THE LONG ROAD BESIDE DOLLY

HETTIE WILLIAMS – Sophie Graham

In the biography of Dolly Gray we see a character glance off by the main story that unfolds in Bendigo in 1905 when Dolly and Hettie Williams are arrested for selling sly grog. Later we see Hettie re-emerge alongside equally infamous gangster Minnie Clark, who would go on to become Squizzy Taylor’s enemy.

Hettie is one of a number of working girls whose story has never truly been told, until now.

Playing the role of Hettie Williams will be an unusually talented actor named Sophie Graham. She hails from Aotearoa (New Zealand), where she completed a BPA and a BA in Theatres at the University of Otago. During her time at university and the years following, Sophie was involved in the performing arts scenes in both Dunedin, and Wellington NZ, and a highlight from this time was playing the role of Bernadette in Arcade Theatre Company’s production of “Lemon Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons” in 2019. In 2022, Sophie relocated to Melbourne to attend the Full Time Professional Actors Programme at 16th Street Actors Studio, as well as the Postgraduate Programme “The American Way.” Since graduating, Sophie has continued to develop her craft by completing a variety of short courses for the stage and the screen, including a MasterClass with Miranda Harcourt. In 2023, she worked on several short films, as well as the web series “My Personal Lycan King.” In 2024 so far, Sophie has played the role of Cariola in Arrant Knaves Theatre Company’s production of “The Duchess of Malfi” by John Webster, as well as the role of Tiffany in CG Production Company’s production of “Blackrock” by Nick Enright. Her commercial credits include campaigns with Schweppes, Savers and Pure Blonde. Sophie is currently shooting the web series “Let Me Taste Your Husband,” has a role in the upcoming feature film “It’s Showtime, Dan,” and is rehearsing for the role of Kayleen in an upcoming production of “Gruesome Playground Injuries” by Rajiv Joseph. Alongside her acting pursuits, Sophie teaches drama with Stage School Australia and studies Youth Work.

We are extremely keen to see Sophie in this role, which she has even committed to a Hair colour change for!!