Meet Cess Sinclair, a dog whisperer from Dapto, and one of the main characters in The Dapto Chaser, opening at Griffin Theatre in July. Actor Richard Sydenham steps into the role of Cess to give us his trackside point of view.
Cess, what did you want to be when you grew up, and who are you now?
A garbage truck driver by morning and a fireman by night. I also wanted to be the inventor of the first fully functional teleportation machine.I did a drawing of the prototype and everything, I just never followed through on it. Now I am a greyhound owner and trainer who lives in Dapto.
Can you introduce us to some of your dogs?
Maggie’s Beer Gut, Flea Biscuit, Knee Trembler, Free Beer, Angela’s Legs, Shirt Fronter, Kitty Litter, Pajama Donkey, You Can See Russia, Not Happy Jan, Claudia Sniffer.
Do you come from a dog-loving family?
100 per cent… except for my brother Jimmy, he was into goldfish and guinea pigs. We don’t know what went wrong there. We love our dogs; they are our heart and soul walking round on four legs.
What is your clearest childhood memory?
My mum letting me spin her globe of the world – Dapto and the universe seemed less flat after that. I also remember my dad coming home from the hospital and telling me my brother Jimmy had been born with a toe missing, but besides that he was perfect.
Why is booking a ticket to The Dapto Chaser a sure bet?
Because I am in it! It’s a ripping yarn with great actors, including Danny Adcock from ABC’s The Moodys, and last but by no means least, the Griffin Theatre has a fully stocked bar in the foyer.
Richard Sydenham photo by Robert Catto
The Dapto Chaser runs Wednesday July 1 – Saturday July 25 at Griffin Theatre.
