YPT is thrilled to be presenting, BUNYIPS, a big beautiful mess of a play adapted for stage by Newcastle’s own, Callan Purcell. Callan is YPT alumni, having studied here as a student for many years before becoming one of our talent drama tutors. Callan is currently performing in Hamilton the Musical, as the Stand-by for Alexander Hamilton and King George among others, at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney. Some YPT members were even lucky enough to catch him on stage in these incredible roles. We have loved putting on BUNYIPS at YPT and give the students such an inspiration young person to lock up to. Read more about Callan below.
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Callan is an actor, theatre maker and workshop facilitator for young people. He enrolled at HSPA and YPT at the age of 10. He played Mr. Zuckerman in CHARLOTTE’S WEB, Ugly in HONK! and Captain Hook in PETER PAN during his high school years. Callan jumped on the tutoring team as an assistant, then tutor for a number of years. He has since collaborated extensively with youth theatre companies throughout New South Wales as well as abroad in America and the UK as director, tutor and mentor.
In 2014 Callan represented NSW in ATYP’s writing residency and has adapted Steven Herrick’s novel ‘Naked Bunyip Dancing’ for stage. Callan graduated from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and was the recipient of the John Gielgud actor’s scholarship 2018.
As actor, credits include: HAIR (50th anniversary national tour), BRAN NUE DAE (national tour), JASPER JONES (Bondi Pavilion), FATHERLAND (Frantic Assembly), RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER (Little Eggs), SAFARI (Northwall Arts/The Wardrobe Ensemble), THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE (Engineer Theatre Collective), EQUUS, THE REMOVALISTS, CHECKLIST FOR AN ARMED ROBBER (Stooged Theatre).
As theatre maker: BETWEEN US- Voices Project (Australian Theatre For Young People), WORDS IN PROGRESS (Pleasance Theatre), PETER PAN (Hunter Drama), JOAN (Upstage Youth Theatre), ME! ME! ME! (Chats Palace, London), IN A PINK TUTU, AFTERSHOCKS (DAPA Theatre), LORD OF THE FLIES (Hunter School of the Performing Arts).
Callan is a First Nations descent of the Wiradjuri people.
