Who is Paul Ashcroft?
Paul is an ensemble member with Red Stitch Actors Theatre, performing in their next show, Detroit which opens 28 August.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
Play more tennis. Seriously, if you’re reading this and know me, please text me for a hit!
Who inspires you and why?
I feel lucky to be surrounded by a lot of amazing, inspiring people but music does it for me and at the moment it’s Blur who I just saw in concert.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Oh wow, I think a lot of people would find that a confronting question because it reminds us that maybe the answer is – not enough. I like to make everyone I spend my day with laugh at some point, that’s a good start.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
New York because it’s a city that truly does have something for everyone and I’ve made some great friends there.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I’d get ’em on the 86 tram, head up the High st hill to stop 30 and sit and enjoy one of the more awesome yet lesser known city skyline views. Then maybe walk down to Westgarth cinema for a flick. Bliss.
What are you currently reading?
My second read of The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida. Naoki is a young autistic Japanese boy who wrote his thoughts on life down by learning to communicate via pointing to letters on a specially designed cardboard keyboard. I have a niece with autism, the book is just magical for me to read. Also A Universe from Nothing by Lawrence Krauss, which I still haven’t gotten around to finishing yet.
What are you currently listening to?
I recently saw the Amy Winehouse doco, so she’s been on heavy rotation again lately. She was a master.
Happiness is?
A kong foo sing.
What does the future hold for you?
Hopefully more games of tennis. You got a racquet?
Paul Ashcroft is a WAAPA graduate from 2002 and made his Red Stitch debut in Howie the Rookie. He joined the ensemble soon after in 2013. Theatre credits with Red Stitch include: Wet House, Belleville, The Kitchen Sink, Herding Cats, The Laramie Project (10 years later) and Orphans.
Other Theatre credits include: Walking into the Bigness (Malthouse Theatre), Tim Winton’s Shrine (Black Swan WA), Let the Sunshine (QTC/MTC), Cruel and Tender (MTC), Far Away, The Woman Before, Checklist for an Armed Robber, Mercury Fur and Jet of Blood. As a producer, Paul’s credits include: Robots vs. Art, Shadow Bowing and Skin Tight.
Paul’s Film, TV and Web series credits include: Van Diemen’s Land, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War, Winners and Losers, Salem’s Lot, Blue Heelers, Hell’s Gates, Fire truck and Cop Hard – for which he won best supporting actor at the LA Webfest.
Paul is the inaugural recipient of the McLeod Adair Development Award allowing recently completed studies at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York. In addition, he is also a successful musician/singer in and around Perth and Melbourne and sat next to Dave Grohl once for like 20 mins in 1996. We both had on the same pair of Doc Martens. True story!
Paul will be appearing in the Victorian premiere of Detroit at Red Stitch Actors Theatre from 28 August 2015. For more information, visit: www.redstitch.net for details.
Image: Paul Ashcroft