9. NUTS

Maryann Wright

Accompanist: Daryl Wallis

An exploration of the many types of ‘nutty’ NUTS tells the story of celebrities, fictional characters and your everyday crazy neighbour, relative or friend. Holding up a mirror to the quirky side of life has never been so healthy! 

Ben Drysdale Full Acting Biography

Ben Drysdale began a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and English at ANU in 2000. As part of this degree he completed a 2-year Acting, Voice and Movement program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. Since returning to Australia he has acted in a number of amateur and professional productions, been hired as a street performer at the National Folk Festival and The Multicultural Fringe Festival, assistant directed/assistant stage managed SALT at The Street Theatre, Produced and Directed three Seasons of short plays entitled Seasons of Keene at The Street Theatre, and Acted in the Street Theatre’s Professional production of The Give and Take. Ben has also been employed by The ANU Medical School, and the Department of Defense to act in role-play scenarios, and the University of Canberra as an Actor and Tutor for their Television Production 2 class.

In 2008 Ben was hired as a extra in the Ned Kelly Nuerofen advertisement, was Programs Director for The Hunting Season funded by the Foundation for Young Australians, and took up a position at the Rainbow Room, teaching Drama to mental health sufferers. In 2009 Ben has starred in three amateur short films (2 local, 1 for students of the International Film School in Sydney), and was cast as a featured extra in the feature film ‘The Competition’ written and directed by Simon Weaving, and the Toyota 4WD ‘Country Boarder Security’ advertisement shot in Cooma. In 2010 he was employed to play the lead role in the stage production ‘Our of Our Minds’ funded by the Mental Health Foundation, and continued role play work with the Department of Defense, and Centrelink.

Ben has most recently done a professional rehearsed play reading of ‘Pyjama Girl’ by Emma Gibson at the Street Theatre and and three film credits including an extra role in the feature film Galore in December 2012, and two leads in short films ‘Lights’ and ‘Trust’ in 2013.