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 Sydney, New South Wales, Forsythe attended Atherton Primary School, far north
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
.
Career
The title roles of the heroic Tonino and the foolish Zanetto in the
Nick Enright
Nicholas Paul Enright AM (22 December 1950 – 30 March 2003) was an Australian dramatist, playwright and theatre director.
Early life
Enright was born on 22 December 1950 to a prosperous professional Catholic family in East Maitland, New So ...
/
Terence Clarke musical, ''
The Venetian Twins
''The Venetian Twins'' ( it, I due gemelli veneziani, links=no, or "The two Venetian twins") is a 1747 play by Carlo Goldoni, based on Plautus's ''Menaechmi''.
It was performed by Il Teatro Stabile of Genoa at the 1965 Edinburgh International F ...
'', were written for Forsythe. He originated these dual roles for
Nimrod Theatre Company
The Nimrod Theatre Company, commonly known as The Nimrod, was an Australian theatre company based in Sydney. It was founded by in 1970 by Australian actor John Bell, Richard Wherrett and Ken Horler, and gained a reputation for producing more " ...
in the first
Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...
season in 1979, and subsequently in two revivals. Other stage appearances include the
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which '' H.M.S. ...
comic operas ''
H.M.S. Pinafore
''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, whi ...
'' and ''
The Mikado
''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, where it ran at the Sa ...
'' for
Essgee Entertainment Essgee Entertainment is a professional performing and publishing company formed in 1981 in Australia. Its founder and chief executive officer is entertainer Simon Gallaher.
History
Essgee began by financing and producing recording artists and re ...
, receiving a Melbourne
Green Room Award
The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne.
The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards A ...
as Ko-Ko in ''
The Mikado
''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, where it ran at the Sa ...
'' in 1995.
For the film ''
Caddie
In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support.
Description
A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with th ...
'', Forsythe received the 1976
. His television appearances include ''
The Miraculous Mellops'', ''
The Dingo Principle'', and ''Three Men and a Baby Grand'', satirical sketch television comedy programs for which he was a writer/performer with
Phillip Scott and
Jonathan Biggins
Jonathan Martin Biggins (born 14 September 1960) is an Australian actor, singer, writer, director and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage and television as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programmes.
He was born in Newcast ...
. The 'Three Men' team started in revue at the Tilbury Hotel, and much of the thematic material from these revues has been revisited and developed in the Sydney Theatre Company's '
Wharf Revue' series.
Forsythe provided the anonymous, uncredited voice of David Tench, a computer-animated host on
Network Ten
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
'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.
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".
Personal life
Forsythe's son,
Abe Forsythe
Abraham Forsythe (born 26 July 1981) is an Australian film and television actor, director, writer and producer. He is the son of actor and comedian Drew Forsythe.
Career
He first appeared on the TV series '' The Miraculous Mellops''. He has sin ...
, is an actor and director.
References
External links
*
1949 births
Living people
Australian operatic baritones
Australian male comedians
Australian male film actors
Australian male singers
Australian male musical theatre actors
Australian male stage actors
Australian male television actors
Australian male voice actors
Musicians from Sydney
Blinky Bill
Male actors from Sydney
{{australia-singer-stub