Who is Darcy Brown?
I am an actor who has worked on stage around Australia for the last 12 years. Growing up in Melbourne, it is always a surreal full-circle moment to perform in one of these beautiful East End theatres. I’ve been very lucky to work at the Athenaeum, the Comedy, the Princess… and now Her Majesty’s.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I would love to travel for a living. In a way, fortunately, I suppose I do. But if it wasn’t acting-related, perhaps a travel writer.
Who inspires you and why?
Too many people to mention. My family. So many of my friends. In acting, Glenda Jackson, Laurie Metcalf, and Mark Rylance; all their work is miraculous. And currently, everyone in this rehearsal room. I get to watch them up close. We read through the final 30 pages of the play yesterday, sitting in an intimate circle. Listening to this cast is remarkable.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I would try to be more present in every interaction, and at every moment in the day.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Japan. It is beautiful, the art and theatre are astonishing, and you can eat spectacularly on any budget.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
In the city, I’d take them to the National Gallery of Victoria, or a Cinema Nova/Readings Books day in Carlton. Further afield, the Mornington Peninsula. I spent a lot of time there as a child, visiting my grandparents. It is a stunning area, with so much to explore.
What are you currently reading?
Arthur Miller’s memoir, Timebends: A Life.
What are you currently listening to?
Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Aaron Copland, and Alex North’s original music for Death of a Salesman.
Happiness is?
A cup of tea on the couch at home. Or a Melbourne coffee while watching the world go by. Or Gyokuro tea in Japan… apparently happiness is a hot drink in a cozy setting.
What does the future hold for you?
Hopefully more travel, ideally in tandem with eclectic, challenging theatre work.
Darcy stars as Stanley & Bernard in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman which plays Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from 11 August, before playing at Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre – QPAC from 28 August, and the Festival Theatre – Adelaide Festival Centre from 26 September 2026. For more information, visit: www.salesmanaustralia.com.au for details.
Image: Darcy Brown (supplied)