Interview With

In 2016 I was hired to interview Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

Julie and I stood in the wings watching her showreel, which was also playing to the full house on a giant screen on stage. It was a surreal moment for me. There I was standing next to Dame Julie Andrews. On the screen above our heads, we watched young Julie performing her many cherished roles. Every now and then, Julie let out a perfect laugh as she re-lived her career highlights. Then the clip came to an end and applause filled the hall. That was our cue to walk to our armchairs onstage. Then I began

Jane

Wasn’t that a wonderful welcome. Well, Julie, I thought I’d start at the very beginning.

Julie

Because that’s a very good place to start

And we were into my questions from her Broadway debut in My Fair Lady in 1956. I had met Julie about thirty minutes earlier. Our conversation was planned, but not rehearsed. Julie was gracious and generous. She had a lightness about her. I felt we’d built a bond of trust and as a result, she could relax and enjoy herself. For me as the interviewer, this was as good as it gets. It ticked all the boxes for how I wanted the interview to start. Julie looked and sounded amazing. I was going to do everything I could to help her look her best. That was my brief.