DSCENE Magazine reveals actor Bethany Antonia as one of the cover stars of its Design Under Pressure issue. Photographed by Ella Rose Peck and styled by Lewis Stratton, the cover introduces a story shaped by performance, patience, and the pressure of working across large-scale television and live theatre. On the cover, Antonia wears Dior, setting a refined visual direction for a feature centered on control, presence, and artistic growth. The interview was conducted by DSCENE Magazine Editor Ana Markovic.
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Design Under Pressure examines the forces shaping contemporary culture through fashion, film, television, music, design, architecture, art, and public life. The issue looks at pressure as a creative condition, tracing how artists and cultural figures respond to expectation, visibility, speed, and control. With Bethany Antonia, DSCENE approaches the theme through the discipline of performance and the long process behind work that reaches audiences in very different forms.
Antonia speaks about the early experiences that shaped her path into acting. Her mother placed her in dance classes as soon as she could walk, with acting and singing following soon after. Drama classes in secondary school led to a local acting group, where she booked her first job at 14 in a Shakespeare adaptation. “I couldn’t quite believe this was something I could do and call it work,” she tells DSCENE. “From there I didn’t look back.”
At the center of the conversation stands House of the Dragon, where Antonia plays Lady Baela Targaryen. The role has taught her how to think about time differently. She describes a process that stretches across years, from reading early scripts to discussing costumes long before they appear on screen. For Antonia, the series has revealed “the power of patience,” and the value of building a character slowly, piece by piece. She joined the production at 22 and is now 28, with the role marking a major period of her personal and professional life.
The interview also turns toward public visibility. Antonia explains that being part of such a large series initially made her intensely self-aware, especially with the scale of attention surrounding the show. Over time, that experience has shifted. She now speaks about finding joy in the exposure and turning it into excitement and pride. That change mirrors the wider focus of Design Under Pressure, where creative work often develops under observation, expectation, and public reaction.
Antonia also discusses Hadestown, where she takes on the role of Eurydice. The move to theatre brings a different kind of discipline, rooted in repetition, presence, and nightly change. She describes the experience as a dream role and says nothing could have fully prepared her for the reality of playing Eurydice. “Alive, fizzy, ever-important, different every night,” she says of the production. “I’m at my happiest when I’m on stage, and Hadestown has solidified that in every way.”
The cover story brings together photography by Ella Rose Peck, styling by Lewis Stratton, makeup by Morgan Wyn, hair by Lucia Josephine, movement direction by Lee Jay Hoy, and fashion assistance by Alexandria Ng and Logun Screen. As part of DSCENE Magazine’s Design Under Pressure issue, Bethany Antonia’s cover opens a conversation about time, discipline, fantasy, theatre, and the choices that shape an actor across formats.
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Photographer ELLA ROSE PECK
Stylist LEWIS STRATTON
Make-up MORGAN WYN
Hair LUCIA JOSEPHINE
Movement Director LEE JAY HOY
Fashion Assistants ALEXANDRIA NG & LOGUN SCREEN
Talent BETHANY ANTONIA
