Changing Creative Lanes: From Actor to Playwright

At the age of eight, I was chasing it in the safe space of Children's Arena Theatre in South Yarra, thrilling my acting teacher as Tony from West Side Story. She handed me the page to play Tony in the scene where he is shot. It was 1978. I gave it everything.

She cried, moved, and was a little shocked an eight-year-old could feel so deeply.

From that moment, I was a storyteller. As a young boy from Melbourne, wide-eyed and endlessly curious, I began my creative life as an actor.

The Unspoken Rule

Once you choose your artistic path, the unspoken rule is clear: stay in your lane. Few dare to cross the invisible line, only to rebuild from scratch. Eventually, the new crowd accepts you for who you are.

In 1994, a director asked me to play Rolf Gruber in The Sound of Music. I was 24, fearless, and utterly addicted to the thrill of storytelling. But the following year, in 1995, I changed lanes.

The stage was still home, but the words became mine.

Finding Freedom in Writing

Writing offered something acting never could: complete creative freedom. I learned by doing, failing, and doing again. My classroom wasn't a university; it was the streets of Melbourne, public libraries, and the pages of Harold Pinter. I devoured every play he wrote, dissected dialogue, rewrote entire drafts, and discovered how precision meets emotion on the page.

My first attempt was a 294-page disaster: typed in 12-point Times New Roman, single-spaced, and unreadable. But through persistence, guidance, and humility, I carved a 90-minute play.

With the steady mentorship of Maree Trevor (Crawfords) and Jon Finlayson (Boys From The Bush, Snowy River) by my side—in my ear and on the phone, editing, questioning, and encouraging me to do better—I found my voice.

The Moment Everything Changed

In 1996, The Meeting Place debuted at the Melbourne Fringe: my first official play, first award, and the moment my identity shifted from actor to writer. The creative lane was mine again, and this time, I built it myself.

Reinvention isn't betrayal. It's evolution. 

Creativity has no single path, only those brave enough to walk it.

Your Creative Journey Starts Here

Whether you're an actor exploring playwriting, a novelist dreaming of the stage, or someone who's always wanted to tell stories but doesn't know where to start—I've been there. I've walked the path from blank page to standing ovation, and I'm here to guide you through your own creative transformation.