FINALLY FRIDAY
A brand new gig for Stingers cop Ian Stenlake, best known as Constable Oscar Stone in Australian police drama Stingers, will sing his acting career to life in Geelong next week. Each song comes with a colourful tale from his past, the 47-year-old said. “I talk about my life and how I became an actor, where I come from and where I’m heading.” Stenlake spoke to the Indy Monday after winning a lead role in the latest stage version of Mamma Mia. He will play ‘Sam’, who Pierce Brosnan played in the original film, and start rehearsals in October. “It’s fantastic - I remember seeing the first Australian production of Mamma Mia in its opening night in Sydney," he said. “Rarely as an actor can I look forward to the next 18 months, and think ‘it’s going to be lashings of fun’.” Stenlake's career began during a trip to Rome when he was convinced to become an extra in a movie that was being filmed there - as a waiter in the Godfather III. He acted in Stingers for four years before transitioning onto stage with a production of Cabaret in 2003. He worked with actual police to learn skills like shooting and weapon handling. “I got a motorbike licence out of that job,” he said. “I even remember doing archery at one point.” But at the time his acting resume was “a bit empty” with just Stingers on it.
“It read very quickly, it was just one job and I thought ‘I need to get more experience here’,” he said. “Musical theatre was a little bit like an inch that hadn’t been scratched. I wanted to do some things I had turned my back on as teenager due to peer pressure.” Stenlake took singing lessons at age 30 as he finished working on Stingers. “I had the basis for a decent voice, but I didn’t have the training,” he said. “I was doing singing practice in the car all the way to and from work for the last 22 episodes.” Stenlake will tell his life story of “dangerous situations“ and “new beginnings" through music theatre classics like Falling and You Raise Me Up. “There’s a little bit of participation,” he said. He will also perform the Tom Jones classic It’s Not Unusual from his favourite play Georgy Girl. “It’s an unusual song to be able to sing in a musical-theatre-based concert,” he said. “It’s literally a pop song they were able to get into the play because it was a dream sequence. Once you go into the world of dreams you can do anything.” Stenlake will return to Geelong Performing Arts Centre’s Musical Mornings next Wednesday and Thursday at 10.30am. “I have a great connection with Geelong, and I look forward to getting back there,” he said. Stenlake has won best male leading artist in a leading role twice at the Green Room Awards, Melbourne's premier performing arts awards. He won for his role as Vernon Gersch in They're Playing Our song in 2003 and as Curly in Oklahoma! in 2005.
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SONGFUL STINGER: TV and stage veteran Ian Stenlake will perform the songs of his life in Geelong next week.
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