Drew Forsythe

For Drew Forsyth, the American drummer, see Drew Forsyth.

Drew Forsythe
Born (1949-08-23) August 23, 1949 (age 75)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • writer
  • comedian
  • voice actor
FamilyAbe Forsythe (son)

Drew Forsythe (born 23 August 1949) is an Australian actor, singer, writer, and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage, and television, as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programs.

Early life

Born in New South Wales to newsagent parents,[1] Forsythe attended Atherton Primary School, far north Queensland. [citation needed]. He caught the acting bug when The Young Elizabethan Players performed Hamlet (featuring Kirrily Nolan as Ophelia) at his Charters Towers high school.[1] Forsythe went on to study acting at National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1969.[2]

Career

Theatre

The title roles of the heroic Tonino and the foolish Zanetto in the Nick Enright/Terence Clarke musical, The Venetian Twins, were written for Forsythe. He originated these dual roles for Nimrod Theatre Company in the first Sydney Theatre Company season in 1979, and subsequently in two revivals.

Playwright David Williamson wrote Flatfoot for Forsythe, in which he played eleven different characters and a parrot.[2]

Together with Jonathan Biggins and Phillip Scott, Forsythe was a creator, writer and performer of Three Men and a Baby Grand which started at the Tilbury Hotel in Woolloomooloo. It went on to tour Australia-wide, at the Edinburgh Festival, and with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and was also adapted as a television series for the ABC. The same team went on to create the Wharf Revue for the Sydney Theatre Company.[3]

Other stage appearances include the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas H.M.S. Pinafore and The Mikado for Essgee Entertainment, receiving a Melbourne Green Room Award as Ko-Ko in The Mikado in 1995.

Film

Forsythe appeared in the films Stone, Caddie, Newsfront, Annie's Coming Out, Ginger Meggs, Burke & Wills, Travelling North and Billy's Holiday. He featured as the narrator in the film Ned, which was written and directed by and starred his son, Abe Forsythe.

He received the 1976 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his role in Caddie.

Television

Forsythe has featured in television roles on The Miraculous Mellops, The Dingo Principle and Hotel Bordemer. He has also made guest appearances on a number of popular television series, including Cop Shop, A Country Practice, G.P., BackBerner, All Saints, and Packed to the Rafters.

He provided the anonymous, uncredited voice of David Tench, an animated host on Network Ten's short-lived comedy talk show David Tench Tonight. He also voiced several characters on the Australian award-winning animated series I Got a Rocket,[4] as well as characters on Fairy Tale Police Department and The Adventures of Blinky Bill.

Radio

Forsythe is credited with singing the theme song for the ABC's long-running Sunday morning radio program, Australia All Over, hosted by Ian McNamara. For more than thirty years when over 2 million listeners spanning every corner of Australia tune in from 5.30 am on Sunday mornings to listen to 'Macca' they are greeted by Forsythe singing - "Macca on a Sunday Morning".

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Type
1973 The Taming of the Shrew Teleplay
1973 How Could You Believe Me When I Said I'd Be Your Valet When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life? Teleplay
1974 Stone Fred Feature film
1974 Essington TV movie
1975 They Don't Clap Losers Priest TV movie
1976 Caddie Sonny Feature film
1976 Deathcheaters Battle Scene Director Feature film
1978 Newsfront Bruce Feature film
1979 The Hero Auditionee Short film
1981 Around the World with Dot Danny the Swagman (live) / Santa Claus (voice) Animated TV film
1981 Doctors and Nurses Katz Feature film
1982 Ginger Meggs Tiger Kelly Feature film
1983 Dot and the Bunny Koala (voice) Animated TV film
1984 Annie's Coming Out David Lewis Feature film
1985 Burke & Wills William Brahe Feature film
1986 The Movers John TV movie
1987 Travelling North Martin Feature film
1989 Minnamurra (aka Outback or Wrangler) Henry Iverson Feature film
1993 The Nostradamus Kid 'General Booth Enters Heaven' Strolling Player Feature film
1995 Billy's Holiday Sid Banks Feature film
1996 The Mikado Ko-Ko TV movie
1997 H.M.S. Pinafore The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter K.C.B. TV movie
2002 Six Days Straight Arthur Short film
2003 Ned Narrator Feature film
2006 The Last Chip Pit Boss Trevor Short film

Television

Year Title Role Type
1974 Three Men of the City Ken Styles TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1974 Behind the Legend Ted Baxter TV series, 1 episode
1975 The Company Men Ken Elliott TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1976 The Emigrants Peter TV miniseries, 1 episode
1981 Cop Shop Sid Moody / Murray Paxton TV series, 4 episodes
1984 Breakout Host Documentary
1984-91 A Country Practice Noel Lewis / Phil Pratt TV series, 3 episodes
1985 Runaway Island Bloat TV series, 2 episodes
1986 Land of Hope Old Frank Quinn TV miniseries
1986 Whose Baby? Bill Morrison TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1987 The Dingo Principle Various characters TV series
1989-93 G.P. Leon Winters TV series, 3 episodes
1990 The Party Machine Various characters TV series, 3 episodes
1991-92 The Miraculous Mellops Ralph TV series, 26 episodes
1994 Three Men and a Baby Grand Various characters TV series
1998 Driven Crazy Sidney Drayton Mousechap TV series, season 1, episode 12: "Mousechap"
2001-05 Fairy Tale Police Department Chief Horace White (voice) Animated TV series, 26 episodes
2002 BackBerner Martin TV series, 1 episode
2002-07 All Saints Ray McCarthy / Dale Caulder TV series, 3 episodes
2004 The Adventures of Blinky Bill Voice Animated TV series, season 3
2005 Hotel Bordemer TV series, 19 episodes
2006 Staines Down Drains Dr Drain TV series, 2 episodes
2006-07 David Tench Tonight David Tench (voice) TV series
2006-07 I Got a Rocket Ma Ducky / Biffo Ducky / Scuds Ducky / Captain O'Cheese / Pirate (voices) Animated TV series, 23 episodes
2007 Chandon Pictures Graham Tucker TV series, 1 episode
2008 Packed to the Rafters Fred Mackie TV series, 1 episode
2011 At Home with Julia Bob Katter TV series, 1 episode
2012 Devil’s Dust Bob Carr Animated TV series, 2 episodes

As writer

Year Title Role Type
1987 The Dingo Principle Writer TV series
1990 The Party Machine Writer TV series, 3 episodes
1994 Three Men and a Baby Grand Writer TV series
1996 The Mikado Additional material TV movie
1997 H.M.S. Pinafore Additional material TV movie

Stage

As actor

Year Title Role Type
1968 The Room Mr Kidd Production course graduation play at Jane Street Theatre
1968 Hippolytus Servant Jane Street Theatre
1968 Dark of the Moon Preacher / Haggler Jane Street Theatre
1969 Lock Up Your Daughters Justic Squeezum NIDA Theatre
1969 Miss Jairus Jairus University of NSW, Old Tote Theatre
1969 The Crucible Reverend Samuel Paris University of NSW with Old Tote Theatre
1970 This Story of Yours University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1970 Major Barbara Canberra Theatre & University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1970 The Hostage University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1970 Biggles Ginger Nimrod Theatre Company
1971 King Oedipus Chorus Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Octagon Theatre, Perth & University of Adelaide
1971 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui University of NSW Parade Theatre & Canberra Theatre Centre with Old Tote Theatre
1971 The Dutch Courtesan University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1971 The National Health or Nurse Norton's Affair University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1971 Lasseter University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1972 Tartuffe University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1972 Julius Caesar University of NSW
1972 Forget-Me-Not Lane University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1972 How Could You Believe Me When I Said I'd Be Your Valet When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life? University of NSW Parade Theatre & Canberra Theatre Centre with Old Tote Theatre
1973 'Tis Pity She's a Whore University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1973 King Richard II Sydney Opera House
1973 The Threepenny Opera Sydney Opera House
1973 What If You Died Tomorrow? Sydney Opera House & Elizabethan Theatre
1973 Arsenic and Old Lace Mortimer Old Tote Theatre
1974 The Seagull Kosta Nimrod Theatre Company
1974 The Bacchoi Nimrod Theatre Company
1974 What If You Died Tomorrow? Comedy Theatre, London
1975 Much Ado About Nothing Dogberry Nimrod Theatre Company
1976 All Good Men Stables Theatre
1976 The Speakers Harry / Policeman / Doctor / Davies Drug-pusher Nimrod Theatre Company
1976 Are You Now or Have You Ever Been Larry Parks / Tony Kraber / Elliott Sullivan / Marc Lawrence Nimrod Theatre Company
1976 The Shoemaker's Holiday Ralph Damport Sydney Opera House
1976 A Toast to Melba GB Shaw / Duke of Orleans / Wedekind / Sir Thomas Beecham University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1977 The Magistrate Cis Farringdon Sydney Opera House
1977 Twelfth Night Sir Andrew Aguecheek Nimrod Theatre Company
1977 Much Ado About Nothing Dogberry Nimrod Theatre Company
1977 Any Fool Can Peter Wilkins Bondi Pavilion
1978 The Comedy of Errors Dromio of Syracuse Nimrod Theatre Company
1978 Henry IV Bardoplh Nimrod Theatre Company
1978-79 The Club Danny Canberra Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Orange Civic Theatre, Dapto Leagues Club & St George Leagues Club
1978 Gone with Hardy Stanley Jefferson Nimrod Theatre Company
1979 Incompletions Herb ABC Radio, Sydney
1979 Romeo and Juliet Mercutio Octagon Theatre, Perth & Nimrod Theatre Company
1979 The Life of Galileo Doge of Venice / Thin Monk / Andrea Sarti Nimrod Theatre Company
1979 The Venetian Twins Tonino / Zanetto Sydney Opera House with Nimrod Theatre Company & STC
1980 The Club Danny The Old Vic Theatre, London
1980 The Two Gentlemen of Verona - Open Rehearsal Proteus / Thurio / Antonio Seymour Centre
1981 Three Sisters Nikolai Lvovich / Baron Tusenbach Nimrod Theatre Company
1981 The Venetian Twins Tonino / Zanetto Seymour Centre, Canberra Theatre Centre, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne & Geelong
1982 Amadeus Mozart Theatre Royal, Sydney with STC[5]
1984 The Servant of Two Masters The Servant Nimrod Theatre Company for Festival of Sydney
1985 Shorts at the Wharf: Late Arrivals / Perfect Mismatch / The Bourgeois Wedding Derelict / Husband Wharf Theatre with STC
1986 Hedda Gabler Tesman Wharf Theatre with STC
1987 Emerald City Mike Playhouse Adelaide, Canberra Theatre Centre & Sydney Opera House
1988 Big and Little The Man / Male Research Assistant / Bernard Sydney Opera House with STC
1989 Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The King Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Lyric Theatre Brisbane & Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne for Essgee Entertainment
1990 The Venetian Twins Tonino / Zanetto Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane
1990 Love Letters Sydney Opera House, University of Sydney & Playhouse, Melbourne
1990 Big River The King Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney
1991 Three Men and a Baby Grand Comedian Tilbury Hotel, Playhouse Newcastle, Fairfax Studio Melbourne & Space Theatre, Adelaide
1992 The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus Wharf Theatre with STC
1996 The Pirates of Penzance Major-General Stanley New Zealand with Essgee Entertainment
1995 The Mikado Ko-Ko Australian national tour with Essgee Entertainment
1997 H.M.S. Pinafore Sir Joseph Porter Australian national tour with Essgee Entertainment
1998 The Merry Widow Njegus Lyric Theatre, Brisbane with Essgee Entertainment
1998-99 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Senex Australian national tour with Essgee Entertainment
1999 The Imaginary Invalid Ensemble Theatre
2000 The Unofficial Visitors Guide to Australia Wharf Theatre with STC
2001 The Best Bits of That Broad and Those Men Glen Street Theatre
2001 Wharf Revue Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with STC
2002 Wharf Revue: The Year of Living Comfortably Wharf Theatre & Riverside Theatres Parramatta with STC
2002 Volpone Sydney Opera House
2002 Wharf Revue: Much Revue About Nothing Wharf Theatre with STC
2003 The Way of the World Sydney Opera House with STC
2004 Harbour STC
2004 The Republic of Myopia Dr Furtwangler Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC
2004-05 Flatfoot Titus Maccius Plautus playing various characters (including Pyrgopolynices, Palaestrio and Pleusicles) Australian national tour
2004 Light on the Hill Belvoir Street Theatre
2004 Wharf Revue: Fast and Loose Glen Street Theatre with STC
2005 Broken Valley Belvoir Street Theatre
2005 Navigating Flinders Ensemble Theatre
2005 The Give and Take Sydney Opera House with STC
2005 Wharf Revue: Stuff All Happens Australian national tour
2006 Kookaburra Launch Concert Singer Lyric Theatre, Sydney with Kookaburra - the National Musical Theatre Company
2006 Wharf Revue: Best We Forget Wharf Theatre with STC
2007-08 Wharf Revue: Beware of the Dogma Alexander Downer STC
2008 Wharf Revue: Revue Sans Frontieres Banquet Room, Adelaide with STC
2008 Wharf Revue: Waiting for Garnaut Casula Powerhouse & Wharf Theatre with STC
2009 The 39 Steps Clown 2 Australian national tour & Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong
2009-10 Wharf Revue: Pennies from Kevin Nick Xenophon & various characters Australian national tour with STC
2010 Wharf Revue: Not Quite Out of the Woods Wharf Theatre with STC
2010 L'Amphi Parnasso The Song Company[6]
Carnival of the Humans with Australian Chamber Orchestra[6]
2012 Wharf Revue: Red Wharf: Beyond the Rings of Satire Lennox Theatre, Parramatta, Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre Penrith, Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre with STC
2012 Under Milk Wood Sydney Opera House with STC[7][8]
2013 Mrs. Warren's Profession The Fool Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wharf Theatre with STC
2014 Strictly Ballroom the Musical Doug Hastings Sydney Lyric Theatre
2015-20 Wharf Revue: Celebrating 15 Years Malcolm Turnbull & various characters Australian national tour & online with STC
2016 Wharf Revue: Back to Bite You Wharf Theatre with STC
2016 Wharf Revue 2016 Theatre Royal, Hobart, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, IMB Theatre, Wollongong with STC
2017 Wharf Revue: The Patriotic Rag Pauline Hanson & various characters Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre with STC
2018 Wharf Revue: Deja Revue Queen Elizabeth, Pauline Hanson, Vladimir Putin & various characters IMB Theatre, Wollongong with STC
2020 Wharf Revue: Good Night and Good Luck Pauline Hanson & various characters Roslyn Packer Theatre, Majestic Cinemas, Sydney & Riverside Theatres Parramatta with STC
2022 Wharf Revue: Looking for Albanese Anthony Albanese, Pauline Hanson, 'The Mad Katter' & various characters Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC[9]
2022 Wharf Revue: Can of Worms Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC[10]
2024 Wharf Revue: Pride in Prejudice Dunstan Playhouse & The Round, Melbourne[11]

[12]

As writer

Year Title Role Type
2000 Wharf Revue: The End of the Wharf as We Know It Writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2000 Wharf Revue: Sunday in Iraq with George: A Shock 'n' Awe-full Show Writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2001 Wharf Revue: Free Petrol! Writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2001 Wharf Revue: Free Petrol Too Writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2002 Wharf Revue: Much Revue About Nothing Creator / writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2004 The Republic of Myopia Creator / writer Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC
2005 Concert for Tax Relief Writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2006-08 Wharf Revue: Revue Sans Frontieres Writer Lennox Theatre, Parramatta & Wharf Theatre with STC
2007-08 Wharf Revue: Beware of the Dogma Creator / writer STC
2008 Wharf Revue: Waiting for Garnaut Creator / writer Casula Powerhouse & Wharf Theatre with STC
2009-10 Wharf Revue: Pennies from Kevin Creator / writer Australian national tour with STC
2010 Wharf Revue: Not Quite Out of the Woods Creator / writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2011-12 Wharf Revue: Debt Defying Acts Creator / writer Australian national tour with STC
2013 Wharf Revue: Whoops! Creator / writer Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Casula Powerhouse, Glen Street Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre, with STC
2014 Wharf Revue: Open for Business Creator / writer Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Casula Powerhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, Glen Street Theatre & Wharf Theatre with STC
2015-20 Wharf Revue: Celebrating 15 Years Creator / writer Australian national tour & online with STC
2016 Wharf Revue: Back to Bite You Creator / writer Wharf Theatre with STC
2017 Wharf Revue: The Patriotic Rag Creator / writer Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre with STC
2018 Wharf Revue: Deja Revue Creator / writer IMB Theatre, Wollongong with STC
2019 Wharf Revue: Unr-Dact-D Creator / writer Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC
2020 Wharf Revue: Good Night and Good Luck Creator / co-director Roslyn Packer Theatre, Majestic Cinemas, Sydney & Riverside Theatres Parramatta with STC
2022 Wharf Revue: Looking for Albanese Creator / writer Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC[9]
2022 Wharf Revue: Can of Worms Creator / writer Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC[10]
2024 Wharf Revue: Pride in Prejudice Writer / Co-director Dunstan Playhouse & The Round, Melbourne[11]

[12]

Awards & nominations

Year Nominated work Award Category Result
1976 Caddie Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Won
The Venetian Twins Variety Awards Best Actor in a Musical Won[13]
1987 Whose Baby Penguin Awards Best Actor in a Mini-Series Won[13]
1995 The Mikado Green Room Awards Male Actor in a Leading Role (Music Theatre) Won
2019 Wharf Revue team Sydney Theatre Awards Award for services to laughter, satire and sanity above and beyond the call of duty Won[14]

Personal life

Forsythe's son, Abe Forsythe, is an actor and director.

References

  1. ^ a b https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2014/03/09/3959706.htm [bare URL]
  2. ^ a b "The 39 Steps". www.akaaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  3. ^ "The 39 Steps". www.akaaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  4. ^ Christopher, Lissa. "Radar:Big Head Strikes Again". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 July 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  5. ^ "Amadeus". www.ausstage.edu.au. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  6. ^ a b https://www.seymourcentre.com/media/5ejhnopv/the-wharf-revue-program.pdf [bare URL]
  7. ^ "Review: Under Milk Wood | Drama Theatre, Sydney", Crikey, 30 May 2012.
  8. ^ "Under Milk Wood | Stage Whispers". www.stagewhispers.com.au.
  9. ^ a b "The Wharf Revue: Looking for Albanese | Stage Whispers". www.stagewhispers.com.au. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  10. ^ a b https://www.glasshouse.org.au/files/assets/glasshouse/v/1/performing-arts/select2022_booklet_a5_final_web_101221.pdf [bare URL]
  11. ^ a b https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/the-wharf-revue-pride-in-prejudice?dateId=08-04-2024&performanceId=EDUN2024704PP#performances [bare URL]
  12. ^ a b https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/225332 [bare URL]
  13. ^ a b "Drew Forsthye - Seymour Centre".
  14. ^ "Drew Forsythe".