{"id":6032,"date":"2024-12-26T10:00:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T10:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=6032"},"modified":"2025-07-15T18:52:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T18:52:02","slug":"my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/","title":{"rendered":"My Casting Story: Laura Dawkes in Disney\u2019s \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Performer Laura Dawkes on playing \u2018Anna\u2019 in Disney\u2019s \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019, going straight from drama school to the West End, and the process of recording the show for Disney+.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Laura Dawkes has had an exceptional start to her career. <\/span>Within weeks of graduating from Emil Dale Academy, she was cast in the lead role of \u2018Anna\u2019 in Disney\u2019s <\/span>Frozen the Musical<\/span><\/i> on the West End. The role saw her nominated for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Professional Debut Performance,\u00a0and with the show being recorded to release on Disney+, soon Laura will be immortalised as Anna in the Disney archives and watched by audiences around the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

We spoke to Laura about how she landed this coveted role \u2013 along with her drama school experience and how she maintains her stamina on stage \u2013 and what advice she has for young performers hoping to go to drama school. Here\u2019s what she shared:<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Laura! What first inspired you to become a musical theatre performer?<\/h3>\n

I was a latecomer to the theatre world. When I was younger, I did dance classes. Nothing super intense \u2013 it was never <\/span>Strictly<\/span><\/i> \u2013 but I started singing in year eight at school. I posted a singing video on Facebook and everyone was like, “Oh my God, I need you to join the drama club!” and I wasn\u2019t sure because I was a PE girl and loved sports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I ended up joining the drama club and did the school shows during my time there. I then joined an am-dram company and that was my life. I loved going to an after-school drama club and then on to am-dram. It was a hobby for me to just get out of the house and do things with friends and I loved it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then I auditioned for my drama school, and it happened all at once. It was random, but I loved it. Singing was the main thing I did, but I loved everything else that came along with it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You recently graduated from Emil Dale Academy. What made you decide this was the drama school for you?<\/h3>\n

When I was 16, my am-dram class went to a masterclass in Cardiff run by Emil Dale Academy (EDA) as part of their outreach programme. It was labelled as a workshop and I was told to bring a song, but it turned out to be an audition. I was just looking to have some fun with some cool people. I did a dance and then a song, and they kept people back, and that\u2019s when I realised, “Oh my God, is this an audition?” It was hilarious!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I ended up getting a recall and we worked on some things. Then I was asked to audition for a third round at the college, which was a bit more serious. From there, I got accepted. Well, I actually got put on the reserve list, and I didn\u2019t get accepted until July. I was like, \u2018This is it, this is going to be it\u2019. My mum and dad have always supported me and kept saying, \u201cWe\u2019ll live off bread and jam if we have to.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I went straight there at 16. I did a two-year BTEC course, and then, for my degree, I only auditioned for ArtsEd and EDA, but I didn\u2019t get accepted into ArtsEd, so EDA was it. I wouldn\u2019t know how to choose if I got into both, so I was actually glad I had that rejection to push me on this path, because it all worked out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you feel that your training prepared you for such a tough career choice?<\/h3>\n

Oh my God, 100%. For me, my BTEC training was my most crucial part of learning everything. While I was there, my whole teaching department was a year group of people that went to ArtsEd, so they put their training into our training and it was the most incredible thing ever. I feel like everyone goes to drama school and has a particular mindset, and if you like that idea of being pushed and gravitate towards it, you can work on yourself. The hours are intense. I was there from 8am until 6pm every day, and we\u2019d have six classes. Aside from lunch and breaks, it was non-stop.<\/span><\/p>\n

The people that came in and the life lessons we learned made it the best training I could have had. Everything we train for has happened, everything they tell you is so true. I hands down would say even though EDA is a newer school, the training there is just as good as anywhere else. It was so crucial, and I\u2019m so thankful for all my training there. It was great!<\/span><\/p>\n

You play \u2018Anna\u2019 in \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019, can you tell us about the audition process and how you prepared for the role?<\/h3>\n

I graduated and did my London showcase on a Friday, and the next week, I signed with my agent at Gavin Barker Associates. He told me they were struggling to find an \u2018Anna\u2019 and did I want to go for it? My only worry was that I was so young and a graduate, but I said yes, thinking I probably won\u2019t get it, but I might get considered for first or second cover. I just wanted them to take a chance on me. So I went to the audition thinking I\u2019ve got nothing to lose and I\u2019m a nobody at this point \u2013 no one knows who I am.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, I had to self-tape. They must\u2019ve seen a lot of people at this point, so they wanted to make sure they were getting the right people in. From the get-go, it was all the material for \u2018Anna\u2019 \u2013 none of it was my own stuff. There were people in the audition room that I knew were in their second or third round, and I thought maybe they\u2019ve already found someone if this is the case. It\u2019s so hard to not distract yourself in an audition situation like that. But again, I just thought, \u2018I\u2019ve got nothing to lose, let\u2019s just go in and do my best\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They used to say at college that auditions are scary, but they were so lovely and, at the end of the day, it\u2019s your two minutes to show what you do best. I left thinking, “<\/span>If I don\u2019t get it, it was still amazing just to be in the room.” I had to wait over a bank holiday weekend and found out on Tuesday that I had a recall \u2013 I couldn\u2019t believe it! I did two more rounds, and in the final round there were just four of us, and I was so young compared to the others. The final round was dancing with some of the male cast from the show, and I didn\u2019t think it went great. I found out a week later that I got it, and it was just the best process ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People must think I\u2019m crazy in my approach to auditions, but I just love it. I think it\u2019s so fun and it\u2019s your chance to literally stand there and say, \u201cThis is what I do.\u201d I think, because I was fresh out of drama school, I was in that buzzy vibe. I was so prepared to just do whatever. But the timing couldn\u2019t have been more perfect if I tried. I genuinely thought, “How has this happened to me? It\u2019s just crazy!”<\/span>\u00a0but so fun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You never hear success stories, especially coming out of drama school. It\u2019s so unheard of, and that was my mindset going in. But I worked so hard in college and the teachers that have supported me are always saying that. I feel like it has paid off. It\u2019s the most amazing feeling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Laura Dawkes as ‘Anna’ alongside Oliver Ormson as ‘Hans’ in ‘Frozen the Musical’ \/ Image credit: Johan Persson\/\u00a9 Disney<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

What does a typical day look like for you when you\u2019re performing?<\/h3>\n

I feel like I\u2019ve found my way now. The role is very demanding vocally, physically and mentally, and at the beginning, it really took over my life. I took it all in my stride, but it was difficult having to find my routine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On a typical double show day, I\u2019ll take my time coming into work \u2013 I don\u2019t like to rush things. I\u2019ll arrive about half an hour earlier and grab something to eat and drink, warm up, get ready and do the show. It can be quite exhausting, so I make sure to chill in between shows, which is crucial. It is like a job for me now and I love turning up to work. It\u2019s more about the people and the energy of the building that get you ready for a great show.<\/span><\/p>\n

With my part especially, Anna has a lot of stage time, and no two shows are the same. There\u2019s a lot of places for me to find new things and I think, “Oh I love that, I\u2019ll do that again,” or “I’m not so sure about that bit, “and it\u2019s a lot of self-discovery each day. That\u2019s probably the best part about my job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As you\u2019ve mentioned, you have one of the main roles and a lot of stage time, which can be very exhausting. How do you maintain your stamina on stage?<\/h3>\n

My days off are crucial. I\u2019m so lucky to get two because one is for rest. The other is my time to get my life together. The show is a huge part of my life, so I have to look after myself. I love my sleep and I need it for this part.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the beginning, stamina was hard. It\u2019s a long track, so I had to learn a lot of it in rehearsals and on the job as it wasn\u2019t something I could prepare for. I like to be social as well, so I keep myself on the go whilst I’m in the building because I don’t want to crash, but rest is so important and staying hydrated. But I’m super chill. I\u2019m just so grateful for my body \u2013I don\u2019t know how [it] allows me to get through an eight show week!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve not taken one sick day since I’ve been on the contract. There were times at the beginning of the contact where I was so ill because my body was getting used to it. I had a stomach bug, but I powered through. I knew my body needed to learn this new routine and to build up stamina, which was really challenging for me, but I did it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think it’s the mindset that got me through at the beginning. It was hard, but I\u2019m so glad that I pushed myself through. You\u2019ve got to get on with it, and it is a testament to my training because that was how I was trained.<\/span><\/p>\n

What tips do you have for getting along with your castmates?<\/h3>\n

I’m such a social person anyway. I spend a lot of time with the principles because I spend a lot of time with them on stage, and naturally you gravitate towards certain people because of your track. My track really clashes with the ensemble, so I never really see them, but I think it’s important to make an effort, especially at the warm-up when you\u2019re all in a space together. I didn’t want principles and the ensemble to be completely separate \u2013 I hate that. Everyone is friends with each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I make an effort to get to know people and ask questions because we\u2019re not going to be with them for ages. There are some people that will be friends for life. For me, with the ‘Elsa’s’, I had a lot of changes because I was with Jenna [Lee-James] and now with Sam [Barks]. Sam has a baby now so her priorities are with her baby, but we still have time together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s my first job as well, so it\u2019s easy for me to do that because I just want to come across in the best way possible. But just be friendly and ask questions and make conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

You were nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award for your role as ‘Anna’. How does it feel to be recognised at such an early stage in your career?<\/h3>\n

One of my friends who was in <\/span>Harry Potter<\/span><\/i> was posting about it because it was a public vote. My boyfriend said I would probably be up for that award, and that he\u2019d voted for me. So when I found out I was actually nominated, I couldn\u2019t believe it. At this point, <\/span>Frozen <\/span><\/i>is a hugely established show, but I\u2019m so new to it, so to be nominated is crazy because it was another step for me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It feels like a nice payoff, especially at that point, because I’d been doing it for so long, it was nice to have a little boost. Even when you’re doing the show and you know you’ve got that in your pocket, it’s mind-blowing thinking these people could have voted for me in the audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

You recently recorded \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019 for Disney+. How did this affect your performance, having to act for stage and screen at the same time?<\/h3>\n

It was the best week of my life \u2013 it was so different. When I got the part, and when we were rehearsing, there were so many quirks and things that I do just off my own back. I would think, \u2018I don’t feel like it reads well for a stage audience\u2019, but for screen, I knew it was going to pay off and it would be so great to have certain things for close-ups.<\/span><\/p>\n

With my part, I’m on stage a lot, and the guys that were directing it were great and so excited about it. He was like, \u2018All those little quirks you’re doing, just do it because I love it!\u2019 and I thought, \u2018Everything\u2019s paying off\u2019. But the week was intense. We were there from 9am until 10pm most days, and it wasn\u2019t in the order of the show, it was all mix and match, but I loved every second.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We had our make-up done every day, and the wigs were HD wigs, and everything was prim and proper, and you got several takes. We\u2019d go in full ham, crying and things like that \u2013 it was so fun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We did TV screen stuff in college, nothing too in-depth, but I think it’s one of those things I learnt on the job. I feel like I’ve learnt so many things from that. It was also the first week ever doing it with Sam [Barks], so that was another layer to the whole experience. I cannot wait for it to come out because it looks incredible. We’ve seen the b-roll and it’s going to be amazing!<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought, \u2018This is crazy\u2019, my future kids, if I have any, will be able to watch that, and people in my family, like my nan who can\u2019t make it up to see the show, she\u2019ll be able to see it, and that\u2019s just lovely. When we were performing on Christmas Eve, I was thinking this could be a family\u2019s Christmas tradition to watch this show. I don’t think I realised how big it’s going to be, it\u2019s going to change my life, but I can’t wait.<\/span><\/p>\n

Has that experience made you want to branch out and pursue screen work?<\/h3>\n

It is different, because it\u2019s still the show in a more intense way. I\u2019d love to do another movie musical. I\u2019d love to explore TV because there\u2019s something about having a camera so close to you, it ignites more of a passion for your work and you have to get it right.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d be so intrigued to go down that path because it was so fun. The vibe of doing it was great \u2013 it was so calm and everyone was so chill, but so excited. If you know what you\u2019re doing and you know your craft, it\u2019s great \u2013 everyone\u2019s just having a ball. <\/span><\/p>\n

Which performers inspire you?<\/h3>\n

My love was always singing, so I love Jennifer Hudson \u2013 she was my top inspiration. I love Tori Kelly. To be honest, I don\u2019t have a person that I’m like, “I want to be like you.” I just love watching craft and theatre and things, and just being inspired by people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just going to see a show, it was always that for me. It was always anything in that world that I loved, it was always watching something and finding inspiration in that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Where do you see yourself career-wise in the next five years?<\/h3>\n

People say to me, “Would you stay at Frozen<\/em> for another year if it was going to stay?” I don\u2019t think I would because I would like to see what else happens. I think I’m a very trust-the-process type of person \u2013 everything happens for a reason, it\u2019ll come to you if it needs to. I\u2019m just excited to see what\u2019s next because I don\u2019t know what\u2019s next, but I’m excited to let things fall into place. Whatever happens happens.<\/span><\/p>\n

And finally, what would be your dream role?<\/h3>\n

I have loads! I feel like everyone\u2019s end goal is \u2018Elphaba\u2019 in <\/span>Wicked<\/span><\/i>. That\u2019s something I strive towards, but I wouldn\u2019t want to do that right now. Really random, my favourite musical is <\/span>Jekyll and Hyde<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>I Love Lucy, <\/span><\/i>so anything in that vibe I\u2019d love, but I also love new work too. I’ve done workshops creating roles that you feel are yours. I\u2019d love to do that too \u2013 I\u2019m open to anything!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Laura\u2019s top tips for Young Performers who want to go to drama school:<\/b><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. It\u2019s all about how you want to apply yourself to a certain training. I was never really a dancer and I pushed myself so much and listened to so much.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Be a sponge. Take in as much as you can.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Just be a nice person. I know it\u2019s cliche, but I genuinely think being like that and being social in the way that I was in college really took me further than the training would have just by itself.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Listen to people who have such amazing stories to tell \u2013 you can get good advice from those stories<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Don\u2019t take it too seriously, we\u2019re not saving lives. You do it because you love it, so don\u2019t forget that. It\u2019s an amazing thing you get to do and when you do, go full pelt!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Thanks to Laura for taking the time to talk to us!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    Take a look at our website for more <\/span><\/i>casting stories<\/span><\/i><\/a> and advice about <\/span><\/i>getting into musical theatre<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    ‘Frozen the Musical’ will be coming to Disney+ in 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Performer Laura Dawkes on playing \u2018Anna\u2019 in Disney\u2019s \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019, going straight from drama school to the West End, and the process of recording the show for Disney+. Laura Dawkes has had an exceptional start to her career. Within weeks of graduating from Emil Dale Academy, she was cast in the lead role of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":6033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[89,75,42,95,79,81,70],"class_list":["post-6032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-industry","tag-casting-news","tag-drama-school","tag-graduates","tag-interview","tag-musical-theatre","tag-theatre","tag-young-performers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLaura Dawkes on Playing 'Anna' in 'Frozen the Musical' | Spotlight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover Laura Dawkes' inspiring casting journey in Disney's Frozen, sharing her experiences and tips for aspiring actors in the industry.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Laura Dawkes on Playing 'Anna' in 'Frozen the Musical' | Spotlight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover Laura Dawkes' inspiring casting journey in Disney's Frozen, sharing her experiences and tips for aspiring actors in the industry.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Spotlight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-26T10:00:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-15T18:52:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gemma Nelson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gemma Nelson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gemma Nelson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/70ad61e1eb5a9ccf3d1277b982f16ffc\"},\"headline\":\"My Casting Story: Laura Dawkes in Disney\u2019s \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-26T10:00:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-15T18:52:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3234,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"casting news\",\"drama school\",\"graduates\",\"interview\",\"musical theatre\",\"theatre\",\"young performers\"],\"articleSection\":[\"The Industry\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/\",\"name\":\"Laura Dawkes on Playing 'Anna' in 'Frozen the Musical' | Spotlight\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-26T10:00:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-15T18:52:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/70ad61e1eb5a9ccf3d1277b982f16ffc\"},\"description\":\"Discover Laura Dawkes' inspiring casting journey in Disney's Frozen, sharing her experiences and tips for aspiring actors in the industry.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Credit: Johan Persson\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-industry\\\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"My Casting Story: Laura Dawkes in Disney\u2019s \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Spotlight\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/70ad61e1eb5a9ccf3d1277b982f16ffc\",\"name\":\"Gemma Nelson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/310286df68b4ff3ac96a15c5156f27324325e9f2520f0fe7674a81dc3ac477fb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/310286df68b4ff3ac96a15c5156f27324325e9f2520f0fe7674a81dc3ac477fb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/310286df68b4ff3ac96a15c5156f27324325e9f2520f0fe7674a81dc3ac477fb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Gemma Nelson\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/author\\\/gemmanelson\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Laura Dawkes on Playing 'Anna' in 'Frozen the Musical' | Spotlight","description":"Discover Laura Dawkes' inspiring casting journey in Disney's Frozen, sharing her experiences and tips for aspiring actors in the industry.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Laura Dawkes on Playing 'Anna' in 'Frozen the Musical' | Spotlight","og_description":"Discover Laura Dawkes' inspiring casting journey in Disney's Frozen, sharing her experiences and tips for aspiring actors in the industry.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/","og_site_name":"Spotlight","article_published_time":"2024-12-26T10:00:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-15T18:52:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-1024x683.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gemma Nelson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gemma Nelson","Estimated reading time":"15 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/"},"author":{"name":"Gemma Nelson","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#\/schema\/person\/70ad61e1eb5a9ccf3d1277b982f16ffc"},"headline":"My Casting Story: Laura Dawkes in Disney\u2019s \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019","datePublished":"2024-12-26T10:00:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-15T18:52:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/"},"wordCount":3234,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg","keywords":["casting news","drama school","graduates","interview","musical theatre","theatre","young performers"],"articleSection":["The Industry"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/","url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/","name":"Laura Dawkes on Playing 'Anna' in 'Frozen the Musical' | Spotlight","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-26T10:00:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-15T18:52:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#\/schema\/person\/70ad61e1eb5a9ccf3d1277b982f16ffc"},"description":"Discover Laura Dawkes' inspiring casting journey in Disney's Frozen, sharing her experiences and tips for aspiring actors in the industry.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/My-Casting-Story-Laura-Dawkes-in-Frozen-the-Musical-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Credit: Johan Persson"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/my-casting-story-laura-dawkes-frozen\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"My Casting Story: Laura Dawkes in Disney\u2019s \u2018Frozen the Musical\u2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/","name":"Spotlight","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#\/schema\/person\/70ad61e1eb5a9ccf3d1277b982f16ffc","name":"Gemma Nelson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/310286df68b4ff3ac96a15c5156f27324325e9f2520f0fe7674a81dc3ac477fb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/310286df68b4ff3ac96a15c5156f27324325e9f2520f0fe7674a81dc3ac477fb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/310286df68b4ff3ac96a15c5156f27324325e9f2520f0fe7674a81dc3ac477fb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Gemma Nelson"},"url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/author\/gemmanelson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6032"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9741,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032\/revisions\/9741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}