She Used to Clean the Theatre. Now She Is Performing on Its Main Stage

When Ellen Ebbs walked onto the stage at Theatre Royal Sydney for her first major acting role, she was overcome with emotion.

The 24-year-old was not performing in an unfamiliar building. She had spent months working inside the same theatre, cleaning its stalls, serving drinks and helping audiences find their seats.

Now, she was standing on the other side of the curtain.

Ebbs is making her main-stage debut as Hodel in the Australian production of Fiddler on the Roof, a major musical starring Troy Sussman, Alexis Fishman and Sigrid Thornton.

The experience has created what Ebbs describes as a remarkable full-circle moment.

She began working as an usher at Theatre Royal Sydney in February 2025. Her responsibilities included cleaning the theatre, working at the bar and making coffee and cocktails for patrons.

But her job also gave her something she never expected: an opportunity to watch professional theatre performances regularly.

Each shift became a kind of informal masterclass. Ebbs watched actors perform from the audience area while learning more about the profession she had wanted to enter since childhood.

She had graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2024 with a degree in musical theatre. Acting had been a dream since she was young, partly inspired by her parents, who met while performing in amateur musicals.

Even after completing her studies, however, the transition from student to professional performer was not guaranteed.

Working at Theatre Royal gave her a way to remain close to the industry while continuing to pursue acting opportunities.

When she finally stepped onto the same stage where she had previously watched other performers, the contrast was difficult to process.

She told ABC News that she began crying almost immediately as she looked out toward the seats she had worked around so many times before.

Her former colleagues were there to support her. On opening night, theatre staff left flowers and a card signed by ushers and bartenders in her dressing room. They also gathered in the foyer to cheer for her.

For Ebbs, the support made the moment even more meaningful.

Her role as Hodel is her first major stage production, placing her alongside experienced performers. She admitted she initially felt intimidated, but said the cast quickly made her feel welcome.

The production has also allowed her to experience the theatre from an entirely different perspective.

Instead of watching performances from the audience, she is now part of the show itself — singing, acting and performing every night in the building where she once worked behind the scenes.

Her journey is a reminder that careers in the arts do not always begin with a starring role. Sometimes, they begin with a job in the foyer, a few hours watching performers from the back of the theatre and the decision to keep pursuing a dream.

For Ellen Ebbs, that dream eventually brought her back to the same building — only this time, under the stage lights.

Source: ABC News, August 22, 2026.