Tasmanian English

Well, at least we could call Jon English Tasmanian, for a short time, because yes, he is a frequent visitor to the state and most recently completed performances of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at Launceston’s Encore Theatre. While he was in Tasmania he also enjoyed a visit from his sons who were able to see a bit of the state with him including Cradle Mountain and Devonport.

Jon’s links with the state go even deeper, since 2008 he has been concerned about the fate of our Tasmanian devil, so concerned that he has planned benefit concerts to help save the little creature and is also working on the idea of the breeding of disease free,Tasmanian devils in captivity as insurance against their further depletion.

Jon is originally from Hampstead in the UK, a place known for its creativity and dirth of artistic residents. It is the birthplace of Stephen Fry and Dirk Bogarde and the chosen home of many other artistic people. Among the many musicians that have lived there are the Irish tenor John McCormack, American singer Paul Robeson, Marianne Faithful, Yehudi Menuhin and ‘Sting’. John Keats house is there as is Freud’s sofa!

It seems that a place with such intellectual and artistic talent is perfect to have given us Jon English. He may have an English Hampstead heritage but Jon is a true blue Aussie, one of our most loved entertainers and is one of the few that has successfully meshed music, theatre, and television careers.

I spoke to the talented Mr English just prior to him going on stage to perform as Pilate in his revisiting of Jesus Christ Superstar (JCS). His first production of JCS was hailed by Tim Rice as the best he had ever seen. That time it was Judas that he played and it seems a conundrum but also a bow to his great acting abilities that such a nice man could play two such controversial characters such as these.

Although his career spans music, theatre and television. one gets the idea he prefers theatre, the adrenaline rush, the immediate gratification in comparison to television or film making which mean long days on the set,often in bad weather conditions which is of course concealed by movie magic

Away from theatre Jon has carved out a niche as on television, one production that lingers on in viewers memories is the wonderful ‘Against the Wind’ for which Jon wrote the beautiful song ‘six ribbons’. He was also seen in the popular sitcom ‘All Together Now’. Jon can do comedy,drama and of course music.

But furthermore the same movie magic that can smooth over weather fluctuations can also conceal the fact that Jon does most of his own stunts, working with a fling harness, doing acrobatics such as somersaults and cartwheels, being held over 60 feet in the air, thrown of a balcony, swinging on a rope and falling down stairs and completed his own horse work in films. Through all this perilous physical activity he has rarely missed a days work.

Jon said he is considering writing his autobiography and refreshingly says there will be no ghost writer. He does not shirk or tremble at the thought of writing an autobiography because he doesn’t really have any gripes to make or anyone to disappoint.

A true renaissance man, look out for Jon when he tours with ‘Rock Revolution’ on 25th November at the Theatre Royal (a theatre that he loves) and at the Princess Theatre on 24th November.
Paula Xiberras