My essentials: Gabrielle Sargent’s cultural picks

About me

I’m a classically trained singer with experience in opera and theatre, performing in both intimate venues and larger productions. I’ve worked with directors and musicians on opera, chamber works, and contemporary pieces. I care about storytelling through music and the connection it creates. Off stage, I’m probably cooking, listening to music, or spending time with people I love.

Book

Audition by Katie Kitamura is a book I really enjoyed reading recently. It’s about performance, identity, and the line between what we present and what we keep to ourselves. As someone who performs, that space feels familiar. Kitamura’s writing is spare but layered, letting you sit with the silences as much as the words. It reminded me that performance isn’t always loud or certain.bSometimes it’s the quiet, internal moments that reveal the most.

Film

Poor Things is strange, bold, and brilliant. Emma Stone’s Bella is fearless, and her journey feels both chaotic and deliberate. The film refuses to settle into one thing, and that’s what I loved about it. It explores identity and freedom without neat answers, and the ending leaves you slightly off balance in the best way. It’s stayed with me because it celebrates transformation and imperfection in a way that feels honest.

Internet and TV

I listen to a lot of podcasts, often while cooking or traveling. Some I come back to are How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, Strangers on a Bench, and Sidetracked. I like hearing stories that feel grounded and human, or ones that make me think differently about how people move through life. Podcasts have become something I turn to when I want company or perspective without having to look at a screen.

Music

This is a difficult one. I love listening to music and discovering different genres. I adore Jessica Pratt and Laura Marling. Their writing and tone always stop me in my tracks. Listening to opera can sometimes make me over-critical because of my training, so I tend to listen to other genres when I want to relax. Sometimes it’s electropop or disco, sometimes something quieter. I just like hearing voices that sound real and carry feeling without needing to be perfect.

Place

Home, Malta, and the sea are essential. I’m based in the UK but always feel grounded when I’m back. Being near the water resets me in a way nothing else does. I also love theatre spaces, walking into a rehearsal room or standing side stage before a performance still gives me the same feeling it did when I started. Places with energy, memory, or calm stay with me and shape how I approach both life and performance.