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'I want everyone to leave feeling like they're absolutely fabulous'

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The Nugget
March 14, 2025

★ GETTING FRINGEY WITH STEPH HARRISON ★

Steph “Lady Whisper” Harrison

Steph Harrison has a lot going on. She's teaching eight dance and musical theatre classes at Movement Zone and is about to bring three shows to Castlemaine Fringe.

Plus, she commutes, living half the week in Melbourne while also working as an entertainer for an array of companies.

"Life feels very nourishing but very fast," she says.

Steph is a Chewton kid who has been deeply influenced by local dance and theatre productions.

"I remember being in Year Seven and I went to the production for Chewton Primary. (Movement Zone director) Sarah Cook actually choreographed part of it. I was like, what is this? I need to stick my teeth in, like I need to be a part of this," Steph says.

"My friend then invited me to her hip hop class – I would have been about 14. Sarah saw that I had teaching ability and by 15 I had my own dance class."

She went on to study singing, acting and dance in Melbourne, and has performed far and wide. She returned to Castlemaine last year to help Sarah expand the offering at Movement Zone.

Steph has also been performing around town as Lady Whisper and the people are here for it. She lit up the Idyll stage last year and put on the Laugh Out Loud cabaret at the Phee.

Steph says that she wants to pay it forward by mentoring the next generation, the way local legends did for her.

"I really could feel from my students last year, especially the musical theater kids, how much creativity they invest into their performances. And I was like, they need a stage," Steph says.

"I thought, what if I just create a platform for the kids of Castlemaine and surrounding towns to have the opportunity to put together their own piece, whether it's singing, dancing, acting or something else. What sort of talents do kids have in Castlemaine that are going unnoticed?"

Young people who have signed up for Steph’s Kids Cabaret Fringe show get a one-on-one performance mentorship session with her, a rehearsal and a stage to perform on. She has kept the cost low, to make sure it’s accessible for kids who don’t have the funds to attend a weekly class.

"This is what I loved when I was a kid. I love being a part of the theatre and a part of the arts and connecting to kids who were outside my school or social group."

Steph says Castlemaine is a gem of a home ground for creatives of all ages.

"My form of artistry, which is a bit wilder and wackier and outgoing and filled with lots of different costumes and characters, I think is very much supported in Castlemaine, because Castlemaine loves that shit," Steph says.

"They love to dress up. They love the weird, the wacky and also the depth, and the spiritual aspect of things. I think there's more Earth here, which I really resonate with."

In addition to Kids Cabaret, Steph will also be putting on a musical comedy called The Art of Seeking Attention.

"I want everyone to leave feeling like they're absolutely fabulous. And, also, maybe a little confronted and feeling a bit more insightful around who they are and who they want become."

A few of Steph’s Adult Commercial students will join her in the show. "I've taught them clowning. They will be roving at the start, making it really interactive, and will dance with me as well."

Steph is taking her sparkling self to the pool, too. Her third show is Dancing in Water.

"Dancing in Water developed from an event I did for Midsumma Festival, where I taught water aerobics at the Carlton pools," Steph says.

For Fringe, she has teamed up with the Castlemaine Indoor pool to recreate the experience.

"We'll be taking it back to the 80s and 90s and just vibing out in the pool and having fun while exercising, but also making it like we're not exercising, we're just having a party. I'm excited for that."

Are you tired yet? Have a coffee for Steph. Like I said, she's really got a lot on. Don't forget about those eight classes she teaches at Movement Zone.

She says her students have made her the person she is today.

"It honestly feels like an honour to be able to do what I do. I'm on a high after a Thursday night, after teaching for five-and-a-half hours. We laugh so much,” Steph says.

“I always say to my partner, I'm just in awe. You can feel a comfortability unfolding and how the students feel around one another and what that is cultivating in that class. And that's my job done. Like yes, I want them to be able to dance a certain way or have certain skills, but for them to build that community aspect with one another is a safety that will allow for way more growth. I am absolutely in awe watching them evolve."

❀ ROCKING OUT AMONGST THE TIMBER ❀

When Mama Kin put it out on Instagram that she wanted to put on a series of concerts in unusual spaces, Mat and Anna from the Salvage Yard were the first to put their hands up.

How lucky are we that they did!

It was so lovely to gather amonst the timber and under the fairy lights on a school night with with Mama Kin, Dingo Spender and a bunch of Castlemainiacs.

Click through the photos and videos and you will find Steph and Tara from local choir, MaCapella, on stage, helping to lead the whole room in a sing-along.

More of this, please! So good. xo

♡˖ EVENTS ˖♡

𖥔 TALK TO MOI PLOISE 𖥔

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