Hamlet and Anthony from 'Anthony and Cleopatra' are two big roles that Julian Curtis would “give his left arm” to play in theatre productions. Julian is currently undertaking another big role as Edgar in Shake and Stir Theatre Company’s adaptation of 'Wuthering Heights'.
The story was modified for film in 1939 and again in 2011 and has been adapted many times in theatre productions, but this Australian production will remain true to the story’s form, with only a slight stylistic spin. “In terms of its adaptation, I think the company does pride itself on presenting the story as it is,” Julian Curtis says. “I haven’t seen the previous productions, but from what I’ve heard they’ve all been faithful to the original novel, but with their own twist on it. I think it’s staying in theme of those other productions.
“It’s a really hard book to adapt. It’s so big, and that’s been the challenge so far, but right now we’ve got the whole story on the stage. It seems to move quite quickly. It’s definitely not an easy task, but it’s definitely an exciting one. I think they’re pulling out all the stops for this production in terms of production value.”
'Wuthering Heights' is a timeless story that audiences today are still able to relate to. “Once you unpack it, it’s got everything of a great classic tragedy.
“I think in these classics, it’s the depth of the emotion and the depth of loss. All of that still resonates with us today, and that’s what makes it a classic. Our job as actors is to recreate that and embody the original characters from the book.“We’ve all had our heart broken, experienced death, jealousy and all those emotions. As an actor it’s fun to explore that range of depth because we don’t see that as much in our cinemas and on television, so it’s nice for theatres to still be there to provide that depth.”
Julian attended the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) and says being embarrassed on a daily basis prepared him for the hard-work and the heartbreak of the industry. “I’ve always wanted to go to NIDA, its reputation is that it’s the best.
“Why would I want to go anywhere else? It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. It was definitely worthwhile and I loved it. Going to a school where you’re regularly embarrassed on a daily basis, kind of makes you invincible.
“When you come out into the industry, it prepares you for the heartache. You see a lot of actors struggling with that rejection and it can lead to pretty tragic circumstances and I think a drama school psychologically prepares you for that.”
Julian has been involved in various projects in LA such as a supernatural comedy TV series as well as sketch comedy. “I’ve been over in LA and I’ve had a really fantastic time over there and worked with so many great people.
“This year I did a half-hour comedy TV show with Diane Singer who did the X-Men movies. It’s a supernatural comedy, so the supernatural element has introduced me to all these amazing people in the superhero genre and then Felicia Day brings her comedy quirk to it as one of the writers.”
A dream for any actor is to ‘make it’ in the American film industry, and this story is no different for Julian who grew up watching American comedies which influenced his acting style. “I think it has always been an ambition [to work in America].
“For us in Australia, we grow up on a lot of American television, especially American comedies, because comedy is something that I really love. My style and sensibility is American because I grew up on that and I guess that’s why I’ve wanted to go there and explore that.”
For Julian, trying to establish himself as an actor is just as hard in Australia as it is in America, with both requiring dedication and a bit of luck. “It’s not really one of those jobs where you chip away and you progress through levels.
“It’s just not like that. It’s gig to gig. There’s a lot of hard work, a lot of rejection, a lot of fun and a lot of luck. There’s a lot of Australians over there. I’ve got a great core group of Australians over there that I see regularly and they’ve all been there for about three years and that is kind of starting to pay off.”
Julian is thrilled to be involved in a play in Australia and believes in his perfect world he would like to be based in the US but come back to Australia every year to do a play. “If you don’t use those [theatre] skills, you lose them. I’m excited to be doing a play again. I love the thrill of an audience.”
'Wuthering Heights' will be playing at QPAC from the 1st to the 18th October.
