, which mostly consist of chill pop, R&B, soul and jazz songs.
Happiness?
I believe true and pure happiness comes about through the unification of love, fulfilment, and inner peace. I also think these five things come pretty close:
1. The smell of spring
2. Being on-time, or better yet, slightly early to something you thought you were going
to arrive late to
3. Getting home to find out someone is cooking your favourite meal
4. Handwritten words of encouragement
5. Making people laugh till they can’t breathe
What does the future hold for you?
God, if only I knew the answer to this question – I reckon that would solve about 90% of my life’s stresses. That’s not to say that not knowing the future is inherently bad; I would have never predicted the events of these last 18 months, and while it hasn’t been totally smooth sailing, it has also been some of the most rewarding and influential times of my life. With all this being said, and acknowledging that this industry and life in general are innately unpredictable, I can only tell you what I hope the future holds for me.
I hope that I continue to be surrounded by a community of people – family, friends, and mentors – who continue to cheer for me, both professionally and personally. I hope that I continue to build my professional network, develop my skills as an artist, train, study, and wake up every day with that little fire in my tummy to keep exploring and developing as an artist.
Finally, I hope to work in this industry, both on stage and on screen, sink my teeth into different roles, learn, grow, inspire, and share important stories with audiences for years to come.
Pippa stars as Julie Jordan in Sydney Musical and Opera Society‘s production of Carousel in Concert – which will be presented at the Glen Street Theatre, Belrose (2 – 3 July) and the Pavilion Performing Arts Centre, Sutherland (5 – 6 July).
Image: Pippa Luscombe (supplied)