Christopher Stollery

Christopher Stollery
Other names	Chris Stollery
Occupation(s)	Actor, filmmaker, playwright
Years active	1984-

Christopher Stollery is an Australian actor of stage and screen, filmmaker, and playwright. He is known for his roles in the 1990s TV series State Coroner and The Flying Doctors, and more recently as Inspector Dick Kemp in the drama series Last King of the Cross. He also has many stage credits, having had a 15-year association with the Bell Shakespeare Company in Sydney, and has made several short films.

Early life and education

Christopher Stollery graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney in 1987,^[1] and he is also a graduate of AFTRS.^[2]

Acting career

Screen

On television, Stollery is known for his role on State Coroner (1997–98) as Sgt. Dermot McLeod.^[3] He had a leading role on The Flying Doctors in 1990,^[1] and a recurring role on Sea Patrol in 2007.^[4] He also had roles in the TV series A Country Practice,^[1] All Saints, White Collar Blue, and Water Rats.^{[citation needed]}

In 2023–24, he played Inspector Dick Kemp in the drama series Last King of the Cross, based on the real-life story of Sydney nightclub mogul John Ibrahim.^[5]

His film credits include The Rage in Placid Lake (2003), Predestination (2014), and The Nightingale (2018).

Stage

Stollery has also a lengthy stage career.^[6] He was an associate artist with Bell Shakespeare Company for 15 years, appearing in 19 Bell productions.^[2] He played Hamlet in a 1993 production of Hamlet;^[7][8] and Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet in May 1993,^[9] of which The Sunday Age's Ken Healy wrote "...most outstanding are Christopher Stollery as the swaggering Capulet thug, Tybalt".^[10] In 1994, he played Macduff in Macbeth,^[11] of which Leonard Radic of The Age wrote "Christopher Stollery produces plenty of sound and fury, but little else, as Macduff".^[12]

He has also performed regularly with the Sydney Theatre Company and Belvoir Street.^[2] In 2022, he performed in Wayside Bride and Caryl Churchill's play Light Shining in Buckinghamshire with Belvoir Street.^[13]

Stollery has also performed on stage with Cate Blanchett and John Cleese, and sung in a musical with Tim Minchin.^[2]

Creative career

Filmmaking

In 1997 Stollery created the short film Prick, which played at Tropfest and made the Flickerfest finals.^[14]

In 2011 he created another short film, Dik, which won Best Screenplay at 2011's Flickerfest and the best comedy award at Aspen Shortsfest.^[15][16] Dik was selected as one of 10 finalists' in the 13th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival (Manhattan Short) and represented Australia during the festival.^[17]

In 2016 he created a short film with his smartphone, called No Budget.^[2]

Playwriting

Stollery has written at least one play, The Copernican (as of October 2024^[update] not yet performed).^[18]

Other roles

As of 2024^[update] Stollery is an ambassador for SmartFone Flick Fest (SF3), held annually in Sydney.^[2]

Recognition and awards

Stage acting

Stollery has been nominated for a Green Room Award twice, and for Sydney Theatre Awards three times. He won Best Actor at the latter in 2009.^[2]

Filmmaking

As of 2024^[update], Stollery's short films have won over 30 awards internationally, including at Palm Springs, Aspen Shortsfest, and Best Screenplay at Flickerfest.^[2]

In 2016, he won Best Film and Best Cinematography at SF3, for his film No Budget.^[2]

Playwriting

In September 2024 Stollery won the inaugural Cooper Prize for playwriting at the 16th Street Actors Studio in Melbourne,^[19] with his script The Copernican.^[18]

References

1. Sadlier, Kevin (12 August 1990), "A career that's taking off", Sun Herald
2. "SF3 festival ambassadors". SF3. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
3. Longworth, Ken (17 May 2001), "Bard habits hard to break", Newcastle Herald
4. Idato, Michael (25 June 2007), "Coast and crew", Sydney Morning Herald
5. "Australian Television: Last King of the Cross: episode guide: 1.06". Australian Television Information Archive. 30 October 1998. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
6. Christopher Stollery, AusStage
7. Hamlet, AusStage
8. Healy, Ken (11 April 1993), "Play on power or lack of it - Stage", Sun Herald
9. Romeo and Juliet, AusStage
10. Healy, Ken (3 May 1993), "Breathing new life into love and death", The Sunday Age)
11. Macbeth, AusStage
12. Radic, Leonard (24 May 1994), "Shakespeare gets lost in space", The Age
13. "Christopher Stollery". AusStage. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
14. Hessey, Ruth (21 February 1997), "Reel cheap ... - Reel keen ... - Reel style - Tropfest 1997", Sydney Morning Herald
15. Keys, Vanessa (15 November 2011), "Stollery has last laugh - RED-CARPET SUCCESS PLUS A DATE WITH CATE BLANCHETT", The Daily Telegraph
16. Bates, Rob (11 May 2011), "Top award for Dik", Sydney Central Courier
17. "DIK to represent Australia at Manhattan Short". IF Magazine. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
18. Blake, Jason (11 September 2024). "Christopher Stollery wins Inaugural Cooper Prize for Playwriting". Limelight. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
19. Wild, Stephi (11 September 2024). "Australian Actor and Writer Named Recipient of the Inaugural Playwriting Prize". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 29 October 2024.

External links

• Christopher Stollery at IMDb
• Christopher Stollery on AusStage
• Biographical cuttings on Christopher Stollery, actor, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals at the National Library of Australia.