Dan Bellis has been delighting Beaumaris Theatre audiences since 2016 and is a very valued member of the Beaumaris Theatre Committee. This year he takes on a new role, directing our September production of Cosi. We asked Dan to step into the spotlight so we can get to know him better.
What do you love about this show?
Its accessibility. The show takes place in one location and the story is quite straightforward, but there is so much depth in the characters and the message of the show. It’s told with great humour, but the audience will feel real empathy with these larger-than-life characters.
What are you most looking forward to with this production?
I’m personally looking forward to getting back into direction and really pushing myself with it. It’s been seven or eight years since I last directed a play, with the exception of a school play that had to be cancelled because of lockdown…..3, I think it was.
We’ve only had three rehearsals so far, but this cast is already working together so, so well. They make each other laugh, support each other and are so willing to play and contribute wonderful ideas for their own and each other’s characters. This will result in a truly alive performance.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favourite line of dialogue from the show?
It’s hard to think of a specific line that I could say is my favourite. I love when the characters (especially the patients) reveal something about their past, particularly Doug, Roy and Julie.
Who in the show is most like their character?
Are you trying to get me into trouble? It’s a diplomatic, fence-sitty answer, but I think it would be accurate to say that each actor has at least something in common with their characters.
Elise Zolis as Lucy is fiercely intelligent with a great independent streak. Sam Wyles has such great acting range, making him a perfect choice to play 3 vastly different characters (in very quick succession as well). Harrison Ewart-Dart (who Beaumaris audiences may remember as the Musical Director of Anne & Gilbert) is a warm and enthusiastic human who is prepared to throw himself into the deep end, which are qualities that he shares with Lewis. Andrew Tomazos is someone that I’ve performed with someone a lot through the years. It would be hard to find someone who loves the theatre as much as he does, except for maybe his character, Roy. Stuart Anderson is a terrific improviser with a great dark sense of humour. It’s been fun to see him play a character with so many very uncomfortable lines. Mark Stewart is reprising his role as Henry from Beaumaris Theatre last staged Cosi in 2005. Mark is a quiet and thoughtful performer who is capable of fiercely defending his beliefs and the people that he loves. Tanya Wade as Cherry is an absolute delight. She loves to make risqué character choices and has a great willingness to play and try different things. Sarah Gow is such a sweet Ruth who can say so much with just a simple tilt of the head.
What will the audience be talking about in the car home from this show?
How well the actors performed together and forged great connections with each other. I’m also hopeful that this will be a production which stimulates all five senses. Maybe the sixth sense as well if the Beaumaris Theatre ghost appears.
When you are not at the theatre, where can you be found?
I don’t understand the question. There are places other than the theatre?
When I’m not at the theatre, you can usually find me getting depressed at an Essendon game waiting for the work day to end so that I can get back to the theatre.
What was your most memorable theatrical experience?
How much time do you have? My first performance at Beaumaris Theatre was in Avenue Q in 2016. I hadn’t (before or since) performed with such a close-knit cast. Our Facebook group chat is still going strong even six years later. We also went on a retreat in 2018. If I need a boost, they’re always there to provide it.
My favourite role that I’ve played was Juror 3 in 12 Angry Men with BATS, which also featured Cosi’s Andrew Tomazos. We were a great ensemble cast (winning a Lyrebird Award for being a great ensemble cast), and the world that we and the production team created felt very, very real. It was a production that very “lived-in”, which I’m hoping we can create for Cosi.
What was your first ever role on stage?
In year 9, I played Action in West Side Story. I was described by an audience member as “an angry young man”.
What is your dream role?
I would love the chance to play Miss Trunchbull in Matilda or Adult Ron in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And there are shows coming to Beaumaris in the next two years that I would to be involved with but I’m not allowed to talk about. Sorry!
Cosi will run from 2 - 11 September 2022 at Beaumaris Theatre. Click here to learn more.