He spoke with Matt Friedman.

PM:  Tell us about your monologue, “Captain Everything”.

MF:  Without wanting to give too much away, I see “Captain Everything” as a monologue that leaps and bounds through childhood imagination, dipping a toe into everything from pirates to cowboys and Star Wars to Aladdin. Based on true stories, this script is an absolute rollercoaster that will leave not just your stomach behind, but your heart too.

PM:  Many people saw Noah Casey’s performance of “Captain Everything” in Short+Sweet. How will you perform it differently?

MF:  I thought Noah Casey’s performance was fantastic when I saw it in February, and I was whipped along by his energy. With Pete’s direction, I aim to maintain that energy whilst digging a deeper understanding of the character, first for myself and then for the audience. I also wish to perform each of the 15 or so characters without exterior aids – in short to deliver everything with only the power of the imagination.

PM:  Why should people come and see this show?

MF:  A monologue is possibly the most intimate medium of art, and a whole showcase allows audiences into the uncensored worlds of each individual character. Pete’s award-winning writing is not just about eliciting laughter or tears (although there will be much of both); at least one of the performances will follow you out the theatre doors, and change the way you think. Guaranteed.

PM:   You’re doing your HSC this year. How’s that going?

MF:  My HSC is going really well… as long as I’m not thinking about it too hard. My grand plan for this calendar year is to expand my life past the HSC (hence my being in this show) and finding the balance between the two is, I suspect, the most valuable skill I may gain from this year.

PM:  What’s your plan for life after school?

MF:  My main priority is either to save or conquer the world (TBC), but in the meantime, I have recently been offered a very exciting acting opportunity that may curtail my previous plans of taking a year to travel, visit family and volunteer in East Timor. Whatever happens, I hope to study a double degree in Arts and Economics at Sydney Uni, continue to be on and around the stage, and generally speaking, have a good time.

The Monologue Project presents (extra)ordinary (un)usual episode III, is the latest showcase of Sydney writer Pete Malicki’s internationally-renowned monologues and will be performed at the New Theatre in Sydney.

The plays have been performed around the world including on London’s West End and the Edinburgh Fringe, winning countless awards in the process.

With a cast of 9 brilliant young local actors, (extra)ordinary (un)usual episode III tells some of the most bizarre stories in the series. Serial brides, elaborate games of cat and mouse, the real Princess Peach from Super Mario Brothers, a man who wants nothing more than to get some sleep, the superhero of all superheroes… and the scariest box of Lindt dark chocolate ever. And guess what this one’s about:
That Time Harold Borgenstein Went Speed Dating And Got Taken Over By All Of The Greek Gods.

The Monologue Project is a Sydney institution among creative artists. It stages live shows, offers a free script resource, runs a theatre-in-education program for high school drama students and holds various workshops. 24 of its monologues are already published and on sale as e-books.

“Malicki takes theatre for the people to a whole new level, competing directly with film & TV.” – Lisa Thatcher
“An astonishingly brilliant night of theatre.” – Weekend Notes
“If you use makeup, wear waterproof mascara: you’ll leave the theatre crying with laughter.” – Buzz from Sydney

Writer/producer Pete Malicki says, the (extra)ordinary (un)usual showcases are all about storytelling: outstanding performances of fantastic scripts, not flashy sets and lighting effects – and at a low price.

“Theatre can often be elitist or pretentious. I’m an everyday guy who loves movies and TV series. Trust me, if you see this show you’ll realise that theatre can be for everyone.”

The cast of this production ranges from the young and mercurial (18-year-old HSC drama student Matt Friedman) through an impressive line-up of stage and screen actors to a former Penthouse Pet and international champion pole-dancer making her first appearance as an actor (Miss Suzie Q)!

The show promises short bites of theatre featuring characters you’ll love, stories you’ll thrill to and lines to make you laugh out loud. People drawn from everyday life – apparently ordinary and usual – with extraordinary and unusual tales to tell!

Malicki will hold a free Monologue Performance Workshop for actors before the 20 May performance – 5:30-6:30pm at New Theatre. Placed limited, bookings essential: [email protected]