Marina Prior AM is one of Australia's most-loved entertainers, starring in hit productions of treasured musicals like Le Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Cats, recording albums and making regular appearances on our television screens.

Now she's taking on a role like no other, playing a 16-year-old with a rare ageing disorder in the Tony Award-winning musical Kimberly Akimbo, presented by the State Theatre Company.

We Are.SA sat down with Prior during a break in rehearsals to talk about embracing life's opportunities, the impact of technology on teenage life and rollerblading on stage with Casey Donovan.

You play the lead role in the State Theatre Company’s production of Kimberly Akimbo, which means you’re playing a teenaged girl who, because of a medical condition, actually looks like a much older woman. Did you reach back into your own teenage years for inspiration, and how was that process?

I did, definitely. I certainly looked back at those feelings of insecurity, trying to fit in, trying to find your place in the world. I think most of us can remember that quite clearly.

But I also have five kids, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to make close observations of teenagers.

I mean, they’re all in their twenties now but it wasn’t that long ago, and I’ve been living with teenagers for a long time so that was certainly helpful.

At its core it’s a play about family, and perhaps the imperfection of family – do you think we need to remind ourselves sometimes that family life is often very far from perfect and that that’s OK?

It is, but I think it’s really a play about seizing the day and living in the now.

That’s the overriding factor for me.

But it is a fact that families are all made up of imperfect people, although I think in this case they’re a little more dysfunctional than normal.

But Kim, in spite of finding herself in that situation, goes searching for her tribe and a place where she fits in.

But I hope people will walk out inspired to live audaciously and do what they want to do.

None of us have anything other than now, really. We don’t know what’s going to happen.

With her it’s more pressing because she has a terminal disease and she’s only expected to live to 16 – and she’s just turned 16 so it is literally now or never for her.

That’s my takeaway – seize the day, do it now, don’t wait.

Is that advice you’ve followed in your own life and career?

Yes, very much so. I started working when I was 19 by going along to an open audition with no experience, no agent and no real right to be there other than the fact that I thought, ‘why not?’.

That’s the way I was thrown into the industry in a fairly high-profile way.

It was a lead role in Pirates of Penzance 41 years ago and it threw me in the deep end … and I’ve been swimming ever since!

This musical is set in 1999, and you and I – if I can be so bold – would have clear memories of that time before we all lived our lives through a phone. Do you think the experience of being a teenager in the nineties and being a teenager now, 25 years later, is fundamentally different or largely the same?

I think it’s a lot more fraught these days. The great enemy of anyone trying to grow up is opinion, and this worry about how other people see you.

Kids can’t turn that off because they have a phone with them constantly that’s invading their every moment, and everything is judged.

How many likes did you get?

I think the issues are still the same, but they tend to be magnified by the fact that kids today can't walk away from the world. The world follows them everywhere they go.

This is a very funny play in parts – was it fun to bring out the comedy chops?

Very much so. Like all good there's laughter and all of a sudden there's a sharp right-hand turn and you find yourself tearing up.

It goes from pathos to comedy and back again, really, really quickly.

So it has a real bittersweet quality to it, which I really love – that’s my favourite sort of thing.

When you're disarmed by laughter then the punch hits harder. You loosen up and you're disarmed, and then all of a sudden …  you go, wow! They got me!

It’s also a play that received a lot of critical acclaim, winning five Tony awards including best musical. What is the process when you’re taking on a role that’s already well known and well loved?

I think the discovery of what you're going to do with it is the really exciting thing.

You know, you can get an idea from seeing someone else's performance, but ultimately, they bring themselves to the performance and you can only bring yourself. You can't bring someone else.

So with any role you have to fashion it around what your strengths are.

Tell me about the songs – people just love these tunes, don’t they? Are they as fun to sing as they seem?

Oh my gosh, yes! We've just been rehearsing a number – it’s actually Casey Donovan’s big song - and it is just hilarious.

It's called How to Wash a Check, and it's essentially about this scam that she's getting all the kids to do to get some money illegally. Basically cheque fraud. And it's just so catchy and funny and fabulous.

And we've even got numbers where we're supposed to be ice skating, but we're actually rollerblading, so we're all on rollerblades as well, which is beyond fun.

That sounds a bit scary!

We have knee pads and elbow pads, but I have imagined myself going straight off the stage and landing on the front row.

You mentioned Casey, who you’ve worked with in the past. Do the two of you enjoy working together.

We did Nine to Five – The Musical together and we forged a great connection there.

She's just divine – clever and collaborative. It's a great privilege and a joy to work alongside her again.

You’re certainly no stranger to Adelaide, having played in many, many productions here over the years. Do you enjoy coming to SA, and more importantly are we a good audience?

Of course you're a good audience!

Adelaide is a great place to visit because I think it's got a great cultural heritage, probably stretching back to the Dunstan years.

It's a very culturally rich place, and always a great place to perform.

Oh, and it’s always good to be working close to the Central Market.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO SPECIAL OFFER

Kimberly Akimbo will run at Her Majesty's Theatre from 8 to 19 July. Our friends at State Theatre Company South Australia are offering our subscribers 20 per cent off A and B reserve Adult and Concession tickets. Use code KIMBERLY20 for adult tickets and KIMBERLYC20 for concession tickets at checkout. Take advantage of this fabulous offer here.