Paul Capsis (born 1964) is an Australian actor, singer and playwright who mainly works in
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
and
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
. He has also released four albums, ''Paul Capsis Live'' (2004), ''Boulevard Delirium'', ''Everybody Wants to Touch Me'' (2008) and ''Make Me a King'' (2010). His film work includes roles in ''
Head On'' (1998) and ''The Boy Castaways'' (2013). Capsis appeared in the telemovie ''
Carlotta'' (2014). At the
Helpmann Awards
The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001.
The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...
he has won five accolades: Best Live Music Presentation for ''Capsis vs Capsis'' (
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
),
Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert for ''Boulevard Delirium'' (
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
),
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for Diana in ''The Lost Echo'' (
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
),
Best Male Actor in a Play and
Best New Australian Work for ''
Angela's Kitchen'' (
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
).
Biography
Paul Capsis was born in as the second child of father Chris (
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
heritage) and mother Mary (
Maltese).
During childhood his parents were divorced and Capsis was partly raised in
Surry Hills
Surry Hills is an Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), inner-east suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local gover ...
by his maternal grandmother Angela in a "conservative, religious environment".
In the
Belvoir Street Theatre adaptation of the
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
n-based ''The Cockroach Opera'' (1992) Capsis took the role of Kumis, a street gang leader.
Helen Musa of ''
The Canberra Times
''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times.
History
''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
'' praised Capsis' singing as "especially notable".
In his solo show, ''Burning Sequins'', at Budinski's,
Carlton in 1995 he variously impersonated Shirley Bassey, Bette Midler, Madonna, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Janis Joplin.
Capsis appeared in an Australian production of ''
The Caucasian Chalk Circle'', written by
Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...
, which was performed at the Belvoir in September 1998.
His role was described by ''
The Australian Jewish News'' Peter Morrison as "an androgynous, dual-voiced Arkadi".
Capsis' film work includes roles in ''
Head On'' (1998) opposite
Alex Dimitriades, where he took the supporting role of Johnny/Toula.
''
Angela's Kitchen'' is an autobiographical one-man play with Capsis portraying multiple roles from his childhood.
It was first performed at
Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst in November 2010.
During 2012 ''Angela's Kitchen'' had four runs:
Beckett Theatre, Melbourne (May–June, September),
Lennox Theatre, Parramatta (August) and Visy Theatre,
New Farm, Queensland.
Rebecca Harkins-Cross of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' reviewed the Beckett Theatre performance, "Like memory itself, there is no overarching narrative here but short vignettes that move across time and continents. The familial story speaks to a wider history of Australia as a migrant nation."
At the
12th Helpmann Awards in 2012 he won both
Best Male Actor in a Play and
Best New Australian Work. He appeared in Michael Kantor's film ''The Boy Castaways'' (2013), starring
Megan Washington and
Tim Rogers. He provided a supporting role as Stefan in the 2014 telemovie ''
Carlotta'', screened on ABC TV.
Discography
* ''Paul Capsis Live at Angel Place City Recital Hall'' (2004) – Black Yak Records
* ''Everybody Wants to Touch Me'' (2008) – Black Yak Records
* ''Make Me a King'' (2010) –
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
Theatre roles
Credits:
* ''Grace Among the Christians'' (1988)
* ''St Rose of Lima'' (1990, 1992)
* ''Fun and Games with Oresteia'' (1991)
* ''Shadow Me, Shadow You'' (1991)
* ''The Lady Is a Camp'' (1992) – also devised by Capsis
* ''The Cockroach Opera'' (1992) – Kumis
* ''Paul Capsis and His Pack of Divas'' (1993)
* ''The Wedding Song'' (1994)
* ''The Emerald Room'' (1994)
* ''Burning Sequins'' (1995–1996) – also devised by Capsis
* ''Playgrounds'' (1996)
* ''Paul Capsis in Cabaret'' (1997)
* ''The Burlesque'' (1998) – co-created and co-written by Capsis
* ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (1998)
* ''
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' (), subtitled "A parable play", is a 1941 play by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. It chronicles the rise of Arturo Ui, a fictional 1930s Chicago mobster, and his attempts to control the cauliflower ra ...
'' (1999)
* ''Paul Capsis'' (1999)
* ''Can We Afford This / The Cost of Living'' (2000)
* ''
Sweet 'n' Hot'' (2001)
* ''Paul Capsis in Concert'' (2001)
* ''
aLive'' (2001)
* ''Spoofed Up'' (2001)
* ''Capsis v Capsis'' (2002)
* ''Volpone'' (2002)
* ''Capsis'' (2003)
* ''Thyestes'' (2004)
* ''Boulevard Delirium'' (2005)
* ''Paul Capsis Under a Sawtooth Roof'' (2005)
* ''Three Furies: Scenes from the Life of Francis Bacon'' (2006)
* ''The Lost Echo Part One'' (2006)
* ''The Lost Echo Part Two'' (2006)
* ''Paul Capsis'' (2007)
* ''
Tales from The Vienna Woods'' (2007)
* ''
The Rocky Horror Show
''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...
'' (2008) – Riff Raff
* ''A Company of Strangers'' (2009)
* ''
The Threepenny Opera '' (2010)
* ''
All About My Mother'' (2010)
* ''
Angela's Kitchen'' (2010, 2012, 2017) – also co-written by Capsis
* ''Die Winterreise'' (2011)
* ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'' (2014–2015)
* ''Little Bird'' (2014)
* ''Calpurnia Descending'' (2014)
* ''
The Wizard of Oz'' (2015)
* ''The Popular Mechanicals'' (2015)
* ''Resident Alien'' (2016)
* ''Rumpelstiltskin'' (2016)
* ''Cabaret'' (2017)
* ''The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets'' (2017)
* ''Good Omens'' (2017)
Awards and nominations
* 1998
AFI Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for ''Head On''
* 1998 Film Critics Circle Awards – Best Supporting Actor for feature film ''Head On''
* 2002 Helpmann Award for Best Live Music Presentation for ''Capsis vs Capsis
* 2004 Green Room Award – Best Cabaret Artiste
* 2006
Green Room Award – Best Cabaret Artiste for ''Boulevard Delirium''
* 2006
Helpmann Award for Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert for ''Boulevard Delirium''
*2007
Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for ''The Lost Echo''
*2012
Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work for ''Angela's Kitchen'' (with Julian Meyrick and
Hilary Bell)
*2012
Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play for ''
Angela's Kitchen''
*2013 ACON - Media, Arts and Entertainment Honour Award
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capsis, Paul
1964 births
Australian male film actors
Helpmann Award winners
Living people
Australian people of Maltese descent
Australian people of Greek descent
Australian LGBTQ singers