Little Bird – Paul Capsis

With a wealth of cabaret, theatre, musical and performance skills under his belt, not to mention a bucketload of modesty, Paul Capsis is clearly one talented guy. After performing in shows such as The Rocky Horror Show and The Lost Echo and acting in Carlotta and The Boy Castaways, this week he’ll be bringing his newest show, Little Bird, to GPAC in Geelong.
Written by multi-award winning playwright Nicki Bloom, and with music created by Cameron Goodall and Quentin Grant, Little Bird is a tale of grief and homecoming that will leave you wanting more. It follows the journey and transformation of Wren, a young boy who makes his way to the big city from his parents’ isolated cottage. Wren lives in a fairy tale world that Paul describes as a “dark macabre kind of fairy tale rock concert”.
“I really liked Nicki’s idea in terms of the heart of the subject, which was basically a piece about transition, transforming, self-acceptance and connection to family,” Paul says. “It’s not a new idea necessarily but it’s the way it’s been done and put together that’s very unique, because the songs have been written specifically for the show.”
Paul admits that even with his experience, Little Bird still manages to challenge the talented performer.
“It’s a show that really pushes me and challenges me, and it’s not like my other cabaret shows. It’s not like a typical show that I would do,” he says.
Clearly he’s managing, as the show has already performed to rave reviews in Adelaide, with The Guardian heralding Paul as the “master of song and story” and the Gay News Network as “larger than life”. While we may read up on reviews before seeing a show, Paul steers clear from them and instead directs his focus unwaveringly and passionately to the show at hand.
“I’m only interested in hearing from the audience on what they have to say about it or my director or my co-creators. I don’t read good or bad. That’s just something I don’t really want to engage with,” he says. “Overall my job is to perform and that’s what I do. That’s my job.”
It’s clearly this professionalism and dedication to his career that has garnered Paul special attention from Little Bird writer Nicki Bloom. In an act that never happens, Little Bird was actually written with Paul Capsis specifically in mind.
“It’s a great honour to have something written for you that is unique and new. And it’s really rare for something like that to happen,” Paul says.
While Paul may dream of one day travelling to Paris, Berlin or revisiting New York, he’s excited to be making the trip from the windy cold weather of Sydney to Geelong.
“I’m very excited. I’ve never performed in Geelong, so it’s a new thing for me that I’m definitely looking forward to. I’m thrilled that [GPAC] is putting on a new work that’s literally just been born and giving it a nice go outside of the city it was made,” he says.
“I think that says a lot about Geelong and the people who run the theatre there. It’s obviously full of brave and encouraging people. I hope people embrace it and enjoy it and go with the story and the song.”
When&Where: The Playhouse Theatre, GPAC – July 10, 11 & 12
Written by Amanda Sherring