Emma Matthews is to make her theatrical debut in August when she plays Dame Nellie Melba in a new musical about the legendary Australian opera singer at the Hayes Theatre Co – the 115-seat theatre in Potts Point, Sydney, which has been invigorating Sydney’s musical theatre scene since its formation in 2014.

^{Emma Matthews. Photograph © Brendan Read}

The news comes with the announcement of the Hayes’ season for the second half of 2017. Melba is part of a programme that also includes a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins starring David Campbell, and High Fidelity starring Toby Francis. The season also includes Under the Covers, the latest cabaret show by former Olympic gold medallist diver Matthew Mitcham.

At a season launch, hosted by Campbell, one of the producers running the Hayes, it was also announced that the next Neglected Musical will be Jerry Herman’s Mame starring Virginia Gay, who recently thrilled Hayes audiences in Calamity Jane – a production which began life as a Neglected Musicals staged reading.

Award-winning soprano Matthews, one of Australia’s most loved opera singers and a regular guest with all the state opera companies, spoke to...