Alberton’s Ashley Scott makes Disney debut

Albertonian Ashley Scott (23) achieved the unthinkable – landing the lead role of Mara in Disney’s highly anticipated stage musical The Magic Box.

This talented actress has come a long way since her early days in musical theatre.

Scott’s love for performance was nurtured from a young age, growing up in a bustling household with three siblings, parents and grandparents. She followed in her mother’s footsteps, taking dance lessons at age four before switching to sports at age seven.

She attended St Andrew’s School for Girls and later moved to Roedean School for Girls in Grade 10 to pursue her passion for sports, especially field squash, which she played provincially for five years.

Discovering her true calling

However, it wasn’t until Grade 10 that Scott discovered her true calling – drama. She chose drama as a subject and learnt the theoretical and practical aspects of acting.

Her matric final project, a monologue, duologue and theatre piece from Hairspray’s I Can Hear the Bells, solidified her love for musical theatre.

“I choreographed and performed it with a friend. I enjoyed the performance and fell in love with musical theatre,” Scott recalls.

Pursuing her dreams

Post-matric, Scott planned to study law but instead pursued musical theatre.

With her parents’ support, she auditioned for the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy (LAMPTA) in Cape Town and graduated as the year’s top student.

“The more shows they watched me in, the more they were like, ‘This is what you are meant to do’. It made me happy to hear them say that because you don’t normally hear such supportive things about musical theatre.”

Breaking into the industry

Scott then freelanced from 2022 to 2023 before landing the role of Liesl von Trapp in The Sound of Music.

It marked her professional debut in musical theatre and paved the way for a two-month contract in India, where she performed for the cricket team Mumbai Indians during the Indian Premier League.

The audition process

It was at this time Scott had the opportunity to audition for Disney’s The Magic Box.

Despite initial doubts because of scheduling conflicts, she persevered, pleading with the directors to let her audition online.

“The audition was very intensive. There were cuts after every round. The first round was a dance call, and they cut 50% to 75% of the people who came to audition. We then went to singing auditions, and again, they cut people out after the sitting of the auditions.

“Additionally, we had a call a few days later, where we did another round of auditions. If you went through that round, there was something called international callback, which was happening a month after the auditions,” explained Scott.

She recalls being in Johannesburg for The Sound of Music when she got the news that she had qualified for the international callback.

However, she was booked to perform in India at the IPL and couldn’t attend the audition in person.

“I was devastated about it because I was manifesting for this opportunity.”

Determined, Scott pleaded with the directors to allow her to do the callback online.

“I did a lot of video submissions, back and forth. I would book a boardroom in India, in the hotel I was staying at, and sometimes use my room.”

Eventually, she did the official video callback with the entire creative team, including people from Argentina, Mexico and New York.

A few days after the video callback, Scott received an email from Disney offering her the role of Mara in The Magic Box.

“I remember I was outside my hotel room and screamed after seeing the email.”

Connecting with Mara

Scott describes Mara as a raw, flawed character who embodies everyone’s struggles.

“Mara is who everyone calls when they feel lost in their career, unsuccessful in love, going through trauma or unsuccessful. There’s a lot to Mara that lives in all of us, and I think that drew me to her.”

Ashley revealed that she was drawn to the character because of her relatability and multifaceted nature, observing that Mara’s experiences and emotions are universally shared.

She characterised Mara as an individual who remains imperfect throughout the narrative, highlighting the importance of acknowledging human imperfection.

Scott further noted that Mara’s willingness to confront uncertainty and relinquish her fear of change was a significant factor in her attraction to the role.

She said Mara’s courageous decision to enter the magic box despite uncertainty allowed her to learn valuable lessons from younger characters intuitively connected to her inner self.

Ultimately, Scott said Mara’s transformative journey culminates in a powerful message, encouraging the audience to embrace a leap of faith and reconnect with their inner selves, letting go of life’s stresses and challenges to focus on finding happiness.

Working with Disney

Disney’s Magic Box is Scott’s first experience working with puppets, projections and massive set changes.

“I have never worked with intensive visual effects, and our set moves a lot; there are many set changes.”

Her favourite scene is How Far I’ll Go, which showcases the simplistic yet effective storytelling Disney is renowned for.

Overcoming challenges

Scott acknowledges feeling scared and intimidated during the audition but emphasises that fear drives determination.

She shares her experience of losing herself in a character and learning to manage the emotional demands of acting.

Scott credits her busy upbringing for preparing her for the entertainment industry’s demands.

Her family’s support has been instrumental in her success, “My family was supportive from the get-go, and I am grateful for that.”

As Scott takes on the world in Disney’s The Magic Box, her story is a testament to perseverance, passion and the power of following your dreams.