Hollywood Down Under; What About Broadway?

I hear New South Wales is the new Hollywood! Too good to be true? Yes, it is too good to be true for Australian actors.

I know many Australian actors, myself included, who were beyond excited by the prospect of Hollywood productions moving closer to home. I was hoping that this would be the opportunity many Aussies have been waiting for to be cast in something on our home soil! However, that excitement was quickly shattered when I read countless casting announcements and saw paparazzi pictures of the many many Hollywood actors who are now living in New South Wales. 

Image courtesy of @alicesadventures_themusical

Whilst many Hollywood productions have moved to Australia due to our limited Covid cases, that doesn’t seem to be providing much excitement for myself and other actors around me in Sydney. One would think that huge productions moving close to home would be a dream come true to many Australian performers but unfortunately it isn’t a dream, as from where I’m standing, they are bringing the entire Hollywood here, including their actors, which means there are no roles left for us. One benefit is at least our tech and behind the scenes friends are getting work on these productions…. And maybe another benefit is the expected economic boom…but for Aussie actors… no. 

So, what hope do we have left? The answer is theatre. Whilst this entire industry often feels extremely exclusive, theatre is a light for actors hoping to keep their creative juices flowing. Whilst we have some big musicals which have just landed including Hamilton and Frozen, what’s really exciting is the opportunities and creative space which new creators have here at the moment. I myself am Assistant Producing a new musical called Alice’s Adventures written by Australian Andy Freeborn and directed by Australian Jess Ramsey. When all of Hollywood landed in Sydney, I lost hope because I was still competing with the American film industry, however, new theatre works like Alice’s Adventures are here to provide a beacon of hope to Australian creatives and actors who just want to get working. 

Follow along on the journey of Alice’s Adventures, A New Australian Musical on their Instagram.