Endure & Survive Always

When did you first decide to be in theater? To be honest, probably when I was about fourteen. It was the first time and I remember my mate Gus ringing me. He’s like “Mate, let’s audition for the high school musical.” I was like, “Mate, seriously? Rugby season. I’m not auditioning for that.” He goes, “No, no! We’re going to do it with the local girls high school.” “I’m in.” You see I went to an all-boys high school. From the age of ten, it was just all boys. So everyone went for the musical and you had to audition to get into it. And the musical, I remember it. It was the Music Man. So, to audition I go to the library and I look it up. The very first song has got eight small characters. It’s these salesman on a train. It’s a great number. There is no singing, there is just talking a capella to the rhythm of a train and I was like, “Perfect.” So I learned that thinking I’m going to get one of these small parts and I wanted it so bad this audition. I wanted it so bad that I learned every single part. Right? It’s like eight minutes long, this thing. I was fourteen when I did it and what am I? Twenty-eight? Alright, I’m forty-two. I remember every single word of that audition. Do want me to do a little bit for you?