Ten years ago, Nigel Turner-Carroll was preparing for his HSC exams at Mount View High School and gearing up for the performance of a lifetime at the Sydney Olympics.
Fast forward to 2010 and the former Lovedale resident has made a name for himself in the Sydney theatre scene.
From tomorrow he will take to the stage at Star City’s Lyric Theatre in the international hit musical West Side Story.
The Advertiser spoke to Nigel last Thursday afternoon, when the cast was in its first day of rehearsing on stage with the fully-automated set.
“It’s such a buzz down here, it’s a great set, and everyone’s really excited,” he said.
West Side Story is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, set in 1950s New York City. The love affair between Maria, a Puerto Rican girl, and American boy Tony, is caught up in the battle between rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.
Nigel plays Bernardo, Maria’s brother and the leader of the Sharks.
It is not his first time in this role – coincidentally, Nigel choreographed and starred in a scene from West Side Story in Mount View High’s 1998 production, You Must Remember This, which was a retrospective of the school’s first 10 musicals.
Nigel went on to captain the school and while still a student there, had a role in feature film Bootmen (starring Avatar’s Sam Worthington), and danced at the Sydney Olympics with his sister Lija and brother Shan.
He was named Cessnock City’s young citizen of the year at the Australia Day Awards in 2001.
After school he trained at premier Sydney dance school Brent Street Studios, and had parts in Hot Shoe Shuffle, Leader of the Pack and Saturday Night Fever.
To further his career in acting, Nigel studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), appearing in a number of productions there, and has also worked with the Sydney Theatre Company.
Nigel said becoming a full-time performer was the result of years of hard work.
“It felt like a huge accomplishment – I remember walking up the street when it hit me, I don’t have to do anything else now, any other job,” he said.
Nigel advises any other aspiring young actors to do it for the love of performing, not for fame and fortune. “I love it and I want to be great at what I do,” he said.
“Something like 95 per cent of actors aren’t in work, so you’ve got to love what you do.
Even the injuries are worth it, he says.
“I’ve got a sprained ankle and pinched nerve at the moment, and I’m in pain every time I dance, but I still love it.
“We come off stage covered in bruises; it’s like being a professional athlete.”
Nigel hopes people attend West Side Story because it has an important message.
“I don’t want to tell people what to think, but the show speaks to a young and older audience, and it has something great to say,” he said.
West Side Story will appear at the Lyric Theatre, Star City throughout July with shows to follow at Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
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