The sound of age in musical theatre: A conversation with musical theatre’s ageing female performers

Abstract

When does musical theatre consider an ageing female voice to be an ‘old(er)’ voice? What is the ‘expected’ voice quality for ageing female performers and what does it take to still be considered for roles after ‘a certain age’? This Voicing stems from a four-year doctoral research project that sought to identify and examine stereotypes, preconceptions and complexities that occur in the dramaturgy and performance of female ageing vocalities in musical theatre. Compiling extracts from research interviews with ageing musical theatre performers, it is composed in the format of a virtual round-table, and it aims to reveal and present, for the first time, the harsh realities of gendered ageing in musical theatre.