For Thomas Currie ’17 – ‘The Curtain’s Going Up’

 

Introduced to the performing arts at a young age, Thomas’ dream was to be an actor.

Growing up all elements of live theatre fascinated him.  Performance, Music, Production, Sound & Lighting, it didn’t matter, he was hooked, he loved it all.  It was no surprise that during his time at IGS he was involved in the Performing Arts. His final year a highlight where he played Pontius Pilate in the school production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

He auditioned for the Queensland Conservatory at Griffith University whilst he was in year 12 and knew the percentage of offers into the course by a school leaver were extremely low but, his sights were set.  Thomas fondly remembers the moment he received his offer – only moments before sitting his year 12 English Exam he recalls ‘it was a strange feeling. I felt so lucky – it was the only audition I attended and wanted. I felt it was the best fit for me and then I had to focus and sit my English Exam.’

He moved to Qld in January 2018 and describes his time as ‘an incredible experience, a highly disciplined environment with great friends who became family and I got to dance, sing, act and have voice training every day!’
In 2019, after his performance for Carols by Candlelight for the Victorian Police he was approached by Chairman of the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation Board, David Mann AM to be an Ambassador for Blue Ribbon. A position he still holds today.

Then covid hit.

Fortunately, in his final year of studies (2020) he was able to perform the graduate show at the beginning of the year before Lockdown.  Not long after the performance, all students were informed
to ‘go home’ as all was so uncertain.  ‘It was hard to leave, not only had we become like family, but we didn’t know if we were coming back. It makes you rethink everything.’

By June 2020 the university gave students permission to resume the course on campus.
‘It was a big rush back, I finally graduated but performances were cancelled, and others needed to be reworked and were smaller.  I was grateful to be back on campus, but it was hard to see what my family were going through in Melbourne’.
At the end of the course, he returned to Melbourne and started working on his one man show
‘Basically Nocturnal’.

The show, an original compilation by Thomas, takes the audience on a journey of his thoughts when he stays up late at night. Interestingly when submitting his application for the Melbourne Cabaret Festival in early 2021,  the original piece of music he used included a piano/synthesizer, cello and drums which create an eccentric sound throughout the show.  With the application successful, he performed
‘Basically Nocturnal’ to a packed house and great reviews in June this year at ‘Chapel on Chapel’.
Unfortunately, elation turned to disappointment when another Victorian lockdown was introduced, and the show could not continue for further performances.
Looking back, Thomas commented ‘it was a wonderful night’ and he was pleased the comedic element of the show ‘landed with the audience’.

‘Basically Nocturnal’ also got noticed by the organisers of the ‘Wynnum Fringe Festival’ who invited Thomas to perform the show on 21 November 2021 at the festival in Brisbane.

Tickets for the show can be purchased at  https://www.wynnumfringe.com/tickets/?EventID=79

We wish Thomas every success and look forward to eventually seeing him to fulfil another dream of his and work overseas.