Theatre Royal: Thomas Campbell plays the cast of Misterman

Pic: by Diana Popovska

Mister Thomas Campbell will return to Tasmania to play at the Theatre Royal as the cast, yes, you read that right, of the Enda Walsh Irish drama ‘Misterman’.

Thomas grew up in Tassie, attending Lansdowne Primary School, Taroona High and Rosny College.

For Thomas a love of acting began at Taroona High; the ‘feeder’ school for Hobart College. However, Thomas discovered that Rosny College offered ‘a gifted and talented program’ with a strong drama component, so it was here he applied when finishing high school.

Through his TCE drama course Thomas acted in a number of school plays including a production of My Fair Lady in 1999 for The Gilbert and Sullivan Society in Tasmania.

When school was over Thomas headed to NIDA. This experience gave Thomas experience in classic techniques of movement, a high percentage of Shakespeare, classical theatre and screen techniques.

The movement technique is very important in Misterman, a play which Thomas describes as ‘an energy-fuelled 75 minutes’ of himself as the coincidently named Thomas, playing a number of characters that he captured on a particular day through a variety of recording equipment.

Thomas says the director has honoured playwright Enda Walsh’s vision of the ‘dissection of a small town community’ in the also aptly named Innishfree in which the main character Thomas’s religious zealotry ensures is not so free, as he offers his views and recommendations for the various transgressions of the town’s people including alcoholism and profane language, while at the same time not seeing that he himself exhibits some of the most unsavoury human behaviour.

Thomas the actor’s amazing feat is in playing all the characters, including men, women, a dog and an angel!

You can see Misterman at the Theatre Royal Backstage Theatre 31st May – 4th June.
Paula Xiberras