A Conversation with Brent Osborne

Interview with a Stage Actor

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First of all, I would just like to issue an apology about the delay in getting this interview transcribed and posted up. Due to a number of matters this past week and a half which urgently needed attending to, and the fact that Cats was almost sold out when opening night rolled around, I was only able to practically get it up this morning. However, I look forward to bringing you more interviews in the future in a much more timelier manner.

All that being said, I hope you enjoy this interview I had with Brent Osborne, who takes on the role of Mungojerrie in the ongoing Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic stage musical Cats.


Can you share a little bit about your history in theatre?

I started in Cats funnily enough in 2009, that’s when I was living in Brissie. I went away with Cats through Asia and came back to do Australia in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and everything. I then moved down to Melbourne in 2010 and did King Kong in Melbourne along with some kids shows like Lazy Town. I then got back into Cats in 2014 and did South Korea, Macau, Singapore, a bit of Asia again, and then back to Australia.

In your experience, how is this new London Palladium version different from when you first started?

The main change I think everyone will notice is the Tugger numbers had a bit of a revamp from Andrew Lloyd Webber. The music here and there has also changed a little bit. It’s not drastically different but there are little things here and there that have been altered. And obviously that Grizabella was played by Nicole Scherzinger and obviously now Delta Goodrem in Australia, so that’s another bit of a change there.

So why do you think this show has been so successful all these years?

I think the music’s iconic. Andrew Lloyd Webber writes beautiful, beautiful music that people identify with. I think as people get older they like to bring their kids to the show and their kids fall in love with the music, and then they grow up and bring their kids. So it ends up going through generations, since it has been around for thirty-four or thirty-five years now. So there has been countless generations that have experienced it and people are still coming to see it.

And since you have traveled to a few states already, how has the reception been so far in your option?

First we were in New Zealand, and New Zealand audiences were really nice. We were then in Sydney, and the audiences were fantastic. Then we were in Melbourne, and Melbourne had very warm audiences there since we had a really big theatre and the response was fantastic there. So I am pretty eager to see how the audience responds up here in Brisbane. Hopefully its nice.

A Conversation with Brent Osborne 1

Have there been any particular memorable moments you have had touring with this show?

Because its been such a large part of my life, I’ve kind of experienced birthdays and a lot of other life events while working with this show. So I think Cats will always been one of those things I look back on as a right of passage growing up and coming into adulthood, as well as being the first show I ever did professionally.

Because you have worked on Cats for so many years, what has helped keep you motivated to continue with this show?

I think because its such an iconic show and hard work does pay off at the end of the day. Its a very hard show to do, very physically and mentally demanding. But at the end of the week or the day you finish up and you’ve really earned that break. When the show does stop and you have six months off, you find yourself kind of going “Oh I miss Cats, I’d love to do it again”.  So when it does come back, people just want to get back on board because it really does become a big part of your life.

Do you have any advice for those looking to make a break into theatre?

Its just a lot of hard work, persistence mainly. Going to auditions you could get a thousand no’s and then one yes, but you’ll never know until you keep going and just trying.

Are you looking forward to the next couple of weeks in Brisbane?

Yeah I am actually. Its been very nostalgic coming up to Brissie again. But I am looking forward to seeing what the reception of the audience is like, and also getting to experience all the new stuff thats happened. I was up in Brisbane about six months ago and only here for two days, so I didn’t get to get out and experience it a bit. So I look forward to getting amongst Brissie and seeing what has changed and all the new things that its got going for it.

Thank you very much for your time.


Thank you very much to Brent Osborne once for taking some time out of his busy schedule to speak with me during the show’s Media Call at QPAC. A big thank you must also go to the show’s publicity team, for helping organise this Q&A.

While tickets to Cats at QPAC in Brisbane have all sold out, you will be able to catch the show at the Festival Theatre in Adelaide starting March 18th and the Crown Theatre in Perth beginning April 16th. You can read my review of this show HERE.

Sam
Sam
Founder of The Otaku's Study. I have been exploring this labyrinth of fandom these last fifteen years, and still nowhere close to the exit yet. Probably searching for a long time to come.

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