The Musical Theatre Actress
Branksome has a flourishing attention to the arts. Actress Hannah – who shared the spunky title role in the Mirvish production Matilda, The Musical in Toronto – says it is one of the reasons she loves Branksome.
“I knew this was the school I wanted to be at when I first met with the art teacher and music teacher,” says Hannah. “Students can find their interests and do what they love at Branksome.”
Hannah loves entertaining audiences – and interacting with fans. “During Matilda, I’d come out the stage door and people would say, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Matilda! You’re Matilda!’ That was really cool.”
She has since starred in the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home. Her performance, which The Globe and Mail called “an acting master class”, earned her a nomination for Outstanding Performance, Female at the 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, which celebrate the best of theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto.
She also voices Emily Elizabeth in the animated children’s TV series Clifford the Big Red Dog (based on the books).
Juggling her acting and musical theatre career with school work can be tough, but Hannah says she has a great support system. That includes her classmates and teachers, including Amanda Kennedy, head, junior school, who has a background in the arts.
Ultimately, Hannah has her sights set on Broadway in New York City. “That would be a dream come true!” she says.