Who is Nick Cook?
I am a Welshman, living on the NSW Central Coast. I have an amazingly supportive wife, Callie and an 8-year-old daughter, Sian. I am currently the Technical Manager of the soon to re-open Theatre Royal Sydney.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
Right now, if I had to pick something else to be doing, it would be working with food. Prior to the covid lockdowns, I was not a good cook! But with all the spare time at home I started getting creative with my cooking, both in the kitchen and on the BBQ. I now spend most of my spare time experimenting with food! It gave me a great outlet to still be creative while stuck at home.
Who inspires you and why?
Professionally I would struggle to point to a single person. I have been very fortunate to work for and alongside some wonderful people and I try to be a sponge around them. I watch and listen and adopt things into how I approach my job.
In my personal life my stepdad is my inspiration. He came into my life when I was very young, and he raised me as his own and taught me how to be a good person. He pushed me when I needed pushing and praised me when I got there. I lost him a couple of years ago and his absence in my life is something that I notice daily.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Yikes, that’s a big question! It saddens me that there are so many things that pop into my head for this question. In my lifetime I don’t think I have ever seen a time where we are so divided. If I could do one thing though, it would be to ensure equality for all. Such a simple thing to write yet such a challenge for so many.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
I am not good at sitting still, I am constantly on the move. The idea of laying on a beach all day just has no appeal to me. We love to go to Orlando and visit the theme parks! It’s an action-packed holiday that we all love as a family.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I have lived in Australia for nearly 10 years now – the whole time spent in NSW and primarily on the Central Coast. I still kind of feel like a tourist myself when I head into Sydney not for work! So, when family come over from the UK to visit us, I like to show off the Central Coast to them, the amazing coastline is hard to beat.
What are you currently reading?
I am currently finishing the renovations and commissioning of the Theatre Royal, so my reading list at the moment consists entirely of building codes and user manuals! But when I do have a moment, I like to read autobiographies.
What are you currently listening to?
The Jagged Little Pill cast recording has been on a fair bit as I get ready for that production to open. I am also a big 80s rock fan, so a few playlists pop up in the car for me to belt out some numbers as I drive down the freeway to work.
Happiness is?
My family. Marrying my wife and having our daughter are two of the happiest moments of my life and they have become the gauge of happiness to me.
What does the future hold for you?
The immediate future is hectic as we race to the finish line of the Theatre Royal project. But once that all settles, I will take a moment to enjoy the result of the hard work. Then I will carry on, working to give touring productions the best possible experience while at our theatre. I love what I do and love that moment when the curtain goes up on an opening night and everyone gets to enjoy what we all worked so hard on.
Nick is the Technical Manager of the Theatre Royal Sydney – which re-opens to the public with the Australian premiere of Jagged Little Pill in December 2021, closely followed by Girl From The North Country in January 2022. For more information, visit: www.theatreroyalsydney.com for details.
Image: Nick Cook – photo by Pierre Toussaint