immensely popular show called Secret Cinema . A complete set from a popular movie – for example, Back to the Future – is built and populated with actors playing the different characters. The audience are told what to wear and when and where to turn up. They then spend four hours in an immersive theatre experience, living on a film set with the actors improvising and directing the audience. Plenty of celebrities turn up to be in the audience, including Chris Martin, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ruby Wax. Despite his successes, however, Nic’s acting and singing career in London
“Elaine emailed an agent she knew well and I sent invitations to over 150 other agents. In the end, only Elaine’s agent came, so I knew that if he didn’t like me, then it really would be all over. In the end, after the show he invited me to come in and see him, saying he had an opening for me as there aren’t many men in their late 20s who sing like me.’’ Nic attributes his powerful voice to his time in the choir at College. “The musical director at the time, Paul Ellis, said men’s voices can only be two things – loud and very loud. So I’ve got a big, brash, bright voice and I sing really loud which seems to appeal to musical directors.’’ An unfortunate experience while he was working in Christchurch, however, initially made it difficult for Nic to find work in West End musicals. He had taken part in a production which required him to bleach his thick curly dark hair. Unfortunately, the strong bleach caused his hair to fall out and it never grew back. “In New Zealand, where there are fewer actors, being bald would not be a disadvantage, but in London I missed part after part because of my lack of hair. People accept it in a play, but in musical theatre people expect you to be larger than life and directors were saying I sounded really good, but just didn’t look right for the part. All because of my baldness. “It was so hard as I felt I had done all this training and all they cared about was my hair, which I can’t do anything about and which I have no control over.’’ Thankfully, things changed when Nic went for a role in the chorus in a show called Grand Tour . He ended up as the lead, after the director said she felt his charisma, confidence and voice gave him a commanding stage presence. That was when things really started to look up. When there was no work on offer, Nic says he had lots of fun with an
has now ended after a visa issue had him deported. He had been working in Frankfurt in an English version of Spamalot , but on his return to the UK was stopped, pulled over and then detained in a locked room for nine hours. He was grilled about his overdue visa, until finally he had his passport removed and was told he had five days to leave the country. Nic was devastated at first, but is now philosophical about the experience. “I feel like I have proved I can work alongside the best London has to
offer, and in leading roles. But that chapter is now closed. The good thing about acting, however, is you can work anywhere and you don’t have to be in London to be an actor.’’ So, after a brief stint in Christchurch, Nic is off to Germany to join his girlfriend, a professional footballer and double bronze Olympic medallist in the Canadian Women’s team. After travelling for a while, the couple will return to Vancouver, where Nic intends to restart his career. It seems there is no stopping this resourceful, optimistic, talented young Old Boy.
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College Issue 33 2017
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