Career Highlight: THE
PIRATES OF PENZANCE Tour 2006/2007
August 2006 - July 2007
(Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and
Melbourne)
Whilst performing in THE
PIRATES OF PENZANCE with Opera
Australia, Luke had the opportunity to work with Anthony
Warlow, David Hobson, David Campbell, John Bolton
Wood, Dennis Olsen, Reg Livermore, Taryn Fiebig
and Suzanne Johnstone. He also feels
priveledged to have worked with one of
Australia's highly regarded directors, Stuart
Maunder and OA's resident
choreographer, Elizabeth Hill
Career Highlight: Kookaburra
National Theatre Company Launch
10 April 2006 - Lyric
Theatre, Star City, Sydney
Luke feels very fortunate
and proud to have been a part of the success of
the most recent launch of this NEW Theatre
Company. It was an honour to share the stage with
so many of Australia's finest, highly respected
and "in demand" talent. Directed by Gale
Edwards with Choreography by Ross
Coleman and Musical Direction
shared by Peter Casey & Guy Noble,
some of the stars included: Julie
Anthony, Paula Arundell, Rachael Beck, Simon
Burke, Debra Byrne, Peter Carroll, Judi Connelli,
Peter Cousens, Michael Cormick, John Diedrich,
Drew Forsythe, Nancye Hayes, Wayne Scott Kermond,
Toni Lamond, Caroline O'Connor, Jill Perryman,
Marina Prior, Normie Rowe, Ian Stenlake,
Christina Tan, John Waters and Ursula
Yovich
For further developments and
upcoming news on KOOKABURRA NATIONAL
THEATRE COMPANY, please check in with www.kookaburra.org.au
New Experience For A Young
Canberra Actor
The Canberra Times,
8 January 2002
By Ron Cerabona
Canberra has nurtured many
fine young actors in its vibrant amateur theatre
scene, and one of them has just had a dream come
true.
Luke Barron, 23, who acted in many local
musical-theatre productions, including A
CHORUS LINE, HALF A SIXPENCE and
RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET,
will soon be travelling to Perth to begin his
Bachelor of Arts in music theatre at the Western
Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
"I'm over the moon,
lost for words," says Barron, currently
living in Sydney, of his success. He was one of
18 people (eight male, 10 female) who were
selected out of the 550 applicants.
For his WAAPA
audition late last year, he sang Manchester,
England from HAIR and Old
Devil Moon from FINIAN'S RAINBOW,
recited a speech from AS YOU LIKE IT,
and performed a dance routine. In the first week
of December, he received the call, and now he's
buying some necessary items - ballet shoes,
tights, tap shoes - before he heads to Perth at
the end of January to begin the three-year
full-time course.
He has a friend going into
the second year of the stage-management course
but will otherwise be moving to an unknown city.
It's a slightly "nerve-racking"
prospect and he'll miss his friends, but as the
son of a former diplomat he's accustomed to
change and enjoys the experiences of each new
place. Besides, students who finished first year
in 2001 have already been in touch, offering
encouragement and assistance.
Early last year, Barron
"bit the bullet" and left his job at
the Kingston Foreshore Development
Authority to move to Sydney and
pursue his love of musical theatre, having gained
a range of experience in various forms of
performing arts here in Canberra.
In Sydney, he completed a
one-year certificate course at the MASQUE
National Institute of Performing Arts,
where he co-wrote and appeared in the end-of-year
musical PLAYING CHARLIE PORTER.
He auditioned for the National
Institute of Dramatic Art ("it
wasn't eventful") but is pleased to have
made it into WAAPA,
previous graduates of which include Lisa McCune
and Hugh Jackman, both multi-talented performers
who have played lead roles in stage musicals.
Barron says of his time in
Canberra developing his skills in local
productions, "You never forget your roots -
I'm very thankful for all that." He says he
was "fortunate to work with so many
high-profile companies in Canberra", which
was "a big stepping stone to moving to
Sydney".
The highlight, he says, was
working with and learning from director Colin
Anderson in the Canberra Philharmonic
Society's production of SWEET
CHARITY, "the next best thing to
professional work, in the Canberra Theatre on a
big stage . . . the whole vibe was really
good". He also particularly enjoyed
appearing in the Australian premiere of the
musical CAREFUL HE MIGHT HEAR YOU with
Toni Lamond.
He hopes to move into short
films or television, and possibly do some cabaret
work, and might do more writing, but he prefers
acting to directing. Ultimately, though, when he
finishes the WAAPA
course, he says he will keep auditioning for
roles in his first love, professional musical
theatre.
His family, appreciative of
his talent, are fully supportive of his move to
Perth, as they have always been throughout his
career: "They've supported and pushed - with
love."
