James Millar is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He wrote the musical drama '' The Hatpin'', the song cycle ''LOVEBiTES'' and co-wrote the semi-autobiographical musical ''A Little Touch of Chaos''.

Early life and education

Millar earned a degree in writing at the

University of Technology Sydney The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1988, though its origins as a Institute of technology, ...

and a degree in performance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2004. While studying in Perth, he was directed and tutored by a number of notable Australian performers such as David King, Tony Sheldon,

Nick Enright Nicholas Paul Enright AM (22 December 1950 – 30 March 2003) was an Australian dramatist, playwright and theatre director. Early life Enright was born on 22 December 1950 to a prosperous professional Catholic family in East Maitland, New So ...

, Roma Conway,

Rhys McConnochie Rhys McConnochie (born 28 December 1936) is a New Zealand-born actor, director and educator based in Australia. Career Film & television His screen appearances include the TV miniseries ''Bodyline'' as Pelham Warner and '' Darlings of the ...

, Adam Cook, John Milson and Nancye Hayes. Prior to graduating, he starred in the original recording and premiere performance of ''Up'' by

Eddie Perfect Edmund Perfect (born 17 December 1977) is an Australian musician, comedian, writer and actor. Widely known for his role as Mick Holland in Channel Ten's TV series ''Offspring'' in which he performs his own music, he has recorded solo albums an ...

, ''Susannah'', ''Spurboard'', ''The Pajama Game'', ''Pacific Overtures'', ''Perfectly Frank'', ''The Crucible'', ''Fiddler on the Roof'' and ''The Wild Party''.

Career

While in

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, Millar also appeared in ''Morning Melodies'' at His Majesty's Theatre in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, ''

Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. The origin of the term is the medieval Order of Assassins, a sect of Shia Islam 1090–1275 CE. Assassin, or variants, may also refer to: Fictional characters * Assassin, in the Japanese adult ...

'' and ''Piangere''. In 2010, Millar and collaborator Peter Rutherford were commissioned to workshop and produce their third book musical ''A Little Touch of Chaos'' at WAAPA. In 2013, Millar was invited to direct WAAPA's production of ''Assassins'', by the third year music theatre students, which opened in August 2013. For television, Millar has played roles in ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip to Kangaroo Point, N ...

'', ''

Police Rescue ''Police Rescue'' is an Australian television series which originally aired on ABC TV (Australian TV channel), ABC TV between 1989 and 1996. It was produced by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC and Southern Star Entertainment, Southern ...

'', ''

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...

'', ''

The Leaving of Liverpool "(The) Leaving of Liverpool" ( Roud 9435), also known as "Fare Thee Well, My Own True Love", is a folk song. Folklorists classify it as a lyrical lament and it was also used as a sea shanty, especially at the capstan. It is very well known in ...

'', ''The Investigators'' (ABC TV), '' Water Rats'' and

Neil Armfield Neil Geoffrey Armfield (born 22 April 1955) is an Australian director of theatre, film and opera. Biography Born in Sydney, Armfield is the third and youngest son of Len, a factory worker at the nearby Arnott's Biscuits factory and Nita Armfi ...

's tele-film '' Naked: Coral Island''. He was featured in the 2008 award-winning film '' The Eternity Man'', directed by

Julien Temple Julien Temple (born 26 November 1953) is a British film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll ...

Cabaret

Millar has penned a number of original cabaret shows, including ''Moments of Breathtaking Stupidity'' which he performed with Verity Hunt-Ballard in both

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

in 2004; ''The Story Goes On'' for

Amanda Harrison Amanda Harrison is an Australian actress and singer, known for her roles in ''Wicked'' (Elphaba), ''We Will Rock You'' ("Meat" understudy in the UK, and “Oz" understudy in Australia), and for originating the role of Paula Pokrifki in the worl ...

; ''Poison Soprano''; ''Ten Things I Hate About Cabaret''; ''Impossible Blonde''; and Amelia Cormack's ''Love For Sale'', which enjoyed four return seasons. He was also the winner of the 2004 Premiere ''Cabaret Showcase'' in Sydney which resulted in the performance of his second cabaret show, ''Other People's Stories'', followed by a tour with celebrated Australian actor Amanda Muggleton in the cabaret ''Naughty''. Millar performed in a vocal trio with fellow actors Ian Stenlake and

Scott Irwin Scott Keegan Irwin (May 14, 1952 – September 5, 1987) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his tag team with his brother Bill Irwin (wrestler), Barney "Bill" Irwin. Professional wrestling career ...

, called Bravo. In cabaret circles, he is known for his appearance in ShowQueen Sessions which toured Sydney and Melbourne. In March 2010, Millar featured in ''Another Opening Another Show'' at

Chapel off Chapel Chapel Off Chapel is a theatre venue in Prahran, Melbourne. Located near Chapel Street and opened in 1995, the venue consists of the 255-seat Chapel Theatre, the 150-seat Chapel Loft and a visual arts gallery. Chapel Off Chapel is particularl ...

in Melbourne and ''ShowStoppers'' produced by Lisa and David Campbell's company Luckiest Productions. He joined '' Doctor Zhivago'' star

Lucy Maunder Lucy Maunder is an Australian cabaret and theatre performer. She originated the role of Lara in the Australian premiere of ''Doctor Zhivago (musical), Doctor Zhivago'' in 2011 opposite Anthony Warlow, and toured with her own cabaret ''Songs in t ...

in a production of ''Noel and Gertie'', based on the diaries and letters of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

and

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born in 1 ...

. It was featured at the

Adelaide Cabaret Festival The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is an annual arts festival featuring cabaret held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It has been held in June each year since 2001, with the exception of 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia ...

in May 2013. In 2013 Millar wrote the cabaret ''Up Close and Reasonably Personal'' for

. which continues to tour.

Musical theatre

Millar appeared in ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'' for

The Production Company The Production Company was an Australian not-for-profit theatre company that staged a series of usually three musicals at the Arts Centre Melbourne each year. It was launched in 1999 by Jeanne Pratt AC with the goal of providing "professional o ...

at the State Theatre in Melbourne, and '' The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie'' for Company B Belvoir directed by

. He starred in both seasons of the comedy ''BoyBand'' in Sydney, played the principal role of Frederic Vern in the world premiere production of '' Eureka'' at Melbourne's

Her Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated in the Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The building, designed by Charles J. Phipps, was constructed in 1897 for the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who ...

for the

Melbourne International Arts Festival Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...

, recorded and toured with ''ShowQueen: Live'' in both Sydney and Melbourne, starred in the critically acclaimed song cycle ''LoveBites'', and played the role of Peter in Sondheim's ''Company'' at Sydney's Theatre Royal. Millar was cast in the defunct production of '' Floyd Collins'' for the Kookaburra Theatre Company; however he, like the rest of the cast, made himself available for a one-off concert performance on 3 May 2010. This production also starred Peter Cousens, Michael Falzon, Trisha Crowe and Queenie van de Zandt. In 2009, he performed in the Australian premiere of the off-Broadway musical '' Gutenberg! The Musical!''; starred as Chucky in '' Jerry Springer: The Opera'' at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

; and appeared at Sydney's

Ensemble Theatre The Ensemble Theatre is an Australian theatre company and theatre, situated in the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli, New South Wales. History It is Australia's longest continuously running professional theatre group, having given its first perfor ...

in the lead role of Mitchell Green in the premiere of '' The Little Dog Laughed'' by Douglas Carter Beane. In 2013, he featured in the Australian premiere of '' Grey Gardens'' for

, '' The Ring Cycle'' at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

in London, and toured the UK in ''

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

'' as Molokov. In April 2014, Millar was announced for the ensemble cast of the US arena tour of ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'', starring Ben Forster and

John Lydon John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

. However, the tour was subsequently cancelled. In April 2015, it was announced that Millar would play Miss Trunchbull in the Australian premiere season of ''

Matilda the Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', also known simply as ''Matilda'' and ''Matilda the Musical'', is a musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly. It is based on the 1988 novel '' Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narr ...

'' opening in Sydney in July. He followed this successful run with a star turn as Alan Bennett opposite

Miriam Margolyes Miriam Margolyes ( ; born 18 May 1941) is a British and Australian actress. Known for her work as a character actor across film, television, and stage, she received the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Mingott in Marti ...

in the

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...

's '' The Lady in the Van''. In 2023, Millar was invited to direct Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide, South Australia.

BBC Radio ''Voice of Musical Theatre''

In 2006 he was invited to Cardiff for

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

's Voice of Musical Theatre, one of only a select few international artists featured to perform each year.

''The Hatpin''

In 2006 and 2007, Millar wrote and developed the musical '' The Hatpin'' alongside composer Peter Rutherford, based on a series of

infanticide Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants or offspring. Infanticide was a widespread practice throughout human history that was mainly used to dispose of unwanted children, its main purpose being the prevention of re ...

s committed in Sydney by

John and Sarah Makin John Sidney Makin (14 February 1845 – 15 August 1893) and Sarah Jane Makin (20 December 1845 – 13 September 1918) were Australian 'baby farming, baby farmers' who were convicted in New South Wales for the murder of infant Horace Murray. The c ...

(renamed Agatha and Charles for the show) in 1892, as well as the attempts by single mother Amber Murray to find justice for her son Horace. ''The Hatpin'' opened at the

Seymour Centre The Seymour Centre is a multi-purpose performing arts centre within the University of Sydney, located in the city of Sydney, Australia. It is located on the corner of City Road and Cleveland Street in Chippendale, south-west of the city ce ...

in Sydney on 27 February 2008 to mild acclaim. The production starred Peter Cousens, Caroline O'Connor, Michelle Doake, Gemma-Ashley Kaplan, Barry Crocker, and Melle Stewart. A cast album was released in 2008 by Neil Gooding Productions In 2008, ''The Hatpin'' was accepted into the New York Musical Theatre Festival, where it played in reduced-format with a US cast at The American Theatre of Actors.

LOVEBiTES

Following the success of ''The Hatpin'', Millar teamed up again with Rutherford for the song cycle ''LOVEBiTES'' in 2008. Millar appeared as a performer in the production along with Octavia Barron Martin, Tyler Burness, and Sarah Croser. The production received a revival in 2009. ''LOVEBiTES'' returned in 2009, when it earned two Glugs Award nominations and a season at Perth's Playhouse in 2010. The Perth cast again included Millar, with Amelia Cormack, David Harris and Sophia Ragavelas. An official cast recording was done with the 2009 cast and released in February 2010

Audiobooks

In London, Millar recorded several

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

s as a narrator, including ''1912: The History of Antarctica'', ''Stranger Than Fiction for Lonely Planet'', and '' The Rosie Project'', as well as multiple audiobook works for the

Royal National Institute of Blind People RNIB (formally, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and previously the Royal National Institute for the Blind) is a British charity, founded in 1868, that serves people living with visual impairments. It is regarded as a leader in th ...

Awards

*In 2005, Millar won the inaugural Cabaret Showcase in Sydney. *In 2006, Millar won the Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2006 for his performance of Jud Fry in ''

'' in

. *In 2008, Millar won best actor in the Sydney "Short and Sweet" Festival for his performance in the short play ''Blenderman''. *In 2009, ''LoveBites'' was nominated for best cabaret at the

Sydney Theatre Awards The Sydney Theatre Awards are annual awards to recognise the strength, quality and diversity of professional theatre in Sydney, Australia. They were established in 2005 by a group of major Sydney theatre critics. The awards recognise mainstage and ...

and ''The Hatpin'' was nominated for best new Australian work. *In 2010, Millar was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award, a Glugs Award and a Green Room Award for his performance of "Doug Simon" in '' Gutenberg! The Musical!''. *In 2014, ''A Little Touch of Chaos'' won the Arts Victoria Grant for best New Australian Work. *In 2016, Millar won the

Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical Sir Robert Murray Helpmann (né Helpman) (9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet (no ...

for his performance as Miss Trunchbull in ''

''.

References

External links

*
"Suck it up, buddy. She just didn't like it"
Letter by James Millar, addressed to American screenwriter

Douglas Day Stewart Douglas Day Stewart (born January 1, 1940) is an American screenwriter and film director. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for the 1982 film ''An Officer and a Gentleman''. Early life Stewart was born on Jan ...

in ''

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...

'', 22 May 2012, in response t
his earlier letter
complaining about a critic's poor review of his '' An Officer and a Gentleman, The Musical'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Millar, James Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Australian tenors Australian male musical theatre actors Male actors from Sydney Australian musical theatre lyricists Helpmann Award winners University of Technology Sydney alumni