Latest news with #WAAPA
Perth Now
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Perth actor talks Aussie ‘fly epidemic' with Kelly Clarkson
Perth actor Jamie Ward has struck up an unusual bond with singer Kelly Clarkson over the pair's shared experiences in Western Australia. WAAPA graduate Ward stars in a new Romeo and Juliet musical movie set for release this year, where he plays Romeo, alongside Clara Rugaard as Juliet and Rebel Wilson as Lady Capulet. The Yokine-raised actor appeared as a guest on the Kelly Clarkson Show to talk about the upcoming romance film sold as 'the greatest love story of all time', where Clarkson asked: 'Where in Australia are you from?' 'I'm from the west coast, Perth,' Ward said. 'Oh, I've been there,' Clarkson replied. Ward appeared surprised upon hearing the American singer had even heard of Perth, let alone visited. 'You've been to Perth?' he said. Clarkson replied: 'Yes, I've toured Perth.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. The pair then shared their experiences, with Clarkson saying how 'the flies there are insane'. 'I'm not kidding, man, I've gone there several times and every time I feel like I'm there during some kind of fly epidemic,' she said. Ward then claimed the sticky flies were 'why I got out of there'. He mentioned Aussies had the iconic 'wide-brim hats with the cork', which Clarkson fully embraced when she was down under. 'I wore them. I was like, I'm jumping in, Crocodile Dundee it is,' she said. Apart from the nuisance fly situation, Clarkson said she loved Perth and Australia and that it was the first place she visited outside of the US. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. The pair also discussed Ward's life before acting, including his previous life in a pop band called Balcony. The four-piece band supported Lewis Capaldi on tour in 2020, as well as Tones and I, and played over 20 festivals to critical acclaim. Ward admitted that being the frontman in the band, which was active up until 2020, said it was an amazing experience, but not where he saw his future career. 'I was bleaching my hair blonde, wearing different clothes, it made me realise what I actually wanted to do,' he said. However, Ward said that without his music career, he wouldn't have had the opportunity for the lead role in Romeo and Juliet. The film, directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, is an original pop musical based on the real story that inspired William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Ward graduated from WAAPA and moved to London in 2012 where he got his first big break in West End theatre as Marius in Les Miserables a year later. He has also starred in the final season of the TV adaptation of His Dark Materials and Stan series Invisible Boys.
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
New production coming to Northbridge's Studio Underground
At just 22, Netflix's Heartbreak High star Thomas Weatherall is the playwright behind a new original production coming to Northbridge's Studio Underground in May. A one-man monologue, Blue, explores the idea of growing up in the years of early adulthood, following Mark who has just moved away from home for the first time. Thomas Weatherall as Malakai in Heartbreak High S2. Credit: Johan Platt /Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Delving into themes that explore a young man's struggle to handle his mental health, the play, although not completely autobiographical, is heavily influenced by Weatherall's own experiences. The production has won the 2024 Matilda Award for Best New Australian Work. Weatherall played the lead in the east coast version of the production, but Perth raised, NIDA and WAAPA graduate Owen Hasluck will perform the lead role. 'We're thrilled to welcome Owen to Black Swan,' Artistic Director Kate Champion said. 'Blue is a play full of heart, honest and hope… we know this WA premiere will be something truly special.' The play is directed by Ian Wilkes, another alumni of WAAPA and theatre all-rounder, having been a playwright, performer and dancer throughout Western Australia. Blue will be at the Studio Underground at the State Theatre Centre of WA from May 23 to June 8, tickets can be purchased from
