A new star is rising over the horizon in the form of 8-year-old Claudia Ballen.
The young actress had just finished a six-month tour across Asia with Les Misérables when she was cast in the Brisbane-based musical, Carousel.
Her mother, Sonia Ballen, has expressed her pride in her talented daughter, saying that her approach had always been hands-off, allowing Claudia to drive herself to pursuing what she wanted.
“It’s all her doing. I wasn’t even looking for her to get into performing. People kept suggesting the auditions,” she said.
“I think it’s very important [that] children have got to want to do it themselves as it’s a lot of hard work.”
When asked about suddenly taking this new role, Claudia replied, “I was pretty nervous and I was really tired, but at the same time I really wanted to do it.”
It looks as though this young star will be shining brightly for many years to come.
