Susan has been active in Canberra musical theatre since 1992. She has appeared on stage in over 25 productions in many roles and choruses, and an intriguing variety of costumes.
As Musical Director, Susan has worked with Ickle Pickle Productions and Phoenix Players on many productions including Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Seussical the Musical, Oliver!, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Charlotte's Web, and Scrooge (Assistant MD).
Susan specialises in digitally sequencing orchestral music, customised to suit the production. Using Sibelius software, it takes many long hours to individually enter and check each note, rest, and dynamic change for all instruments in each musical item so as to produce the full orchestral sound she wants to emulate.
She also specialises in arranging music, and often reworks or writes lyrics to fit new productions. She has received CAT Award nominations for Best Musical Director and Best Original Work for her musical arrangements and lyrics in Ickle Pickle's The Emperor's New Clothes and Hansel and Gretel.
As a teacher, Susan has worked on many school productions covering The Mikado, Anything Goes, The Pirates of Penzance, Back to the 80's, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and she enjoys the experience of working with younger casts.
Susan loves musical theatre and tries to make rehearsals fun to share her passion and pass on the theatrical bug to the next generation, in homage to those who inspired her.