Stephanie Lambourn can identify with Shakespeare's As You Like It' metaphor about 'all the world' being a stage. And she's resigned to continue as a 'mere player' in productions around the globe.

Since graduating in 2004 from Mackay's Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, part of CQUniversity, she has performed in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States.

Stephanie Lambourn - resigned to an itinerant life

Stephanie has most recently returned to North America to perform the roles of Courtesan in Comedy of Errors and Chorus/understudy to Desdemona in Othello for the Great River Shakespeare Festival (on the Mississippi in Winona Minnesota).

Brisbane is her home town and she studied in Mackay, so she has strong ties to Queensland, but "home for me is where my parents are, which is now in Gippsland in Victoria".

"I see myself hopefully working more in North America. I have residency in Canada as well for the time being. There is more work there and of a very strong quality," Stephanie said.

"Lately doors have opened for me there and I enjoy travelling and meeting new people so it's a perfect situation for me.

"In regards to finding work abroad, it's mostly about having the right people behind you and that's about keeping and making good contacts. You can only do that through hard work and determination.

"I guess my life now is not as exciting as it may seem to other people. It would be lovely to have more stability, but part of being an actor is going where the work and opportunities are and also doing those in between jobs to pay the bills.

"I'm very lucky to have such a supportive family and having a strong home base makes living away from Australia easier. Although I really enjoy being in the US and have made some wonderful friends there, If I had work in Australia or the UK or anywhere for that matter I would be there. That's the decision I made when I decided to become an actor."

Stephanie started her career in Queensland with Fame Theatre Company's production of When I Grow Up.

She did her Postgraduate Diploma in Musical Theatre at the Guildford School of Acting in England, earning the Bellairs Cup at graduation and performing the part of Livia in the UK premiere of Galileo.

Next came a year touring Victoria and New South Wales with the Flying Bookworm Theatre Company, performing at schools and community centres and the role of Wendy in Event Theatre Australia's production of Peter Pan in Melbourne.

Last year, Stephanie performed the role of Ophelia in Hamlet and was Understudy to Ariel in The Tempest for the Great River Shakespeare Festival in North America.