Who is Wayne Pearn?
Inner city dweller, co ‘parent’ of two dogs, Leo, director, actor, producer.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
Absolutely nothing. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Who inspires you and why?
I have to say my Mum, Gaynor. She is just a tremendous life force who instills you with self-belief. She may not have always agreed with decisions I’ve made but once made she gives you nothing but 100% support.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Try to be better today than what I was yesterday.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Berlin. History, art, architecture, a fab night life, easy to get around and I find the people easy going. We’re very comfortable there.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
Smith Street, Collingwood/Fitzroy – there is a great vibe, bars, restaurants, the MCG and fortyfive downstairs – always something of note happening there.
What are you currently reading?
A shitload of short plays for a project in October and the form guide.
What are you currently listening to?
When not listening to 3RRR then it would be any of UNKLE, Massive Attack, Burial, Radiohead, The Jezabels, Bowie, Cave, Emmylou Harris, Dolly P, Kanye and on it goes…
Happiness is?
In order. My partner Tim, our dogs, the company of great mates, singing the Richmond theme song and the sign that says ‘Full House’.
What does the future hold for you?
Moving house. Off to Fitzroy after 19 fab years in East Brunswick. Buying, selling, real estate agents! …and… Together with the Melbourne Writers Theatre producing/curating a season of brand spanking new one act plays in October at the Carlton Courthouse.
Wayne Pearn has worked as an actor, director and producer for thirty years. He is best known for his work as the Artistic Director and founder of Hoy Polloy Theatre Company.
For Hoy Polloy, Wayne has directed: One Last White Horse (recipient of the ABC Radio National Best Production award at the ’94 Melbourne Fringe Festival), Lilies, Boston Marriage, Glengarry Glen Ross, Bedbound, How I Learned to Drive, Mojo, The Boys, Electronic City, The Real Thring, The Cat’s Paw, and the world premieres of Australian works Killing Jeremy and Rhonda is in Therapy
He has also directed at La Mama and Red Stitch and last year, directed a hugely popular sell-out season of The Seven Ages of Joyce for Bloomsday at 45 downstairs and Johan Padan and the Discovery of the Americas for Terra Incognita. Earlier this year for Midsumma, he directed four of the nine suite of plays Standing on Ceremony at Chapel Off Chapel.
Most recently he directed Ulysses Prestissimo for Bloomsday. He has also directed highly acclaimed productions of Equus, Serious Money, and Curse of the Starving Class. As an actor roles Wayne has played include Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Tom Wingfield in A Glass Menagerie, McMurphy in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Sharik/Sharikov in Heart of a Dog, T.S Eliot in Tom and Viv and Monk O’Neill in A Stretch of the Imagination.
Wayne is currently directing Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer for Hoy Polloy at fortyfivedownstairs for a limited season from 1 August. For more information, visit: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com for details.
Image: Wayne Pearn