Shire TV actor has hand in satire

From: Leader.

By Kevin Sadlier
CHANNEL 9's McLeod's Daughters may be finished, but one former cast member, Myles Pollard of Cronulla, is keeping busy with other roles including appearing with Hugh Jackman in his latest blockbuster, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Myles, who played Nick Ryan in McLeod's Daughters, was flown to Queenstown, New Zealand, for the Wolverine role. He said it was a highlight of his career so far.

"With Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, I play a lumberjack in the movie which is due to be released next year," he said.

Myles came back from Queenstown in time to begin rehearsals for a new stage production, Mistero Buffo, which opens at Downstairs Belvoir St Theatre next Thursday, March 27.

Mistero Buffo (Comic Mysteries in Italian), a political satire by Italy playwright and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dario Fo, provides great challenges for its cast, says Myles. "Learning my opening monologue which lasts for 20 minutes wasn't easy," Myles said. "The dialogue is not like every day speech. It's not like anything you would ever hear in McLeod's Daughters."

Although originally performed by the playwright himself as a one-man play, Mistero Buffo, is now mostly staged as a two-hander. In this production, Myles co-stars with Douglas Blaikie. Both actors graduated in the same year, 1998, from NIDA.

Although McLeod's Daughters has been axed by Channel 9, Myles can be seen on the network later this year in a 13-part children's series, Double Trouble, filmed in Alice Springs.

Details for Mistero Buffo: March 27 to April 13 at Belvoir St Downstairs Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills. Bookings: 9699 3444 or belvoir.com.au

belvoir.com.au. Tickets: $29, $23.