Acting Journey
The Amanda Sutherland Acting Journey has never followed a straight path. What began as a love of theatre has gradually evolved into a creative practice encompassing performance, film, costume making, technical theatre and storytelling.
Finding My Place in Storytelling
Acting was never part of a carefully planned career path.
It was something I kept returning to.
I have always loved theatre as an audience member, but I can also remember being involved in productions during high school and shortly afterwards, taking on background roles simply because I wanted to be part of the experience.
After school I pursued business studies, following what felt like the expected path, and for many years I placed creative interests aside.
It wasn’t until I became involved in supporting my daughter’s performing arts journey that I found myself drawn back into theatre.
Volunteering backstage, helping at dance competitions, ushering front of house and eventually creating costumes reminded me how much I loved being in a theatre environment.
Slowly I realised something important.
Theatre had become my happy place.
Discovering a Creative Community
When my daughter began acting, I found myself spending time on film sets for the first time.
She was cast as a featured extra on The Gloaming, filmed in Tasmania, and as transport and support crew I experienced firsthand the energy, collaboration and creativity that exists behind the camera.
Later, I was fortunate enough to work as a background extra on Deadloch.
That experience shifted something inside me.
I didn’t know exactly what role I wanted to play within the entertainment industry, but I knew I wanted to belong in that world.
That feeling has stayed with me ever since.
Building a Creative Life
Before university, I owned a local drama school where my team and I taught drama and musical theatre to young people aged five to eighteen.
Over several years, we produced around thirty productions while creating opportunities for emerging performers to gain confidence, develop skills and become involved in community theatre.
Eventually, we expanded into adult classes designed to help aspiring performers find their place within Tasmania’s creative community.
Looking back, I can see that teaching was also teaching me.
It gave me a chance to experience theatre from every angle.
- Producing.
- Marketing.
- Front of house.
- Costumes.
- Props.
- Performance.
- Administration.
- Community building.
It reinforced something I still believe today.
People often do not know what they are capable of until they are given permission to try.
Learning Through Participation
Studying theatre at university has broadened my understanding of performance in ways I never expected.
What I discovered was not simply acting.
I discovered that I enjoy many aspects of production equally.
- Lighting design.
- Sound design.
- Props.
- Costume construction.
- Technical operation.
- Devising work.
- Collaboration.
- Performance.
Each project reveals another skill I didn’t know I had.
Rather than narrowing my interests university has shown me that I can contribute meaningfully across many creative disciplines.
Exploring Character
One of my favourite parts of performance is understanding why a character exists in the world they inhabit.
I enjoy researching how they might speak.
How they dress.
What experiences have shaped them.
Sometimes that curiosity leads down unexpected rabbit holes, but I have learnt that those explorations often make characters feel richer and more authentic.
Whether working on a devised production, creating a costume, experimenting with makeup or stepping into a role, I am continually fascinated by the process of becoming someone else for a while.
Elfie the Christmas Elf
Some characters extend beyond the stage.
Elfie the Christmas Elf began as a festive performance opportunity but quickly evolved into an interactive character designed to create joyful experiences for families and communities.
What I enjoy most about street performance is witnessing the reactions people have.
Children believe.
Adults reconnect with a sense of play.
For a brief moment, people allow themselves permission to imagine.
Those moments are incredibly rewarding.
Elfie is available for community events, festivals and live performances.
A Place to Belong
There was never a single production that changed how I saw myself.
Instead, it has been a gradual process of learning that I belong in creative spaces.
- Every show.
- Every costume.
- Every prop.
- Every technical cue.
- Every rehearsal.
- Every collaboration.
Each experience has moved me a little closer towards accepting something that perhaps everyone around me already knew.
I am not simply interested in theatre.
I am a storyteller.
And wherever a story needs me, that is where I am happiest being.
Selected Areas of Practice
| Performance | Technical Theatre | Creative Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Acting | Lighting Design | Costume Construction |
| Character Work | Sound Design | Prop Making |
| Community Performance | Technical Operation | Producing |
| Street Performance | Devising | Arts Facilitation |
| Background Acting | Collaboration |
Professional Links
Casting Networks
IMDb
Get in Touch
If you would like to discuss a performance, creative project or collaboration, I would be glad to hear from you.