The talented performer and dedicated healthcare professional shares insights into his character, his co-stars in G&S WA’s upcoming production of The Mikado, and some of the best locations he’s travelled to in the world for a trail run.
Tell us about your role as Pish Tush in The Mikado, who is he and do you have anything in common with this character?
Pish Tish is an employee at the “Japanese Native Village” Exhibition, who is always sucking up to the person whom he deems to be the most important in the room, whether it be the extremely multi-disciplined, highly accomplished and money-oriented Pooh Bah, or the imposing, authoritative yet paternal figure of the Mikado himself.
However, he also has an inquisitive nature, unlike the rest of the “Gentlemen of Japan” who ignore and mock Nanki Poo on his arrival. It is Pish Tush’s intrigue and curiosity in Nanki Poo that draws Pooh Bah into the conversation, which consequently leads to Nanki Poo scheming with Koko, and ultimately sees Nanki Poo reunited with Yum Yum.
Essentially, Pish Tush is the catalyst that gets these characters interacting. If there is anything I can say I have in common with Pish Tush, it’s that I too love to spark conversation and engage with people, and am happy to be a great wingman!
You mention a love of keeping active and fit as well as travelling and camping. Has there been a favourite location you’re visited or competed in a trail run?
Experiencing 24 hours of sunlight during the summer in the Lofoten Islands, Norway definitely has to make the list. Combine that with daily mountain hikes, a deep sea fishing charter, and travelling in a campervan – that was an incredible adventure in such a picturesque location!
Last year, I added some further experiences to the list – exploring lava tunnels, hiking a volcano, and canyoning on Reunion Island. I have a fear of heights, so I much preferred squeezing through the tight spaces of the caves compared to abseiling down a waterfall! The benefits of peer pressure when travelling with friends! I finished that holiday off with a trip through Kenya and Tanzania on safari through the Masai Mara and Serengeti National Parks, and highly recommend the sunrise hot air balloon flights that culminate with a champagne breakfast on the grasslands surrounded by zebras and wildebeest!
Head across to the west coast of Africa, and I ran my first half marathon in Senegal in 2020 (Just weeks before the COVID pandemic) which sparked my love for running.
As for trail running, a highlight of my running calendar is the Margaret River Ultra Marathon held annually in May with the course following the beautiful Cape to Cape track.
As a registered radiographer, you’ve volunteered with organisations such as Mercy Ships supporting countries in West Africa. Who or what inspired you to enter this profession?
I had always wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. When listing my preferences for university courses many a year ago, I had applied for courses/professions starting from the head with Optometry and Dentistry, all the way down to the feet with Podiatry.
I also found myself in an X-Ray department in Year 12 when I broke my clavicle, and that’s what prompted me to add Medical Imaging to the list. My TEE results dictated the course I landed in – Bachelor of Science (Medical Imaging Science), and initially I didn’t think this was for me at all! I still remember squirming in my seat seeing X-rays of some nasty fractures in my first lectures and having to examine cadavers in the lab. Some may call it fate/destiny/divine intervention, but fast forward 15 plus years, and I can’t see myself working in any other health profession. I really enjoy my job and the opportunities/experiences it has presented me, such as volunteering with Mercy Ships.
Currently I work in the Computed Tomography (CT) and Interventional Radiology departments at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. I really do think a Medical Imaging Technologist is one of the hidden gems of healthcare professions.
A self-professed foodie, what’s the best meal you’ve had in the last year?
I am a sucker for a good brunch and coffee, and with a Malaysian Chinese background, I love Asian fusion cuisine. One of my most memorable brunches I have had this year was actually on a trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia back in April – a Pandan Crepe filled with Coconut and Gula Melaka… and I couldn’t resist the Teh Tarik Cheesecake as a dessert after to treat myself! On the local scene, moving away from my Asian roots and on a more day to day level, you will find me devouring a Curry Chicken Parmi for dinner at the Galway Hooker in Scarborough as a weekly Wednesday post gym routine…and I always get mixed reactions when I mention the Irish curry! The next place on my list of restaurants to visit is Light Years in the city.
Which songs from The Mikado will audiences be humming as they leave the theatre?
Of course I am going to be biased and say Pish Tush’s number Our Great Mikado! To be fair though, each character has some extremely catchy songs and memorable tunes, especially the duets and trios like Young Man Despair where the voices of Pish Tush, Nanki Poo (Josh Edwards) and Pooh Bah (Zac Porter) combine, or the “flirty” interaction of Katisha (Belinda Butler) and KoKo (Lincoln Matrozis) in There Is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast. Then there are the classics that everyone immediately identifies with when you mention The Mikado. I am immediately met with a rendition of Three Little Maids every time I mention this production of The Mikado to people – so I’m sure that song will be a hit, especially with the sensational voices of Nika Classen, Katie Nowland and Jasmine Young playing Yum Yum, Pitti Sing and Peep Bo respectively. But I think the audience will have the two finale songs from each act stuck in their heads on the drive home. This production has an extremely talented cast and I’m sure the energy from those last two numbers, under the musical direction of Bayden Adams, will have audience members humming and tapping away to “With joyous shout, with joyous shout and ringing cheer. Inaugurate, inaugurate their new career!”
