When Lachlan Martin met Baz Luhrmann, he felt like the internationally-renowned director could see directly into his soul.
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It was at an audition for Strictly Ballroom The Musical, when the Federation University music theatre graduate met his hero.
“I remember the first time I met him, it was a 30-minute one-on-one audition. It was some of the best 30 minutes of my life because he was so giving,” Martin said.
“There were about 20 creatives spread about the room, the lights were off, he had his assistant with a camera in my face and i was so comfortable to do anything. He made me comfortable and confident to go for it. Afterwards I kind of fainted and thought ‘what just happened there?’”
Martin said the resulting stage cast looked very different to the original 1992 movie actors.
“What I love about him is he looks at the soul of an actor, he doesn’t necessarily see physicality, he sees souls. The cast that we got were very, very cool people and they weren’t just cast because they looked like the cast in the movie.
“I’m a bit weird looking – I’m really, really tall and skinny – but Baz didn’t care about that, he saw me. It’s really great to say Baz Luhrmann gave you a leg up in the industry.”
Martin is one of a string of Federation University performing arts graduates who have gone onto full-time, successful careers as performers, helping cement Ballarat’s reputation as a talent incubator.
Since the Adelaide native graduated in 2012, he has gone on to perform in a series of big musicals including Georgy Girl – The Seekers Musical, which wrapped up last month.
The Melbourne-based performer has now moved temporarily to Sydney for his next gig, Side Show, which tells the story of a 1930s freak show and its headlining act – the conjoined Hilton sisters. The show will open at the Hayes Theatre next week.
Like many other performers, Martin said he knew he was destined for the stage after being impressed by music theatre as a child. “It’s one of those things. Mum took me to see The Wizard of Oz when I was about six and ever since then I became obsessed with it. Apart from hiding behind the chair whenever the wicked witch would come out, for the rest of the show I was pretty well gone.”
Martin put down much of his success to studying in Ballarat. “Because it was that little bit of out of Melbourne, you didn’t get distracted by other things.
“It was a really good community of people who were passionate to study and do nothing but study … with three years to concentrate on nothing but your craft.”
Martin also runs his own Instagram account where he creates red carpet looks out of household items like lamp shades and teatowels. To see his creations, follow him at @thetilleyproject