Thank you Chair
With Brisbane Festival now in full swing, I’d like to give a special shout-out to Joe Klocek, a resident of Chapel Hill in my Ward but more important, the lead actor in the stage version of Boy Swallows Universe, which is now playing at the Cremourne Theatre.
For as long as I’ve known the Klocek family, which harks back to when our children attended Chapel Hill State School, Joe had his sights set only on becoming an actor.
Acting is a tough gig as anyone associated with the entertainment industry will tell you, but through hard work and determination, Joe is now making Australian audiences sit up and take notice.
Joe is back home at the moment with parents Roly and Judy and brother Daniel, but has spent much of the past decade living and working interstate to secure roles on stage and screen.
His television credits already include Harrow, Nowhere Boys, Patricia Moore, Neighbours and Barracuda.
On the big screen, he has appeared in Children of the Corn, Pirates of the Caribbean and Dead Men Tell No Tales. But for me, the role that really brought him to our attention was playing the younger character of lead actor Eric Bana in the Australian film, The Dry.
In Boy Swallows Universe, Joe plays the role of Eli Bell which depicts much of the earlier life of award winning Courier Mail feature writer and author, Trent Dalton.
I had the pleasure of attending a preview performance of the show last week and I couldn’t have been more proud of our local lad made good.
The play itself goes for almost three hours and Joe is one stage for the entire time, and didn’t miss a beat.
Chair, can I suggest that anyone with an interest in great local theatre and talent, that they get along to the Cremourne Theatre between now and early October to see Joe in Boy Swallows Universe.
Thank you.