Noel Tovey
Encyclopedia
Noel Tovey is an Australian dancer, actor, mentor, director and choreographer. he was the artistic director for the indigenous
welcoming ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Born in Melbourne, the son of an Aboriginal/ New Zealand mother and father of Scottish-African descent, Tovey endured sexual abuse, neglect and poverty throughout his childhood and adolescence. Despite this hardship he went on to become successful in the theatre in both Australia and London, including appearing in the world premiere of Oh! Calcutta!
.
He taught at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
in London and co-founded the London Theatre for Children before returning to Australia in 1990.
He played the lead role in Skipping on Stars based on the life of indigenous tightwire walker Con Colleano
, performed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.
He was a close friend of Australian comedian
Mary Hardy and is the mentor to New York based Aboriginal dancer, emerging choreographer Ian RT Colless. http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/2880
In 2004, Hodder Headline Australia published his autobiography Little Black Bastard ISBN 0-7336-1798-0.
Tovey is openly gay and has spoken out for the rights of LGBT elders. In June 2010 Tovey was recognised for his contribution to the LGBT community by becoming the 2010 recipient of the {also} Foundation For All of Us Lifetime Achievement Award.
In his public life Noel has made much of his heritage, where in his private life he has been guided by the maxim "blood isn't thicker than water", and has chosen to sever ties with all of his family and extended family.
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
welcoming ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Born in Melbourne, the son of an Aboriginal/ New Zealand mother and father of Scottish-African descent, Tovey endured sexual abuse, neglect and poverty throughout his childhood and adolescence. Despite this hardship he went on to become successful in the theatre in both Australia and London, including appearing in the world premiere of Oh! Calcutta!
Oh! Calcutta!
Oh! Calcutta! is an avant-garde theatrical revue, created by British drama critic Kenneth Tynan. The show, consisting of sketches on sex-related topics, debuted Off-Broadway in 1969 and then in London in 1970. It ran in London for over 3,900 performances, and in New York initially for 1,314...
.
He taught at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, opened by Laurence Olivier in 1946, is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, an organisation securing the highest standards of training in the performing arts, and is an associate school of the Faculty of Creative Arts of the University of the...
and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
in London and co-founded the London Theatre for Children before returning to Australia in 1990.
He played the lead role in Skipping on Stars based on the life of indigenous tightwire walker Con Colleano
Con Colleano
Con Colleano was an Australian tightrope walker who was the first person to successfully attempt a forward somersault on a tightrope and became one of the most celebrated and highly-paid circus performers of his time...
, performed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.
He was a close friend of Australian comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Mary Hardy and is the mentor to New York based Aboriginal dancer, emerging choreographer Ian RT Colless. http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/2880
In 2004, Hodder Headline Australia published his autobiography Little Black Bastard ISBN 0-7336-1798-0.
Tovey is openly gay and has spoken out for the rights of LGBT elders. In June 2010 Tovey was recognised for his contribution to the LGBT community by becoming the 2010 recipient of the {also} Foundation For All of Us Lifetime Achievement Award.
In his public life Noel has made much of his heritage, where in his private life he has been guided by the maxim "blood isn't thicker than water", and has chosen to sever ties with all of his family and extended family.