Categories: Features

Blake Bowden: Rob Guest Endowment Finalist 2011

The much anticipated 2011 Rob Guest Endowment Concert will take place at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne next Monday, 10 October. AussieTheatre.com is featuring a short interview with each of the 6 finalists in the lead up to the gala event. So far we have caught up with Gretel Scarlett and Jamie Ward, and Ashlea Pyke, but today we chat with Blake Bowden.

AussieTheatre.com’s Cassie Tongue asks each finalist 10 quick questions about life, the industry and their pre-performance rituals!

Blake most recently appeared in the Australian tours of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and West Side Story.

1. When did you know you wanted to be a performer?I started performing at the age of seven and guess I always knew it was something I wanted to do, but was probably a teenager before I thought I could make a life out of this.
2. What do you hope to achieve from the Rob Guest Endowment process?I think this entire process is such a massive learning curve. To be sharing the stage with the other contestants and so many wonderful accomplished artists is an experience unlike no other.
3. When you found out you were a finalist, what was the first thing you did?I rang my Mum!
4. What is the most exciting thing about music theatre in Australia?The amazing array of versatile talent that we produce.
5. If you could play any role (regardless of criteria such as age, gender, etc) what would it be?Oh that is a hard question. But I would love to play Jean Valjean in Les Misarables. What a show and what a role!
6. What’s your go-to, belt-it-out-in-the-shower song?I couldn’t say I had just one. But I like to sing anything pop related in the shower, cause I am so terrible at it but the music is just so enjoyable!
7. How are you preparing for the upcoming concert?Lots and lots of practice. And constantly thinking about the songs and the shows they are from.
8. Do you have any pre-performance rituals that you follow?No not really. Though I have a very specific warm up that I must complete in order to feel ready to sing.
9. What’s the best piece of theatrical advice that you have been given?Never stop learning and always watch everyone you work with. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience at your finger tips with every artist you are fortunate to work with, watch or meet.
10. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?Happy, content and working on projects that challenge me and help me continue to grow.

More about Blake

Blake is a graduate of The McDonald College of Performing Arts and holds a B.A. from Sydney University. He currently studies singing with Glenn Winslade. On stage Blake has played the role of Abdul in Louis Nowra’s Beatrice, Corey Matthews in Debra Oswald’s Skate for ATYP and Meryl Tankard’s VX18504 for ATYP at Carriage Works. Music theatre credits include Dirty Dancing Australian and New Zealand tour for Jacobsen Entertainment, The Boy From Oz Arena Production National Tour for Ben Gannon and Robert Fox and touring Korea in the TML production of Jekyll And Hyde. Blake was also member of the classical vocal group ARYA whose performance highlights include Woolworth’s Carols in the Domain in 2008 and touring nationally in The Never Say Never Tour with Wendy Matthews and Ian Moss. Most recently Blake toured Australia in A Midsummer Nights Dream for Arts Radar playing Lysander, he appeared as a principal artist in the international tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and as soloist at Angel Place Recital Hall and The Arts Centre Melbourne in a tribute concert The Sound of Rodgers. In 2010 Blake appeared in the Australian tour of West Side Story for The Ambassador Group in which he played the role of Snowboy, understudying the lead roles of Tony and Riff, which he performed regularly.
More information on the Rob Guest Endowment: Triple Threat? Be our guest Gretel Scarlett: Rob Guest Endowment Finalist 2011 Jamie Ward: Rob Guest En
dowment Finalist 2011 2011 Rob Guest Endowment Finalists Announced

Cassie Tongue

Cassie is a theatre critic and arts writer in Sydney, and was the deputy editor of AussieTheatre. She has written for The Guardian, Time Out Sydney, Daily Review, and BroadwayWorld Australia. She is a voter for the Sydney Theatre Awards.