Olympic Opening Ceremony star Nikki Webster will cap off a great year with Carols In The Domain, writes ADRIAN SCARDILLI.
Carols In The Domain airs on Saturday, Channel 7, 8.30pm.
MENTION the name Nikki Webster and immediately scenes of the Olympic Opening Ceremony come to mind.
The pint-sized star, who stole the show by flying effortlessly around the Olympic Stadium, will be ending her year with a performance at Carols In the Domain.
And although most people won’t realise it, this is Webster’s third performance at the Carols.
“Yeah, I have done it before,” she said, not sounding in the least bit like a hardened show biz veteran.
“It is fun and exciting. I was there in 1997 with Toni Pearen and last year as part of the cast from The Sound Of Music with Lisa McCune. I was so excited to be there last year. Just getting out there in front of all those people, even if they didn’t know me.”
Of course, her profile has risen somewhat since September but her excitement about performing at Carols In The Domain is undiminished.
“I suppose this year’s Carols will be extra special for me,” she said. “It’s the year 2000 and it tops off a huge year. I am not even sure what I am doing. I just want to be there and be part of the show. I think I am singing one or two carols.”
Despite her obvious enthusiasm about Carols In The Domain, the Olympics will never die in her mind.
“I am still so amazed, I mean I’m still up in the clouds,” she sighed. “It has been so much fun, everything I have done. I was so excited I just wanted to get out there. It went so quickly but it was the best dream any child could have. When I walked out there in the middle of the stadium and the whole audience applauded, it was just so nice.”
Webster struggled to describe the impact of the Olympics on her life – she said “huge” was an understatement – but in reality she has gone from being an unknown 13-year-old actor to being a household name, overnight.
And she is not resting on her laurels. In February she is off to South Africa to play the lead role in a feature film called Vanilla Gorilla.
“I am very excited,” she said. “It’s been one of my dreams to play the main character in a movie and to have it come true so quickly is amazing. I haven’t started rehearsing for that yet but when I do it will be a lot of work, but fun as well.”
“I have nothing planned after the movie but hopefully there will be something on offer. I want to continually be performing, whether it be singing or acting.”
It is hard to believe that this petite, articulate girl is 13 years old, although a simple look at her list of performances reveals her depth in talent.
As well as playing Brigitta in The Sound Of Music last year, she also appeared in Les Miserables in 1997 and Cinderella in 1994.
She is no stranger to television or film either, with small appearances in Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert, G.P. and Home And Away. And if you thought that mop of curls and those angelic features looked familiar at the Olympics Opening Ceremony, she has also worked on numerous commercials for products such as Twisties, Lays chips and Campbell’s soup.
Despite the fame and current buzz surrounding her, Webster remains convinced she is living a normal life. She attends McDonald College, which is known for its excellence in the arts.
“I go to school when I can and if I miss anything due to work, then they send it to me,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“I suppose that bit can be a bit tough sometimes. I do get interrupted a bit by a lot of media interviews but I like doing that sort of stuff.”
And, given the number of child performers at McDonald College, she is not given any deferential treatment.
“They don’t treat me that different at school,” she said. “At the beginning when I went back to school everyone was, like, ‘wow’ and I received an award from the principal but that was it.”
Watching music video clips inspired Webster to become an actor at an early age.
“I have always wanted to be a performer,” she said. “I just watched Rage and stuff like that on the TV and I said to my mum, ‘Oh, mum, I want to do that,’ and mum said, ‘All right, we’ll get you some lessons’. And from there I just started dancing school and I started trying out for shows.”
When asked what she wanted to achieve by the end of her career, Webster’s response was swift: “I hope I am an all-round performer who is loved by everyone.”
Source: The Sun-Herald