ELSIE
Work in development

This work will follow the story of Elsie Williams (neé Carr), an Australian-born singer of Afro-Caribbean descent who had a remarkable singing career in the 1920s & 30s.

Through independent research conducted by Kacey Sinclair and Sista Zai Zanda, we are currently in development with Maxine Beneba Clark and Sarah Giles to bring the story of Elsie's early life, a career with the Fisk Jubilee singers and her work on stage in various JC Williamson productions to the operatic stage.

An excerpt from Kacey Sinclair's research paper:

'Elsie May Carr was born in Bendigo on Saturday, December 21st 1901. Her mother was born in Carlton. Her maternal grandmother was from New Jersey, America, and her grandfather was West Indian. Elsie's father arrived in Australia from the West Indies in the late 1800s.

Her family were members of the local Methodist Church. They lived in a 'snug' - a five-roomed weatherboard dwelling on an acre block along a dirt road south of Bendigo city.'

Elsie first performed in Cairo at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney on 16 September 1922.

She died on the 14th of November 1942. She was 41. In creating a work celebrating Elsie and this era of Melbourne's history, we hope to celebrate her life and let her sing again.

CREATIVE BIOGRAPHIES
(click on image for biog)

Kacey Sinclair

Researcher

Sarah Giles

Director/Dramaturg

Sarah Giles is an award winning theatre and opera director. She studied directing at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and has an Arts Degree from the University of Melbourne with a double major in Italian and History.

Sarah has directed work for Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, State Theatre of South Australia, Malthouse Theatre, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Victorian Opera, Opera Queensland, Sydney Chamber Opera, NIDA and WAPPA.

Most recently Sarah received a Helpmann nomination and Green Room nomination for Best Direction of an Opera for her multi award winning production of Lorelei for Victorian Opera. Her production, for which she was both dramaturg and director, won Best New Australian work and Best Design at the Green Room awards where it was nominated in five categories.

Maxine Beneba Clarke

Consultant

Ali McGregor

Creative Director

Ali McGregor is an internationally renown soprano and cabaret artist who has performed everywhere from Glastonbury to Carnegie Hall. After starting her career as a principal soprano with Opera Australia she soon ran away with the circus in the form of international touring sensation La Clique (La Soiree). After her appointment as artistic director of Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2016-2018 she has gone on to create a number of cabaret shows including the Helpmann Award winning show Yma Sumac: The Peruvian Songbird in 2019.

She has performed with SSO, MSO, Sydney Festival, Melbourne Jazz Festival, Festival of Voices among others. She has been performing and producing shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne Comedy Festivals for 14 years. She appeared multiple times on ABC’s Spicks & Specks, has been nominated for an ARIA award for her family jazz album JAZZAMATAZZ!, and won multiple green room awards for both cabaret and opera.

Ali is a board Member of The Song Room - a national for-purpose organisation that brings tailored, high-quality music and arts programs, to the most disadvantaged students at schools across Australia.