Australian actor
Simon Burke
Simon Burke, June 2013
Born (1961-10-08 ) 8 October 1961 (age 63) Occupation Actor Years active 1973–present
Simon Gareth Burke AO [ 1] (born 8 October 1961) is an Australian actor, active in films, television and theatre.
Biography
Simon Burke began his career at the age of 12, starring in Michael Cove 's Kookaburra (1974); a painful look at a dysfunctional working-class family, focusing particularly on an almost autistic young boy.[ 2] Soon after at the age of 13, Burke starred in Fred Schepisi 's acclaimed feature film The Devil's Playground for which he won the AFI Award for Best Actor at the Australian Film Institute Awards . He remains the youngest person ever to be honoured with this award. Since then he has enjoyed great success both in Australia and internationally in film, television, stage, concert appearances and cabaret.[citation needed ]
In 2014, Burke starred in Matchbox Pictures /NBC-Universal's highly acclaimed miniseries Devil's Playground in which he reprised the role of Tom Allen that he created as a 13-year-old. He was the co-creator and executive producer of the project, and in the same year it won both the AACTA and Logie Award for Most Outstanding Telefeature or Miniseries.[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
He has since starred in numerous film, television and theatre productions in Australia and the UK. He starred as Captain Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music at the London Palladium alongside Connie Fisher and then Summer Strallen . He also played the role of Mr Banks in Mary Poppins in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland.[citation needed ]
Burke was Federal President of Actors Equity Australia (2004–14). He is currently a Vice President of the International Federation of Actors (FIA), a global federation of performers, trade unions, guilds and professional associations.[citation needed ]
On 10 September 2015, at the Queens Birthday Honours ceremony presided over by the Governor of New South Wales , General David Hurley , Burke was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) with the following citation: For distinguished service to the performing arts as an actor, singer and producer, and through senior advocacy roles for performers' rights and access to professional development and education programs .
Simon Burke is also well remembered for his long term stint as a presenter on the children's television series Play School from 1988 to 2007 then 2013 and again in 2020.
Personal life
In 2016 he publicly identified himself as being gay.[ 8] [ 9]
Filmography
Film
Television
Theatre
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1974
Kookaburra
Nimrod Theatre Company
1979:
Romeo and Juliet
Nimrod Theatre Company
1980
Pirates at the Barn
Nimrod Theatre Company
1981
The Choir
Nimrod Theatre Company
1983
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Nimrod Theatre Company
1985
Jonah Jones
Waxy
Wharf Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company
1986
Jonah Jones
Jonah Jones
Wharf Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company
1986
Company
Harry
Sydney Opera House for Sydney Theatre Company
1987–88
Les Misérables
Marius
Theatre Royal
1989–90
Anything Goes
Billy Crocker
Australia/New Zealand tour - won Green Room Award for Best Actor in a Musical
1992-93
The Phantom of the Opera
Raoul
Her Majesty's Theatre , London
Leonardo the Musical: A Portrait of Love
Leonardo
Old Fire Station Oxford
Cabaret
Cliff
Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
The Life of the World to Come
Almeida Theatre
The Wild Party
Burrs
Take Flight
George Puttnam
1994:
Nosferatu the Vampire
The Innkeeper
Concept cast recording
1994
Jeffrey
Steve
London premiere at Greenwich Theatre
They're Playing Our Song
Vernon
1994
Falsettos
Whizzer
Sydney Opera House , then tour of Victoria, Hobart & Canberra for Sydney Theatre Company - nominated Best Musical Performance Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle Awards
1996
A Little Night Music
Carl-Magnus
Royal National Theatre with Dame Judi Dench
1998
The Herbal Bed
Rafe Smith
Sydney Theatre Company interstate tour
1999
She Stoops to Conquer
Sydney Theatre Company
1999–2000
Chicago
Billy Flynn
Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Singapore, Hong Kong
2001
Up for Grabs
Gerry
World premiere at Sydney Opera House for Sydney Theatre Company
2002
Mr. Kolpert
Bastian
Sydney Theatre Company
2004
High Society
CK Dexter Haven
State Theatre , Victorian Arts Centre for The Production Company
2005–06
Three Furies – Scenes from the Life of Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Sydney Festival , Perth Festival & Adelaide Festival - nominated Best Actor Sydney Theatre Awards 2006 [ 10]
2007
Company
Harry
Theatre Royal for Kookaburra Musical Theatre
2007
October
Detective Dick
World premiere for Griffin Theatre Company [ 11]
2007
The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom
Mr Lizard / Baby Koala
Theatre Royal
2007–08
The Sound of Music
Captain Georg von Trapp
London Palladium
2009
When the Rain Stops Falling
Joe
Almeida Theatre , European premiere
Australia Plays Broadway
Host / Performer
Carnegie Hall
Take Me Out
Mason Marzac
Australian premiere for Melbourne Theatre Company
Satango
World premiere for Griffin Theatre Company
2009
La Cage aux Folles
Georges
Playhouse Theatre, London
2010
The Sound of Music
Captain Georg von Trapp
Princess of Wales Theatre , Toronto
2010
Holding the Man
Dick Conigrave
Trafalgar Studios , London
2010–12
Mary Poppins
Mr Banks
Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland
2013
Mrs. Warren's Profession
Praed
Wharf Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company
2014
La Cage aux Folles
Georges
Victorian Arts Centre for The Production Company
2017
The Homosexuals, or Faggots
Warren
Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne [ 12]
2017
Noises Off
Lloyd Dallas
Queensland Theatre Company , Melbourne Theatre Company [ 13]
2018
Strangers in Between
Peter
Fortyfivedownstairs , Melbourne [ 14]
2019
Mary Stuart
Amias Paulet
Kate Mulvany 's adaptation at Roslyn Packer Theatre , Sydney Theatre Company [ 15]
2020–21
Pippin
Charlemagne
Sydney Lyric Theatre
2021–24
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Harold Zidler
Regent Theatre, Melbourne , Capitol Theatre, Sydney , QPAC Brisbane ) - winner of Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Supporting role in a Musical 2022 [ 16]
2024
Wicked
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Australian Tour
[ 17] [ 18]
References
^ "Queen's Birthday honours: 519 recipients, with scientists the big winners" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 7 June 2015.
^ Richard., Wherrett (2000). The floor of heaven : my life in theatre . Sydney, NSW: Hodder Headline Australia. ISBN 9780733610493 . OCLC 48144620 .
^ "The devil's in the detail for Simon Burke" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 6 September 2014.
^ "Simon Burke: from Devil's Playground to gilded Cage" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 14 November 2014.
^ Giles Hardie (September 2014). "Devil's Playground is not solely about abuse: Simon Burke" . The Sydney Morning Herald .
^ "Simon Burke and The Devil's Playground demand attention" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 12 September 2014.
^ Nicole Elphick (5 September 2014). "My secret Sydney: Simon Burke, actor" . The Sydney Morning Herald .
^ Gay News Network . Retrieved 12 September 2016 Archived 15 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Simon Burke: 'I didn't hide being gay so much as I didn't talk about it'" by Nicholas Fonseca, The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 9 July 2017
^ "Holding the Man - Cast & Creative" .
^ "October – Griffin Theatre Company" by Rebecca Whitton, Australian Stage, 7 May 2007
^ "The Homosexuals, or Faggots (Malthouse, Melbourne)" . 22 February 2017.
^ Noises Off review, Arts Review , 6 June 2017
^ "Strangers In Between review: Coming-of-age story funny, tender and wild" by Cameron Woodhead, The Sydney Morning Herald , 28 January 2018
^ "Mary Stuart review: Feminist take on a gripping game of thrones" by Joyce Morgan, The Sydney Morning Herald , 11 February 2019
^ Pitt, Helen (23 January 2023). "From Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Mary Poppins: Sydney Theatre Awards winners" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 23 January 2023 .
^ "Archive Simon Burke" .
^ "Holding the Man - Cast & Creative" .
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0121865/
Bibliography
Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995 . Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 338.
External links
International National Artists Other