On the Couch with Christopher Brown

Christopher Brown oncWho is Christopher Brown?
I’m an actor, voice artist, theatre maker and father. I grew up in New Zealand but moved to Melbourne to attend VCA in 1995.

What would you do differently to what you do now?  
I would be a musician or a footballer (soccer player).

Who inspires you and why?
Older people living good lives. We’re all heading there. Even the young people.

What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Prohibit all military spending. That’s $1.7 trillion per year globally.

Favourite holiday destination and why?
Camping in Ben Boyd National Park (NSW) at a secret location that I can’t reveal or too many people will go there. There’s no mobile reception, just bush, sand and ocean. And wildlife. It’s perfect.

When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
One of my favourite natural spots in Melbourne is the confluence of the Yarra River and the Merri Creek in Yarra Bend Park. For the evening, I’d take them to Joe’s Shoe Store (my local in Northcote) for a drink, go out to one of the excellent Korean Barbeque restaurants in the city, see a gig at the Forum, go to a small hidden bar for a nightcap and possibly finish with Daytona on Russell St.

What are you currently reading?
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. Also, The Biggest Estate on Earth by Bill Gammage. Many of us are fairly ignorant about Australia pre 1788 but this is a fascinating insight and should be compulsory reading. Especially for certain politicians.

What are you currently listening to?
A Series of Oopsie Daisies and Other Flora by Christoph El Truento. He’s a kiwi producer I discovered on Bandcamp, and I am loving this album.

Happiness is?
Watching my children playing happily together.

What does the future hold for you?
Appearing in Bent at Theatreworks followed by a family holiday in Wilson’s Prom. Working on a Shakespeare/ Beckett extravaganza with Wit’s End (formerly Eleventh Hour) for the first half of 2015.

Christopher Brown has worked with The Hayloft Project, Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse, Belvoir, Back to Back Theatre, Arena Theatre, Eleventh Hour Theatre and Stuck Pigs Squealing. He co-wrote and performed his solo show Mr Phase for the Melbourne International Festival.

He won the Jury Prize for Performance in a Digital Feature at the New Zealand Film Awards in for his role in Orphans and Angels and was nominated for a Green Room Award for best supporting actor for his work in Yet Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves. His recent screen work includes a lead role in the Australian feature film, Breeding in Captivity and a role in ABC comedy, It’s A Date. 

Christopher will be appearing in Martin Sherman’s Bent at Theatre Works, 3 – 13 September 2014. For more information, visit: www.benttheplay.com for details.

Image: Christopher Brown