Actor Ben Mingay is playing The Pirate King inThe Pirates Of Penzance, which stars at His Majesty's Theatre this Friday. He spoke to Clairsy & Lisa about the show and how he actually got into show biz on a dare from his mates plus he also reveals that he's been a stunt driver and a firebreather!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Pirates of Penzance is hon at His Majesty's Theater
from this Friday until April five, just the one week basically.
Tickets are available through Waopera dot asn dot au and
the star of the show, Ben Mingey is joining us.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hello Ben, Ben, Hello, Les very close? Are you good?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Ben? I love Gilbert and Sullivan. They are the masters
of the uproariously silly, and you play the pirate king
in this indeed, So is it the most fun you
can have playing a pirate on stage?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, I'd say it is. It's definitely a lot of fun.
I think, you know, Gilbert and Sullivan is one of
those ye know, it's one of those situations where you
can't not have fun, just very intelligent music. So I think,
you know, it's one of those ones that everybody enjoys.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Seeing so many actors run around in this role that
John English and the like. It's a very physical role too,
is and you have to be in shape.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah it is. Actually there's a lot of sword play
and a lot of leaping over barrels and climbing ships
and fiddling about, so yeah, it is. And the costumes
are quite elaborate. They're very impressive. So they're also quite heavy.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I guess any man who could say to his nine
year old self, one day you will be leaping over
barrels and playing with swords on stuff that's you would think,
Oh you dream had come true.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, absolutely kicked them off living the dream. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Now is it true, Ben that you basically got into
this biers on a dare?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, that is true. Actually I grew up grew up
in Newcastle, and when I left school, I worked on
the F three bypassed, which is the bypass that basically
bypasses Newcastle. And we were sitting around at Smoker having
a couple of scallops and a coke, and and one
(02:01):
of the guys pulled out this clipping from the newspaper
for auditions for the Conservatorium for Opera Voice. And because
I sang in a rock band, they all sort of
issue or auditioned for this. And you know you're a singer.
I'm like, yeah, but I'm not that sort of singer. Yeah. Anyway,
they all threw in fifty bucks each and a couple
of cartains of beer and dead me to audition. So
(02:22):
oh yeah, yeah, loaded up on my best King J's
and went in and sang songs and got the groops.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
That's one of the great stories of showbiz.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I guess they were potato scullops. Now it's all scullops.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
And did those books want their money back? Are they
have they invested?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'll tell you what if it was If it was
the other type of scallops, I wouldn't have been sitting
around on a construction So.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I think probably not. You know, having gigs like you
did back in the day, it's probably helped you with
a few roles, has it over the years?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh, you mean the old rock gigs.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Rock gigs or even just some of some of the
jobs you did, you know, working in construction.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, definitely, I think, you know, there's there's definitely a
lot of bonuses, a lot of pros for me having
gone through that that sort of route. You know, it's
I think there's nothing more valuable than to sort of
get on the on the ground on tools and really
do some hard yak to realize what what's what. And
(03:25):
you know, just the people I met doing all that
sort of stuff, you know, working in the construction game,
it's such such grounded, down to earth people and I
feel like, you know, you could always bring a lot
of that into your acting, because acting is all the
wayut truth. So it's it's all very very much a
learning experience, I think good experience.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So, Ben, you were absolutely marvelous as Alan Bond in
the House of Bond obviously a very big story here
in Perth. Did you Did you know much about BONDI
and the story before you wet the role?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Really? I never I never would have thought in a
million years that I'd play Alan Bond. Maybe I fired
as a nine year old Andy double definitely not am
But but you know what was really interesting is is
I do have some very good friends here in pers
(04:18):
Colin Judy, and they they sort of, you know, filled
me in on a bit of bit of Bondie sort
of antiques when they found out I got the role.
And I had a friend of ours and Robbie who
lived back in Newcastle. They were sailors and they used
to make sailors and rob actually sailed with Bondie. So
I got all these amazing stories about the America's Cup
(04:41):
sort of and it was great. And to do all
the research and you know, go down that rabbit hole
of researching BONDI was fascinating. I mean, what a what
a bloke just didn't didn't hold I didn't hold back
at all. And and to sort of revisit all those
like I've Got to Sail, you know, the actual Australia
(05:02):
American's Cup, which was which was pretty cool. And you know,
I think, I think to play such an icon was
was a real treat and a real honor and a
lot of hard work. But I think it was definitely
one of the one of the more proud sort of projects.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
That I have and BONDI like Bondie like a scollop
or two or that of someone else paid for it.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
A long lunch on a Friday.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's funny. Actually, I went for a drive yesterday just
around just to have a look at a few things
and yeah, going to like les Nerdy and all these
places which I referred to in the in the bond
and you know, looking at the map at where I
was going to go for a drive up Yea and
ship to see what that was really like. It's great,
(05:48):
I mean, you know, such a great place. I really
really enjoy coming here.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Sun City was Bondie's dream, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, Yeah, A lot of fun facts about you, Ben
you're a stunt driver and.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
A fire breath that far anything you don't.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, you sail, you drive, you're seeing you dance, your
sword play.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
There's there's a lot of strings to my bow. Yeah,
I mean, look the fire breathing was that That was
not something which I trained at a young age. I
want to be a fire I actually hear from the
first gig I ever did and the director. It was Hair,
the musical and the director. But does anybody got the
special talent you know, love loving if someone could firebreathe
(06:31):
and I just put my hand up, being young and green,
I'll give it a go. But okay, we just needed
to see your certification to whip down the circular key
on the weekend and get certified by a street performer
that I could fire breath. Yea.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
It harks back to that f one in Newcastle.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Sets you up for anything. You're talking about. Young Ben's
thinking you might be bond one day. But woul young
nine year old Ben have thought you'd work with me.
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I'll tell you what that was. That was definitely a
unicorn moment. There's definitely nothing nothing like walking into the
final callback and seeing a whole panel of the biggest
producers in the world and casting directors, and then Mel
Gibson standing up and coming over and giving you a target.
It's like, oh Jesus, Yeah, it was a very surreal experience.
(07:26):
And you know, here's a bit of Pirates trivia for you.
When you were filming one of the one of the
big battle scenes out it's out of the back of
Campbelltown on hacks or Ridge. We had to get everyone
to march in time. So Mel Gibson comes back to me, go,
I mean, yeah, you're you're a you're an offer and
you're a singer, you know, singing something. So I sang
the Pirate King song as we all marched along for it.
(07:49):
I don't movie, but that's happened.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
And that's great.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Didn't they say if you were marched in time across
the bridge, you could make the bridge come down. And anyway,
that's the circle moment. I love that The Pirate Depends
answers on His Majesty's Theater from Friday until next Saturday.
Tickets are available through w A Opera dot A s
N dot au Ben lovely to catch up with you
this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Thanks for having me, guys, a real pleasure and I
hope everyone enjoys the show. This is going to be
probably one of the best you can.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
You cannot know when you're here. We'll go to Les
Murder and have scullopts together the WHI.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I'll bring you six hundred a coke.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yes, thanks, thanks, bye, Thanks
The Pirates of Penzance is hon at His Majesty's Theater
from this Friday until April five, just the one week basically.
Tickets are available through Waopera dot asn dot au and
the star of the show, Ben Mingey is joining us.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hello Ben, Ben, Hello, Les very close? Are you good?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Ben? I love Gilbert and Sullivan. They are the masters
of the uproariously silly, and you play the pirate king
in this indeed, So is it the most fun you
can have playing a pirate on stage?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, I'd say it is. It's definitely a lot of fun.
I think, you know, Gilbert and Sullivan is one of
those ye know, it's one of those situations where you
can't not have fun, just very intelligent music. So I think,
you know, it's one of those ones that everybody enjoys.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Seeing so many actors run around in this role that
John English and the like. It's a very physical role too,
is and you have to be in shape.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah it is. Actually there's a lot of sword play
and a lot of leaping over barrels and climbing ships
and fiddling about, so yeah, it is. And the costumes
are quite elaborate. They're very impressive. So they're also quite heavy.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I guess any man who could say to his nine
year old self, one day you will be leaping over
barrels and playing with swords on stuff that's you would think,
Oh you dream had come true.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, absolutely kicked them off living the dream. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Now is it true, Ben that you basically got into
this biers on a dare?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, that is true. Actually I grew up grew up
in Newcastle, and when I left school, I worked on
the F three bypassed, which is the bypass that basically
bypasses Newcastle. And we were sitting around at Smoker having
a couple of scallops and a coke, and and one
(02:01):
of the guys pulled out this clipping from the newspaper
for auditions for the Conservatorium for Opera Voice. And because
I sang in a rock band, they all sort of
issue or auditioned for this. And you know you're a singer.
I'm like, yeah, but I'm not that sort of singer. Yeah. Anyway,
they all threw in fifty bucks each and a couple
of cartains of beer and dead me to audition. So
(02:22):
oh yeah, yeah, loaded up on my best King J's
and went in and sang songs and got the groops.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
That's one of the great stories of showbiz.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I guess they were potato scullops. Now it's all scullops.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
And did those books want their money back? Are they
have they invested?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'll tell you what if it was If it was
the other type of scallops, I wouldn't have been sitting
around on a construction So.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I think probably not. You know, having gigs like you
did back in the day, it's probably helped you with
a few roles, has it over the years?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh, you mean the old rock gigs.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Rock gigs or even just some of some of the
jobs you did, you know, working in construction.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, definitely, I think, you know, there's there's definitely a
lot of bonuses, a lot of pros for me having
gone through that that sort of route. You know, it's
I think there's nothing more valuable than to sort of
get on the on the ground on tools and really
do some hard yak to realize what what's what. And
(03:25):
you know, just the people I met doing all that
sort of stuff, you know, working in the construction game,
it's such such grounded, down to earth people and I
feel like, you know, you could always bring a lot
of that into your acting, because acting is all the
wayut truth. So it's it's all very very much a
learning experience, I think good experience.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So, Ben, you were absolutely marvelous as Alan Bond in
the House of Bond obviously a very big story here
in Perth. Did you Did you know much about BONDI
and the story before you wet the role?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Really? I never I never would have thought in a
million years that I'd play Alan Bond. Maybe I fired
as a nine year old Andy double definitely not am
But but you know what was really interesting is is
I do have some very good friends here in pers
(04:18):
Colin Judy, and they they sort of, you know, filled
me in on a bit of bit of Bondie sort
of antiques when they found out I got the role.
And I had a friend of ours and Robbie who
lived back in Newcastle. They were sailors and they used
to make sailors and rob actually sailed with Bondie. So
I got all these amazing stories about the America's Cup
(04:41):
sort of and it was great. And to do all
the research and you know, go down that rabbit hole
of researching BONDI was fascinating. I mean, what a what
a bloke just didn't didn't hold I didn't hold back
at all. And and to sort of revisit all those
like I've Got to Sail, you know, the actual Australia
(05:02):
American's Cup, which was which was pretty cool. And you know,
I think, I think to play such an icon was
was a real treat and a real honor and a
lot of hard work. But I think it was definitely
one of the one of the more proud sort of projects.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
That I have and BONDI like Bondie like a scollop
or two or that of someone else paid for it.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
A long lunch on a Friday.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's funny. Actually, I went for a drive yesterday just
around just to have a look at a few things
and yeah, going to like les Nerdy and all these
places which I referred to in the in the bond
and you know, looking at the map at where I
was going to go for a drive up Yea and
ship to see what that was really like. It's great,
(05:48):
I mean, you know, such a great place. I really
really enjoy coming here.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Sun City was Bondie's dream, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, Yeah, A lot of fun facts about you, Ben
you're a stunt driver and.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
A fire breath that far anything you don't.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, you sail, you drive, you're seeing you dance, your
sword play.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
There's there's a lot of strings to my bow. Yeah,
I mean, look the fire breathing was that That was
not something which I trained at a young age. I
want to be a fire I actually hear from the
first gig I ever did and the director. It was Hair,
the musical and the director. But does anybody got the
special talent you know, love loving if someone could firebreathe
(06:31):
and I just put my hand up, being young and green,
I'll give it a go. But okay, we just needed
to see your certification to whip down the circular key
on the weekend and get certified by a street performer
that I could fire breath. Yea.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
It harks back to that f one in Newcastle.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Sets you up for anything. You're talking about. Young Ben's
thinking you might be bond one day. But woul young
nine year old Ben have thought you'd work with me.
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I'll tell you what that was. That was definitely a
unicorn moment. There's definitely nothing nothing like walking into the
final callback and seeing a whole panel of the biggest
producers in the world and casting directors, and then Mel
Gibson standing up and coming over and giving you a target.
It's like, oh Jesus, Yeah, it was a very surreal experience.
(07:26):
And you know, here's a bit of Pirates trivia for you.
When you were filming one of the one of the
big battle scenes out it's out of the back of
Campbelltown on hacks or Ridge. We had to get everyone
to march in time. So Mel Gibson comes back to me, go,
I mean, yeah, you're you're a you're an offer and
you're a singer, you know, singing something. So I sang
the Pirate King song as we all marched along for it.
(07:49):
I don't movie, but that's happened.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
And that's great.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Didn't they say if you were marched in time across
the bridge, you could make the bridge come down. And anyway,
that's the circle moment. I love that The Pirate Depends
answers on His Majesty's Theater from Friday until next Saturday.
Tickets are available through w A Opera dot A s
N dot au Ben lovely to catch up with you
this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Thanks for having me, guys, a real pleasure and I
hope everyone enjoys the show. This is going to be
probably one of the best you can.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
You cannot know when you're here. We'll go to Les
Murder and have scullopts together the WHI.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I'll bring you six hundred a coke.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yes, thanks, thanks, bye, Thanks
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