MT: When did your love for music and performing begin?
GO: My mum always said that I sang before I spoke. When I went to boarding school, I started playing instruments, including the piano. I reached Grade 7 and achieved a diploma in classical singing. I’ve always had theatre in my bones. For me, music, performance and storytelling go hand-in-hand.
MT: Who were your role models growing up?
GO: I grew up listening to Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Destiny’s Child and Mary J Blige. I had some teachers who were very encouraging about my musical abilities, but a lot of my influences were external.
MT: How did your time at the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) prepare you for your career?
GO: I made all my best friends there, and the productions were all brilliant semi-professional shows. We had the opportunity to perform at the Peacock Theatre in London, and the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh. We even played to an audience of 5,000 in Japan! At one performance, I got spotted by a casting director who asked if I could come in and audition for the role of Nala in The Lion King – I never looked back.
MT: Do you have any stand-out memories of your arts education?
GO: I once got to sing for Nelson Mandela. The NYMT was asked to perform at an event he was attending, because he was doing a tour of the UK at the time. We performed a number of songs – it was a great experience. I’ve also sung at Buckingham Palace, which was incredible.
MT: How did your A Levels impact your career?
GO: At AS Level, I studied Music, English Literature, Theatre Studies and History. I dropped Theatre Studies at A Level, carrying on with Music, English Literature and History. I knew I’d go into theatre, which is why I dropped Theatre Studies. English and History have the information to fuel what you do in theatre.
MT: What was your experience with Music A Level?
GO: It was very classical, which I think is a good thing because classical music is the basis of everything. I did particularly enjoy the composition side of things – being able to be a bit free with your fellow classmates and make music together was great. Plus, it allowed me to use a different part of my brain, which my writing-based History and English A Levels didn’t tap into.
MT: What was your West End debut like?
GO: It was a wild experience as a teenager, with way too much freedom, running around central London and being onstage in front of all those people. It was a magical thing to experience, and it really shaped me.
MT: How easy, or hard, is it to pursue a career in musical theatre?
GO: It’s really hard. Mentally, you have to be strong. You’re going to hear the word ‘no’ more than you’ll hear the word ‘yes’. I think it’s tough, but it’s worth it, and when you do it, it’s brilliant.
MT: What is it like switching between TV and theatre work?
GO: My approach to both is the same, but they’re different in the sense that you get an immediate reaction from theatre, which you don’t get from film. With TV, I work much more on the craft, because it’s about what we’re creating in that moment for the screen, but with theatre, anything can happen, as it’s live. But I enjoy both equally.
MT: What do you plan to do in the future?
GO: I hope to just keep doing what I’m doing, including more TV and film. Most importantly, keep developing and telling more stories.
