At just 18 years old, Hannah-Jade Keppler from Ferndale has already made her mark on the Perth musical theatre scene, writing and producing the soundtrack for and starring in her very own Romeo and Juliet musical.
The musical was performed last month at the Canning Civic Gardens Amphitheatre, sponsored by the City of Canning, where it captivated audiences with its fresh take on the classic Shakespearean story.
Keppler, who is currently studying a Bachelor of Music (Composition) at SAE University College, said it took a month of intense studio work, recording, re-recording, and mixing tracks to perfect the soundtrack, but it was all worth it for the final result.
“We aimed to make some parts more light-hearted to provide contrast and balance the intensity of the material, while also bringing out the comedy aspect that Shakespeare had written in,” she said.
“The songs helped balance the fine line between the heavy subject matter and lighter moments.”
The musical has already won more than 20 awards both locally and nationally, including the coveted Best Original Work for its soundtrack at the Australian Festival of Performance Art, as well as Youthfest acting awards for Keppler as Juliet and her boyfriend, Declan Scott, who plays Romeo.
Keppler said the show would not exist without the help of her mum, who directed and organised the evening and attributes the production’s success to the talent within her family.
“I’m lucky enough to have some very talented musicians in my family,” she said.
“My dad plays the guitar and has since he was nine, so he played the chords and stuff that I wrote for him to play, and I got my sister’s advice and inspiration for the drum lines that appear and any percussion instruments.”
Keppler was thrilled with the audience’s warm reception to the play, and despite having several heart conditions, as well as suffering from chronic fatigue and migraines, she isn’t letting anything hold her back, continuing to dream big.
“Everyone who saw it seemed to really love it, which is what’s important. Everyone on stage was having fun, and everyone off stage was watching,” she said.
“My heart is always in storytelling; I love it. In 10 years’ time, I hope to be writing and producing my own unique musicals and maybe even performing in them on Broadway or the West End.”
Adding to her growing list of accomplishments, she hopes to release the musical’s soundtrack as an EP on all platforms in the new year and will be co-hosting a weekly show on Youth Jam Radio.
Overcoming challenges in her own life, Keppler believes that pushing past self-doubt is key to reaching your goals, offering this advice to other young musical theatre students wanting to create their own opportunities.
“Don’t let anything hold you back, your own biggest weakness is yourself telling you that you can’t do it,” she said.
If you have the passion for it, and you truly love it, go for it; you can do it.”
