A Quick Chat With Meredith Braun

Meredith Braun
Meredith Braun

Meredith Braun may be a New Zealander living in London, but that won’t stop Australia claiming her as at least partly our own.

Star of stage and screen, Meredith has created and performed some of the most coveted roles in music theatre history on London’s West End. She originated and recorded the role of Betty Schaeffer in Sunset Boulevard, Lily in the RSC’s The Secret Garden and she has performed the iconic roles of Eponine in Les Misérables and Christine in The Phantom of the Opera.

After ten years away from the spotlight, Meredith has just released her debut solo album, Someone Else’s Story, which was recorded last year at London’s Angel Studios. The album features songs from contemporary musical theatre, each one of them telling a very personal story.

AussieTheatre have five copies of Meredith’s album to give away to five lucky winners! We will post an entry form shortly in our Giveaways section!

We caught up with Meredith to ask her our 20 Questions…

Meredith Braun

1. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Loved and clever.

2. Who is the most important person in the world to you?
My children.

3. What animal best represents you and why?
My cat. Not any cat. Only Thomas. He’s a great negotiator.

4. If you were a contestant on Deal or No Deal, how much would you need to be on offer before you walked away?
Not much, I’m a rubbish gambler.

5. What was the first piece of theatre/film/TV you ever appeared in and how old were you?
It was in a TV water safety play. I was 5 and I drowned.

6. Windows or MAC?
What’s Windows?

7. Favourite food?
A very spicy Arrabiata

8. Who is the actor you would most like to work alongside?
Judi Dench – don’t we all?

9. What five songs would be the first you put a mix tape?

Billy Joel – She’s Got a Way
Every Day a Little Death – Sondheim (sung by Debbie Byrne)
Clair de Lune – Debussy
Right Here Waiting For You – Richard Marx
Faure’s Pavane and the Elegie in C minor
100 Round the Bend – Missy Higgins
and The White Cliffs of Dover.

I could go on…

10. What is the best thing about theatre in England?
The Chichester Festival Theatre

11. What’s the worst thing about theatre in England?
Bad lyrics

12. Name one moment when you looked around, breathed happily and felt content.
Every night when all the children are asleep safe in bed.

13. Where is the most interesting place you have travelled?
South America

14. Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met?
Rowan Atkinson is my favourite.

15. Most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
As Eponine in Les Mis I climbed over the wall to deliver the letter to Valjean and completely dried. I came out with total gobbledy-gook for the whole little scene. Valjean was in hysterics! Unfortunately, there were lots of fans in who noticed every detail… Oh, and my skirt fell off quite regularly in Phantom.

16. What’s your life motto?
Be kind.

17. What’s your favourite post-show snack?
Freshly baked bread with lots of butter.

18. What’s your biggest phobia?
Generally, sleeping out at sea overnight.  But at the moment, it’s the Woman in Black!

19. What is the worst date you’ve ever had?
You’ve all been marvellous!

20. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Exactly where I am now, enjoying myself enormously.

For more information on Meredoth visit: www.meredithbraun.com

Erin James

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's former Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin James

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