By Melissa Grant
Natasha Pearson is kicking goals in her pursuit of a career in the performing arts.
The Berwick teen stars in Mustangs FC, a television show on ABC ME that follows the friendships, challenges and triumphs of an all-girls soccer team.
Natasha plays Michaela who is a player with the Wildcats, the Mustangs’ biggest rivals.
It’s the first television role for Natasha, who has featured in a string of ameatuer theatre productions.
The St Margaret’s School student said she was surprised by how seamless the transition was from stage to screen.
“I thought going into it would be very daunting and I was quite scared going into season 1, not having done any acting work before,” she said.
“But it was so amazing on set – I’ve made so many friends.
“It doesn’t feel like work at all.”
Days on set are generally long for Natasha, with filming beginning just after 5am on location (usually in Melbourne’s Bayside area) and wrapping up at 5.30pm.
During filming Natasha is generally on set three days a week, which means the Year 11 student has to work hard to juggle her acting work with VCE studies.
She knows the juggle may get even more difficult next year but plans to keep acting.
“I’m hoping I can still do acting and what I love during Year 12 because I don’t want to give it up, but I know I have to make sacrifices,” she said.
Being on Mustangs FC has been an extraordinary experience for Natasha, who has studied theatre, dance and singing through Stage School Australia’s Young Australian Broadway Chorus for about 10 years.
Natasha has even got to meet her idol Christie Whelan Browne, who plays her mum in the comedy drama.
The 17-year-old says Whelan Browne is living her dream of having a career in both acting and musical theatre.
“I would love to do musical theatre as a career, but I also love acting as well so it would be good to do both,” she said.
The next big role for Natasha is in Les Miserables, a production presented by the Young Australian Broadway Chorus at the National Theatre in January.
Natasha would love to study performing arts once she finishes secondary school, but is keeping an open mind.
“I’m going to send my auditions of to NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) and VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) but who knows – I could be working, who knows. It’s all a bit unknown,” Natasha said.
The second season of Mustangs FC will soon air on ABC Me.
