Dr Tarita Botsman (1988)
The Sun Queen rises (VIDEO STORY)
Dr Tarita Botsman is on the cusp of becoming the first Australian women—and only the seventh in history—to script and score a major international musical, with her swashbuckling operatic drama The Sun Queen booked for a professional showcase in London in May 2026, aiming for a 2027 UK premiere.
With a cast of 19, a rollicking story, and a lush sound that straddles opera, baroque and musical theatre, it’s hoped the show will head to Australia and Asia before setting its sights on the US and a coveted Broadway run.
The Sun Queen is based on the extraordinary true-life story of Julie d’Aubigny, a sword-fighting, opera-singing libertine who both scandalised and captivated 17th century Paris.
`I discovered her story as a young Conservatorium of Music student,’ Tarita says. It stayed with her for decades, until an opportunity arose to bring the saga to the stage.
Before jetting off to London last week to rehearse and showcase the production, Tarita sat down to discuss her time at Girls Grammar and how the Sun Queen continues to inspire her. Watch her story below.
Making a song and dance about women
Tarita in Year 9 at Girls Grammar
Performing in the Gehrmann Theatre as the Ghost of Joan Lindsay in Picnic at Hanging Rock was a reveltory experience
Girls Grammar days