Allison Farrow
Soprano & MC (TAS)
Equally at home in front of an orchestra or in a country music hall, Allison is a versatile performer with more than 30 years of performing experience across a number of genres.
She has performed throughout Australia, Europe and Asia and has been involved in festivals worldwide, including Edinburgh Fringe, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Ten Days on the Island, Festival of Voices, MONAFOMA and TasPride.
A classically trained soprano, favourite roles have included Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Lily in The Secret Garden, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Cosette in Les Miserables, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Claudia in Nine, Judy/Ginger in Ruthless! The Musical, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Sylvia in the world premiere of For the Term of His Natural Life, for which she also features on the original cast recording.
Her one-woman cabarets I’m a Stranger Here Myself: the Songs of Kurt Weill, In the Still of the Night: an evening with Cole Porter, and Dumb Blonde: the genius of Dolly Parton have played to popular and critical acclaim. In 2013 she presented Spring Fever: Allison Farrow with Kelly Ottaway and band with the Theatre Royal, Hobart.
Allison loves to entertain children and their families. She provided the voice for ‘Betty Bug’ in Blue Rocket’s animated television series Buzz Bumble and has featured regularly with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, narrating/singing for Little Red Riding Hood in 2014, Maximus Musicus Visits the Orchestra in 2015 and 2019 and The Tale of Gibson in 2016. Her children’s shows have been a regular fixture in the Festival of Voices and include Sing a Rainbow (2016), Rhymes My Nanna Taught Me (2017 and 2024), More Rhymes My Nanna Taught Me (2018) and Jazz Hands (2019). Allison performs regularly with her jazz quintet Ally Farrow & Friends for corporate and festival events, and is a member of the glamorous harmony trio Swoon.
As a speaker, presenter and Master of Ceremonies, Allison has covered topics ranging from music to science, for various community groups and organisations including Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Festival of Voices, the Claude Bolling Classical Jazz Festival, RHH Research Foundation, Elizabeth College, Ogilvie Girls High School (now Hobart City High School), CSIRO and Earthwatch.
Image credit: Dan Cripps
