You’re appearing in Lane Cove Theatre Company’s production ofAway. What’s the play about?
My character, Tom, is a young man with a terminal illness chasing his last chance to experience love. Rowena McNicol plays a bereaved mother on the edge of sanity. Katherine Stewart is a survivor of the Great Depression who will go any lengths to fend off poverty. These characters converge on a sunny Australian beach for their summer holiday, where the very spirits of Fate will conspire to test their resolve.
Do you have any personal connection to the Vietnam War, only a couple of generations ago?
My family were all fortunate concerning the draft, but there is a terrifying modernity to the Vietnam War which personalises it for me.
How well does Michael Gow’s text capture a moment in Australian history?
The play is like a postcard from another time. Perhaps the reason it encapsulates the period so brilliantly is that Gow was drawing on the rich and somewhat romantic memories of his youth.
What attracts you to community theatre?
Unfortunately, when it comes to acting, enthusiasm is not all it takes. Somewhere underneath the games of make-believe is a real art and a real skill. At an established theatre like Lane Cove you can learn from experienced and superbly talented actors whose only focus is perfecting and enjoying their craft.
As a young actor, how vibrant do you find the Sydney theatre scene to be?
There is definitely more to Sydney theatre than what’s going on at Circular Quay. Culture happens down in the cracks and crevices of a big city. People say the theatre is like a mirror. I think the best kind of mirror is one that you can stand nice and close to.
Away by Michael Gow runsFriday March 18 – Saturday April 9 atThe Performance Space, St Aidan’s, Longueville.
