NIC KYLE Seizing his chance – and making it
Old Boy actor and singer Nic Kyle (12658) has a strong philosophy that has kept him going in his highly successful career – when you get knocked down, you just get back up again and look for another way to do things.
Nic’s first big break came over four years ago when he sent a recording to Elaine Paige who was about to tour New Zealand and Australia and was looking for a guest singer. She had held auditions in both countries, but had not yet found the right person. Then she listened to Nic’s recording. “I can still remember where I was when I received her email saying she wanted me to have an audition,’’ says Nic. “It was such a great feeling. Elaine really helped my career and,
when the tour was over, she made the impossible possible by helping me find an agent in London. She was my golden ticket, as I have watched hundreds of actors come to London and they just can’t get an agent. With over 100,000 actors in London all looking for work, you just can’t get by without an agent, and directors choose British actors before Kiwis.’’ Nic is proud of the fact that he worked solidly during his four years in London and attributes this to his Kiwi background of just getting on and making things happen.
Nic trained as an actor in New Zealand and worked at The Court Theatre. He took part in a number of shows, mostly musicals, in New Zealand and Australia. When The Court Theatre was destroyed in the earthquakes, there were no real venues left – and after nine months with no work, Nic took the initiative and wrote his own show, which was held in a tent in Hagley Park. “It was an enormous learning curve for me as I had never written anything before and, while it wasn’t all that good, it wasn’t terrible either. It gave me the confidence that when I don’t have any work, I make my own, which a lot of people just don’t do. They wait for someone else to employ them.’’ Nic raised the money to get to London by putting on shows. Once there, he decided he would need to put on a show in a reasonable theatre to catch the attention of an agent. Hiring a reputable theatre rather than a cheaper option such as a pub cost him over $10,000, but he considered it was make or break time and he had to do it.
“I have the attitude that I am not a waiter who acts, I’m first and foremost an actor. I am prepared to take on any role and, if I can’t find a role, then I’ll write a show for myself and put it on.’’
96
Christ’s College Canterbury
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