| Drew Forsythe | |
| Birth Place: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Family: | Abe Forsythe (son) |
Drew Forsythe (born 23 August 1949) is an Australian actor, singer, writer, and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage, and television, as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programs.
Born in New South Wales to newsagent parents,[1] Forsythe attended Atherton Primary School, far north Queensland. . He caught the acting bug when The Young Elizabethan Players performed Hamlet (featuring Kirrily Nolan as Ophelia) at his Charters Towers high school.[1] Forsythe went on to study acting at National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1969.[2]
The title roles of the heroic Tonino and the foolish Zanetto in the Nick Enright/Terence Clarke musical, The Venetian Twins, were written for Forsythe. He originated these dual roles for Nimrod Theatre Company in the first Sydney Theatre Company season in 1979, and subsequently in two revivals.
Playwright David Williamson wrote Flatfoot for Forsythe, in which he played eleven different characters and a parrot.
Together with Jonathan Biggins and Phillip Scott, Forsythe was a creator, writer and performer of Three Men and a Baby Grand which started at the Tilbury Hotel in Woolloomooloo. It went on to tour Australia-wide, at the Edinburgh Festival, and with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and was also adapted as a television series for the ABC. The same team went on to create the Wharf Revue for the Sydney Theatre Company.[3]
Other stage appearances include the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas H.M.S. Pinafore and The Mikado for Essgee Entertainment, receiving a Melbourne Green Room Award as Ko-Ko in The Mikado in 1995.
Forsythe appeared in the films Stone, Caddie, Newsfront, Annie's Coming Out, Ginger Meggs, Burke & Wills, Travelling North and Billy's Holiday. He featured as the narrator in the film Ned, which was written and directed by and starred his son, Abe Forsythe.
He received the 1976 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his role in Caddie.
Forsythe has featured in television roles on The Miraculous Mellops, The Dingo Principle and Hotel Bordemer. He has also made guest appearances on a number of popular television series, including Cop Shop, A Country Practice, G.P., BackBerner, All Saints, and Packed to the Rafters.
He provided the anonymous, uncredited voice of David Tench, an animated host on Network Ten's short-lived comedy talk show David Tench Tonight. He also voiced several characters on the Australian award-winning animated series I Got a Rocket,[4] as well as characters on Fairy Tale Police Department and The Adventures of Blinky Bill.
Forsythe is credited with singing the theme song for the ABC's long-running Sunday morning radio program, Australia All Over, hosted by Ian McNamara. For more than thirty years when over 2 million listeners spanning every corner of Australia tune in from 5.30 am on Sunday mornings to listen to 'Macca' they are greeted by Forsythe singing - "Macca on a Sunday Morning".
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Taming of the Shrew | Teleplay | ||
| 1973 | How Could You Believe Me When I Said I'd Be Your Valet When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life? | Teleplay | ||
| 1974 | Stone | Fred | Feature film | |
| 1974 | Essington | TV movie | ||
| 1975 | They Don't Clap Losers | Priest | TV movie | |
| 1976 | Caddie | Sonny | Feature film | |
| 1976 | Deathcheaters | Battle Scene Director | Feature film | |
| 1978 | Newsfront | Bruce | Feature film | |
| 1979 | The Hero | Auditionee | Short film | |
| 1981 | Around the World with Dot | Danny the Swagman (live) / Santa Claus (voice) | Animated TV film | |
| 1981 | Doctors and Nurses | Katz | Feature film | |
| 1982 | Ginger Meggs | Tiger Kelly | Feature film | |
| 1983 | Dot and the Bunny | Koala (voice) | Animated TV film | |
| 1984 | Annie's Coming Out | David Lewis | Feature film | |
| 1985 | Burke & Wills | William Brahe | Feature film | |
| 1986 | The Movers | John | TV movie | |
| 1987 | Travelling North | Martin | Feature film | |
| 1989 | Minnamurra (aka Outback or Wrangler) | Henry Iverson | Feature film | |
| 1993 | The Nostradamus Kid | 'General Booth Enters Heaven' Strolling Player | Feature film | |
| 1995 | Billy's Holiday | Sid Banks | Feature film | |
| 1996 | The Mikado | Ko-Ko | TV movie | |
| 1997 | H.M.S. Pinafore | The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter K.C.B. | TV movie | |
| 2002 | Six Days Straight | Arthur | Short film | |
| 2003 | Ned | Narrator | Feature film | |
| 2006 | The Last Chip | Pit Boss Trevor | Short film |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Three Men of the City | Ken Styles | TV miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 1974 | Behind the Legend | Ted Baxter | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1975 | The Company Men | Ken Elliott | TV miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 1976 | The Emigrants | Peter | TV miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 1981 | Cop Shop | Sid Moody / Murray Paxton | TV series, 4 episodes | |
| 1984 | Breakout | Host | Documentary | |
| 1984-91 | A Country Practice | Noel Lewis / Phil Pratt | TV series, 3 episodes | |
| 1985 | Runaway Island | Bloat | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 1986 | Land of Hope | Old Frank Quinn | TV miniseries | |
| 1986 | Whose Baby? | Bill Morrison | TV miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 1987 | The Dingo Principle | Various characters | TV series | |
| 1989-93 | G.P. | Leon Winters | TV series, 3 episodes | |
| 1990 | The Party Machine | Various characters | TV series, 3 episodes | |
| 1991-92 | The Miraculous Mellops | Ralph | TV series, 26 episodes | |
| 1994 | Three Men and a Baby Grand | Various characters | TV series | |
| 1998 | Driven Crazy | Sidney Drayton Mousechap | TV series, season 1, episode 12: "Mousechap" | |
| 2001-05 | Fairy Tale Police Department | Chief Horace White (voice) | Animated TV series, 26 episodes | |
| 2002 | BackBerner | Martin | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2002-07 | All Saints | Ray McCarthy / Dale Caulder | TV series, 3 episodes | |
| 2004 | The Adventures of Blinky Bill | Voice | Animated TV series, season 3 | |
| 2005 | Hotel Bordemer | TV series, 19 episodes | ||
| 2006 | Staines Down Drains | Dr Drain | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 2006-07 | David Tench Tonight | David Tench (voice) | TV series | |
| 2006-07 | I Got a Rocket | Ma Ducky / Biffo Ducky / Scuds Ducky / Captain O'Cheese / Pirate (voices) | Animated TV series, 23 episodes | |
| 2007 | Chandon Pictures | Graham Tucker | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2008 | Packed to the Rafters | Fred Mackie | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2011 | At Home with Julia | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| 2012 | Devil’s Dust | Bob Carr | Animated TV series, 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Dingo Principle | Writer | TV series | |
| 1990 | The Party Machine | Writer | TV series, 3 episodes | |
| 1994 | Three Men and a Baby Grand | Writer | TV series | |
| 1996 | The Mikado | Additional material | TV movie | |
| 1997 | H.M.S. Pinafore | Additional material | TV movie |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Room | Mr Kidd | Production course graduation play at Jane Street Theatre | |
| 1968 | Hippolytus | Servant | Jane Street Theatre | |
| 1968 | Dark of the Moon | Preacher / Haggler | Jane Street Theatre | |
| 1969 | Lock Up Your Daughters | Justic Squeezum | NIDA Theatre | |
| 1969 | Miss Jairus | Jairus | University of NSW, Old Tote Theatre | |
| 1969 | The Crucible | Reverend Samuel Paris | University of NSW with Old Tote Theatre | |
| 1970 | This Story of Yours | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1970 | Major Barbara | Canberra Theatre & University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1970 | The Hostage | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1970 | Biggles | Ginger | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1971 | King Oedipus | Chorus | Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Octagon Theatre, Perth & University of Adelaide | |
| 1971 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | University of NSW Parade Theatre & Canberra Theatre Centre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1971 | The Dutch Courtesan | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1971 | The National Health or Nurse Norton's Affair | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1971 | Lasseter | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1972 | Tartuffe | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1972 | Julius Caesar | University of NSW | ||
| 1972 | Forget-Me-Not Lane | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1972 | How Could You Believe Me When I Said I'd Be Your Valet When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life? | University of NSW Parade Theatre & Canberra Theatre Centre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1973 | 'Tis Pity She's a Whore | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | ||
| 1973 | King Richard II | Sydney Opera House | ||
| 1973 | The Threepenny Opera | Sydney Opera House | ||
| 1973 | What If You Died Tomorrow? | Sydney Opera House & Elizabethan Theatre | ||
| 1973 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Mortimer | Old Tote Theatre | |
| 1974 | The Seagull | Kosta | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1974 | The Bacchoi | Nimrod Theatre Company | ||
| 1974 | What If You Died Tomorrow? | Comedy Theatre, London | ||
| 1975 | Much Ado About Nothing | Dogberry | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1976 | All Good Men | Stables Theatre | ||
| 1976 | The Speakers | Harry / Policeman / Doctor / Davies Drug-pusher | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1976 | Are You Now or Have You Ever Been | Larry Parks / Tony Kraber / Elliott Sullivan / Marc Lawrence | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1976 | The Shoemaker's Holiday | Ralph Damport | Sydney Opera House | |
| 1976 | A Toast to Melba | GB Shaw / Duke of Orleans / Wedekind / Sir Thomas Beecham | University of NSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre | |
| 1977 | The Magistrate | Cis Farringdon | Sydney Opera House | |
| 1977 | Twelfth Night | Sir Andrew Aguecheek | ||
| 1977 | Much Ado About Nothing | Dogberry | ||
| 1977 | Any Fool Can | Peter Wilkins | Bondi Pavilion | |
| 1978 | The Comedy of Errors | Dromio of Syracuse | ||
| 1978 | Henry IV | Bardoplh | ||
| 1978-79 | The Club | Danny | Canberra Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Orange Civic Theatre, Dapto Leagues Club & St George Leagues Club | |
| 1978 | Gone with Hardy | Stanley Jefferson | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1979 | Incompletions | Herb | ABC Radio, Sydney | |
| 1979 | Romeo and Juliet | Mercutio | Octagon Theatre, Perth & Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1979 | The Life of Galileo | Doge of Venice / Thin Monk / Andrea Sarti | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1979 | The Venetian Twins | Tonino / Zanetto | ||
| 1980 | The Club | Danny | The Old Vic Theatre, London | |
| 1980 | The Two Gentlemen of Verona - Open Rehearsal | Proteus / Thurio / Antonio | Seymour Centre | |
| 1981 | Three Sisters | Nikolai Lvovich / Baron Tusenbach | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1981 | The Venetian Twins | Tonino / Zanetto | Seymour Centre, Canberra Theatre Centre, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne & Geelong | |
| 1982 | Amadeus | Theatre Royal, Sydney with STC[5] | ||
| 1984 | The Servant of Two Masters | The Servant | Nimrod Theatre Company for Festival of Sydney | |
| 1985 | Shorts at the Wharf: Late Arrivals / Perfect Mismatch / The Bourgeois Wedding | Derelict / Husband | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 1986 | Hedda Gabler | Tesman | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 1987 | Emerald City | Mike | Playhouse Adelaide, Canberra Theatre Centre & Sydney Opera House | |
| 1988 | Big and Little | The Man / Male Research Assistant / Bernard | Sydney Opera House with STC | |
| 1989 | Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | The King | Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Lyric Theatre Brisbane & Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne for Essgee Entertainment | |
| 1990 | The Venetian Twins | Tonino / Zanetto | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane | |
| 1990 | Love Letters | Sydney Opera House, University of Sydney & Playhouse, Melbourne | ||
| 1990 | Big River | The King | Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney | |
| 1991 | Three Men and a Baby Grand | Comedian | Tilbury Hotel, Playhouse Newcastle, Fairfax Studio Melbourne & Space Theatre, Adelaide | |
| 1992 | The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus | |||
| 1996 | The Pirates of Penzance | Major-General Stanley | New Zealand with Essgee Entertainment | |
| 1995 | The Mikado | Ko-Ko | Australian national tour with Essgee Entertainment | |
| 1997 | H.M.S. Pinafore | Sir Joseph Porter | Australian national tour with Essgee Entertainment | |
| 1998 | The Merry Widow | Njegus | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane with Essgee Entertainment | |
| 1998-99 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Senex | Australian national tour with Essgee Entertainment | |
| 1999 | The Imaginary Invalid | |||
| 2000 | The Unofficial Visitors Guide to Australia | Wharf Theatre with STC | ||
| 2001 | The Best Bits of That Broad and Those Men | Glen Street Theatre | ||
| 2001 | Wharf Revue | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with STC | ||
| 2002 | Wharf Revue The Year of Living Comfortably | Wharf Theatre & Riverside Theatres Parramatta with STC | ||
| 2002 | Volpone | Sydney Opera House | ||
| 2002 | Wharf Revue Much Revue About Nothing | Wharf Theatre with STC | ||
| 2003 | The Way of the World | Sydney Opera House with STC | ||
| 2004 | Harbour | STC | ||
| 2004 | The Republic of Myopia | Dr Furtwangler | Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC | |
| 2004-05 | Flatfoot | Titus Maccius Plautus playing various characters (including Pyrgopolynices, Palaestrio and Pleusicles) | Australian national tour | |
| 2004 | Light on the Hill | Belvoir Street Theatre | ||
| 2004 | Wharf Revue Fast and Loose | Glen Street Theatre with STC | ||
| 2005 | Broken Valley | Belvoir Street Theatre | ||
| 2005 | Navigating Flinders | Ensemble Theatre | ||
| 2005 | The Give and Take | Sydney Opera House with STC | ||
| 2005 | Wharf Revue Stuff All Happens | Australian national tour | ||
| 2006 | Kookaburra Launch Concert | Singer | Lyric Theatre, Sydney with Kookaburra - the National Musical Theatre Company | |
| 2006 | Wharf Revue Best We Forget | Wharf Theatre with STC | ||
| 2007-08 | Wharf Revue Beware of the Dogma | STC | ||
| 2008 | Wharf Revue Revue Sans Frontieres | Banquet Room, Adelaide with STC | ||
| 2008 | Wharf Revue Waiting for Garnaut | Casula Powerhouse & Wharf Theatre with STC | ||
| 2009 | The 39 Steps | Clown 2 | Australian national tour & Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong | |
| 2009-10 | Wharf Revue Pennies from Kevin | Nick Xenophon & various characters | Australian national tour with STC | |
| 2010 | Wharf Revue Not Quite Out of the Woods | Wharf Theatre with STC | ||
| 2010 | L'Amphi Parnasso | The Song Company[6] | ||
| Carnival of the Humans | with Australian Chamber Orchestra | |||
| 2012 | Wharf Revue Red Wharf: Beyond the Rings of Satire | Lennox Theatre, Parramatta, Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre Penrith, Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre with STC | ||
| 2012 | Under Milk Wood | Sydney Opera House with STC[7] [8] | ||
| 2013 | Mrs. Warren's Profession | The Fool | Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2014 | Strictly Ballroom the Musical | Doug Hastings | Sydney Lyric Theatre | |
| 2015-20 | Wharf Revue Celebrating 15 Years | Malcolm Turnbull & various characters | Australian national tour & online with STC | |
| 2016 | Wharf Revue Back to Bite You | Wharf Theatre with STC | ||
| 2016 | Wharf Revue 2016 | Theatre Royal, Hobart, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, IMB Theatre, Wollongong with STC | ||
| 2017 | Wharf Revue The Patriotic Rag | Pauline Hanson & various characters | Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2018 | Wharf Revue Deja Revue | Queen Elizabeth, Pauline Hanson, Vladimir Putin & various characters | IMB Theatre, Wollongong with STC | |
| 2020 | Wharf Revue Good Night and Good Luck | Pauline Hanson & various characters | Roslyn Packer Theatre, Majestic Cinemas, Sydney & Riverside Theatres Parramatta with STC | |
| 2022 | Wharf Revue Looking for Albanese | Anthony Albanese, Pauline Hanson, 'The Mad Katter' & various characters | Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC[9] | |
| 2022 | Wharf Revue Can of Worms | Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC[10] | ||
| 2023 | Wharf Revue Pride in Prejudice | Dunstan Playhouse & The Round, Melbourne[11] |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Wharf Revue The End of the Wharf as We Know It | Writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2000 | Wharf Revue Sunday in Iraq with George: A Shock 'n' Awe-full Show | Writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2001 | Wharf Revue Free Petrol! | Writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2001 | Wharf Revue Free Petrol Too | Writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2002 | Wharf Revue Much Revue About Nothing | Creator / writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2004 | The Republic of Myopia | Creator / writer | Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC | |
| 2005 | Concert for Tax Relief | Writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2006-08 | Wharf Revue Revue Sans Frontieres | Writer | Lennox Theatre, Parramatta & Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2007-08 | Wharf Revue Beware of the Dogma | Creator / writer | STC | |
| 2008 | Wharf Revue Waiting for Garnaut | Creator / writer | Casula Powerhouse & Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2009-10 | Wharf Revue Pennies from Kevin | Creator / writer | Australian national tour with STC | |
| 2010 | Wharf Revue Not Quite Out of the Woods | Creator / writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2011-12 | Wharf Revue Debt Defying Acts | Creator / writer | Australian national tour with STC | |
| 2013 | Wharf Revue Whoops! | Creator / writer | Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Casula Powerhouse, Glen Street Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre, with STC | |
| 2014 | Wharf Revue Open for Business | Creator / writer | Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Casula Powerhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, Glen Street Theatre & Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2015-20 | Wharf Revue Celebrating 15 Years | Creator / writer | Australian national tour & online with STC | |
| 2016 | Wharf Revue Back to Bite You | Creator / writer | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2017 | Wharf Revue The Patriotic Rag | Creator / writer | Canberra Theatre Centre & Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2018 | Wharf Revue Deja Revue | Creator / writer | IMB Theatre, Wollongong with STC | |
| 2019 | Wharf Revue Unr-Dact-D | Creator / writer | Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC | |
| 2020 | Wharf Revue Good Night and Good Luck | Creator / co-director | Roslyn Packer Theatre, Majestic Cinemas, Sydney & Riverside Theatres Parramatta with STC | |
| 2022 | Wharf Revue Looking for Albanese | Creator / writer | Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC | |
| 2022 | Wharf Revue Can of Worms | Creator / writer | Canberra Theatre Centre & Seymour Centre with STC | |
| 2024 | Wharf Revue Pride in Prejudice | Writer / Co-director | Dunstan Playhouse & The Round, Melbourne |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Caddie | ||||
| The Venetian Twins | Variety Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | [13] | ||
| 1987 | Whose Baby | Penguin Awards | Best Actor in a Mini-Series | ||
| 1995 | The Mikado | ||||
| 2019 | Wharf Revue team | Award for services to laughter, satire and sanity above and beyond the call of duty | [14] |
Forsythe's son, Abe Forsythe, is an actor and director.