raising a star
raising a performer
We chat to Lesley Fifield about her daughter Zoe, one of three girls
selected nationwide to be the lead role in the upcoming musical, Annie.
zoe
fifield
Does Zoe come
from a large family?
Zoe is the middle child of three, and the only girl. She is an
IVF baby and although she is 14 months older than her
brother, they were conceived at the same time, so we call
them time-warp twins. They are very close and were often
mistaken for twins when they were younger. Zoe has a large
extended family, in New Zealand, the UK and Thailand.
Does Zoe go to drama, dance or singing
classes? When did she start these?
How determined was Zoe to win the lead
role of Annie?
Zoe is in her fifth year of attending musical theatre
classes and this is her passion. She also enjoys weekly
piano, dance (jazz and tap) and singing classes. She
started ballet classes when she was just 2 and we were
living in the UK. She would watch the girls arrive for their
dance class as she was finishing at playschool and was
always fascinated by them. I’ll never forget the look of joy
on her face when she put on her red ballet outfit and
joined the other girls in the class for the first time.
Zoe was absolutely determined she wanted to be Annie
from the very beginning, although she came down with a
very sore throat and was quite unwell for the second
round of auditions (although she didn’t tell me!). She had
seen some exceptionally talented girls in her group, so
she knew the competition was tough. She was overjoyed
when she was told she had been chosen as one of the
Annies, but was really sick by then and ended up having
the following week off school!
Has Zoe performed in shows before?
What are the qualities you think are most
important to instill in your children?
We love walking our dogs on the beach, going to the
movies or having Family Fun Nights which involve a DVD
and chocolate treats. We also enjoying playing games –
Boggle and various quiz games are our favourite.
Zoe performed in her first show when she was three and
we were living in Hong Kong. I can still remember it so
clearly, it was a ballet dance to Neil Sedaka’s ‘Calendar
Girls’ and she loved every minute of it. Since then, she has
taken part in over 140 different performances, including A
Concert of Hope at the Sky City Theatre, Christmas in the
Park and The Wizard of Oz at The Civic.
What is Zoe good at in school?
Does Zoe have time for other activities?
Zoe loves school and has always been a high achiever,
winning many awards over the years. She works hard and
takes pride in her work. She loves getting involved in all
aspects of school life and puts her hand up for lots of
extra school activities. Her favourite subjects are writing
and maths and, of course, public speaking!
Zoe is a keen hockey player and also loves horse riding.
Until recently, she attended our local Pony Club, competing
at many equestrian events, with cross country being her
favourite. She also enjoys ski-ing and generally loves any
type of thrill-seeking activity. She would love to do a bungy
jump, but right now she is a little too light!
What things do you enjoy doing as a family?
“Creativity is ving fun.”
Intelligence ha
Albert Einstein
Integrity and self worth are top of my list, plus always
treating others as they would wish to be treated. Also if
they want something badly enough, with hard work and
dedication, anything is possible.
Zoe will share the role of Annie with Amelia Walshe
and Ilena Shadbolt. The three girls, chosen from 630
who auditioned, will alternate the role for seasons in
Wellington (from Friday 23 May) and Auckland
(from Friday 13 June). To book tickets, visit
www.anniethemusical.co.nz.
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