My mum has always said that I was singing before I could talk, and my earliest memory is me singing all the time. It was like I’d caught a sickness; we’re not quite sure why it hit me so hard.

My parents listened to music like most families do. I grew up hearing INXS, AC/DC, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. When I was little, I was into Natalie Imbruglia, Bec Hewitt, Holly Valance and Delta Goodrem. Those early 2000s Australian pop icons really shaped me. I wanted to be like them.

Natalie Abbott. Photo © Joel Devereux

In Year 12, I won a Bell Shakespeare Regional Performance Scholarship. That was really game-changing for me. I went to Sydney for a week and watched rehearsals for Henry IV where I saw this bunch of adults having the most fun. We met some people at the Sydney Opera House and got to see a show. From that moment on, I thought [a career as a performer] could be possible.

Someone we met suggested that I try musical theatre, because I wanted to sing but also loved...