Andrew Blackman

5 in 5: Andrew Blackman, CWTC Artistic Director. To formally introduce 'Andy', here is 5 questions in 5 minutes with the man himself.

Q. Nickname?

Blackers.

Q. Why do you love what you do?

I've had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented people over the years. I've worked with amazing text, on plays, television shows and film.

Q. What was your first experience of live theatre, and what continues to draw you to it?

I clearly remember the experience. I was crook at the time. I was 7 years old. It was 1972. The play was called 'Dark of the Moon', staged by the Queensland Theatre Company, and starring Geoffrey Rush and the late Billie Brown. After that experience I didn't see theatre again until I was in my High School years. Then it was just about holding hands with a girl during the show!

Q. What’s your favourite book or movie of all time, and why did it speak to you so much?

Complete Works of William Shakespeare. (Laughs). No. I can't put that. Certainly a book that made a very big impression on me was Perfume by Patrick Suskind. It tells the story of the life of Grenouille, which means frog in French. Grenouille is born into the world in a Paris fishmonger in the 1700's. What I found so fascinating about the character study, was like the most talented people in the world, he was dedicated and obsessive in his pursuit of perfection. But the book is also a cautionary tale, because the pursuit led him down a path of destruction. Like all the great Shakespeare plays, the book takes you on an emotional journey.

Q. Who would play you in a movie of your life?

I'd like to think Matthew McConaughey.