The Rising Star Returns: Catching Up With Sage Brooks

If you've been following our local arts scene, you might remember a young talent we featured back in 2024. Back then, Raymond Terrace local Sage Brooks was just stepping into her first two lead roles in Annie and Moana.

Fast forward a couple of years, and this dedicated performer is absolutely soaring. Now navigating the challenges of high school, Sage recently took home a CONDA award, returned to the massive Star Struck stage, and is gearing up to play the iconic lead in Hunter Drama's Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical JR. this July at Hunter Theatre.

We caught up with Sage to discuss her incredible journey, her supportive family, and what it feels like to step back under the spotlight. Here is what she had to share!

A Surreal CONDA Win

Taking home a CONDA for her role in Annie was a massive milestone that Sage never saw coming. Despite her talent, she admits she was completely caught off guard.

"I walked into that room and in no way expected my name to be called as the winner," Sage tells us. "In my brain there was no way I would win something in performing arts over the other extremely talented artists that I had seen perform. It was crazy. I never expected to use the speech that I had written. It was surreal. I felt like I was dreaming."

The moment was so overwhelming that she almost forgot why she was up there. "My head was in another world and I was so overwhelmed and overjoyed that I even forgot which musical I had won for and had to ask someone, lol!" Today, the award sits proudly in her bedroom, serving as a daily reminder of the goals she continues to strive toward.

Growing as a Performer

Sage credits her demanding role as Annie for helping her mature as an actor. Playing a character with so many different characteristics taught her how to deeply analyse a script and connect with a role.

"They become like a friend that you know really well and if you were quizzed about them you would come out on top," she explains. "So I think my acting has grown to a point where I get to connect effectively with a character so my portrayal can be more authentic."

She also recently pushed her boundaries by playing Small Alison in Fun Home with the Lindsay Street Players. "It was fun stepping out of my comfort zone, playing a serious role in such a significant moment of her life," Sage shares. "Given that it was based on a real person, I felt the pressure to be accurate to the person and to play the role properly."

Stepping into Matilda's Shoes

Now, she's bringing Roald Dahl's beloved genius to life on the very stage where she previously played Moana. She's loving the rehearsal process with Hunter Drama, especially since she gets to share the experience with friends from the Hunter School of the Performing Arts.

"My favourite part of playing the role is getting to know her well," she says. "She is so different, her mind is so different to everyone else's that there really is an intention behind each line and I love trying to figure out exactly what she means when she speaks."

When asked what she's most excited for audiences to see, she points to the song 'When I Grow Up'. "It's so emotional and lovely, and I think it's going to be a real tear-jerker for the audience," she predicts. She also loves performing the library scenes with Mrs Phelps, beautifully tying the Acrobat and Escapologist story to Matilda's reality.

Nerves, Magic, and Finding Balance

Returning as a featured vocalist for Star Struck remains a magical experience for Sage. Despite her growing resume, she admits she still gets nervous stepping onto that massive stage to sing alongside older Year 12 idols. "I still always get nervous before I step on stage and I think that no matter how many lead roles I play I always will. I think that is okay because it means that I care."

Of course, balancing seven days a week of singing, dancing, drama, and rehearsals with high school is no easy feat.

"I am not, my mum manages my life, lol," Sage jokes when asked about the juggle. "In all seriousness it has become more challenging as I entered high school this year... but I know that the path I want to be on will mean that sometimes I have to let go of some things for a period of time." Between a physical diary, an online family calendar, and doing homework on the bus, she makes it work.

Her family remains her biggest pillar of support. "My parents drive me to and from rehearsals every Friday night and Sunday," she says. "My sister, Harmony, used her artistic ability to create a border around one of the promotional posters and hung it in the window of 'Little Pegg art studio'... My mum is coming to watch every show I am performing in and we recorded the show on her phone for me to practise my lines when no one else can read with me."

Looking Ahead

Sage is currently expanding her horizons, working on a pilot project involving dance, singing, and culture that has her working in a recording studio for the first time. Her ultimate dream remains to make a living in the industry she loves, and her advice to other local kids chasing their passions is simple but powerful:

"Try your best. If you don't succeed the first time, keep trying because even if you don't succeed the first time, if you want it enough and you put the effort in, you will get there," she encourages. "It does take hard work and effort, and a lot of time. However, when you are out there on stage, doing what you love, there is no better feeling... I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my musical theatre life."