Performance - Acting - Tyran Parke

‘Tyran Parke shows his versatility as a true leading man. He not only acts and sings amazingly but dances up a storm’. Stage Whispers.

Tyran is an award winning Australian actor, singer, director, writer, producer, teacher and recording artist. This page is dedicated to his work as an actor.

Tyran is currently playing Dan Goodman in ‘Next to Normal’ in Melbourne.

Tyran graduated from The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 1999. Born in Newcastle, he performed in many amateur productions and toured professionally with Freewheels Theatre in Education Company.

Prior to training he completed a season as a singer/dancer at ‘Australia’s Wonderland‘ theme park.

After studying acting at Theatre Nepean, he completed the Revolutionary Acting Program (RAP) at The Actors Centre, Sydney before training in musical theatre at WAAPA. While there he appeared in ‘Peer Gynt’, ‘Assassins’, ‘Jack the Ripper’, ‘Follies’, ‘The Seagull’, ‘Carousel’, ‘Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens’ and toured Western Australia with ‘Say it With Music’ – a cabaret saluting Irving Berlin.

Particular highlights include the title role in ‘Jonah’, Tim in ‘Only Heaven Knows’, Ray in ‘Lone Star’ and Billy in the workshop production of ‘Miracle City’ with Nick Enright and Max Lambert. Tyran also performed in the world premiere of John Taverner’s ‘Let Us Begin Again’, for the Perth Festival, assisted Chrissie Parrot in her production of ‘Medea’ and appeared in ‘The Magic Flute’ for the W.A. Conservatorium.

Within weeks of graduating, he performed a supporting role in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ at NIDA and ‘Nostradamus’ for Stageworks as well as the play, ‘Bananas’. He starred as Rolf in the Gordon Frost/SEL production of ‘The Sound of Music’ in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. After this he played the role of Frank opposite John Diedrich and Caroline O’Connor in ‘Mack and Mabel’ and performed featured roles in ‘Anything Goes’, ‘Funny Girl’ and ‘South Pacific’ all for The Production Company.

Playing the role of Noah Claypole in Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular production of ‘Oliver’ in both Australia and Asia took up over a year before returning to Sydney and appearing in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, ‘Sunset Blvd’.

In conjunction with Cameron Mackintosh and IMG, Tyran produced the all star concert fundraiser of Stephen Sondheim’s, ‘Into the Woods’ in Melbourne which was hailed as a huge artistic success by both audiences and the composers representatives. Tyran starred as Jack in this production which grossed over $20,000 for Charity.

Tyran produced ‘Raise the Roof’, a performing arts charity concert to aid those affected by the boxing day 2004 tsunami. This concert featured the best of the performing arts community and raised $80,000 for UNICEF.

In the field of cabaret, Tyran was a regular artist on Bert Newton’s television program, ‘Good Morning Australia’ and at ‘Star City’ in Sydney. Tyran performed in Cabaret at ‘Capers’, Melbourne in his show, ‘Since You Stayed Here’ which he wrote and directed with Stephen Amos. So successful was that show that he was invited back for a full season the following year. With Lena Cruz, he then developed a new cabaret named ‘The Singers Guide to the Universe’ which was a huge success, touring nationally to great reviews.

Tyran studied through the cabaret program at Yale University, the resulting show, ‘Chinks in the Armour’, later renamed ‘A Little Knight Music’ achieved great acclaim in Sydney, Perth and Paramatta and continues to tour. It opened to more excellent reviews at Don’t Tell Mama’s in New York. He also starred in ‘Listen to My Heart’ in 2007 at the Statement Cabaret Lounge. He produced the seasons in this venue for a three year period 2005-2008-see Cabaret.

He recently appeared in the original cabaret show ‘Keep Coming Back’ in Newcastle.

His show, ‘A Light in the Dark’ has won rave reviews and the Glugg award for Best Cabaret Performance of 2013 since premiering at the Sydney Music Theatre Festival at the Wharf, Sydney.

Tyran appeared as Che in the New Zealand tour of ‘Evita’, reprised his role as ‘the Professor’ for the Adelaide season of ‘South Pacific’ and achieved great acclaim for his role as ‘Gloria’ in the world premiere of ‘Rosie’ opposite Geraldine Turner and Angela Toohey.

Stephen Sondheim’s, ‘Putting it Together’ is a production Tyran has appeared in twice, firstly in its Australian premiere in Melbourne as ‘the observer’ and three years later in Sydney as the romantic lead.

In 2006 Tyran played Lysander in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in Perth and also toured the country playing Toomas Jerker, the Estonian entrant in the Glyn Nicholas musical, ‘Eurobeat’.

Tyran relished the role of Joseph Pitt in ‘Angels in America’ which was revived the following year by popular demand with a sensational cast.

Tyran performed in the new Australian musical, ‘The Hatpin’, having previously appeared in the workshop production. At the same time Tyran workshopped the Australian musical ‘Crusade’ for Kookaburra. Other Australian musicals include playing Laurence in Christopher Harley’s ‘In a Pink Tutu’.

Tyran has worked with The Bell Shakespeare Company, Australia’s national Shakespearean Company, several times, the last being the national tour of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.

Appearing as the lead role of Jon in the Australian premiere of ‘Tick Tick Boom’ was another challenge that resulted in wonderful reviews and a nomination for best actor in a musical.

In New Zealand Tyran has performed the role of Tobias in ‘Sweeney Todd’, Cliff in ‘Cabaret’ (in the Speigletent for Auckland Theatre Company), Billy Crocker in ‘Anything Goes’ and Jamie in ‘The Last Five Years’. On television, Tyran played a recurring role in ‘Crash Palace’, ‘Wonderland’ and appeared in many commercials and short films.

In Concert Tyran has performed with The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in an evening of Bernstein/Sondheim selections, in the World AIDS Day Sondheim Fundraiser in Sydney and alongside an all star cast in ‘A Night on Broadway with John Frost’ at QPAC.

Tyran starred as Kodaly in Neglected Musical’s presentation of ‘She Loves Me’ in Sydney.

Tyran is most fond of his award winning performance in the Australian Professional premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ in the role of George. Tyran’s performance was widely acclaimed by audiences and critics alike with the Sydney Morning Herald calling it “Glowing” and “commanding” and the Newcastle Herald describing it as “Flawless”. Tyran won a ‘glug’ award for the performance, which was presented to him by Helen Reddy. His second Glug was won for best Cabaret Performer in 2013 for his show, “A Light in the Dark”. He was also nominated for best actor in a musical for his performance as Jonathon in “Tick Tick Boom”.

Tyran’s debut cd, “Sunday in the Parke“ was released in 2008 to spectacular reviews. His second CD, “Compositions, A musical Close-up” is a unique project combining his bother Trent Parke’s photography with specially commissioned music from Broadway’s best composers including Stephen Schwartz, John Bucchino, Georgia Stitt, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Jeff Marx, Scott Alan…aswell as Australia’s most established writers, Eddie Perfect, Mathew Robinson, Anthony Costanzo, Christopher Harley and more. The concert of the show premiered at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2013 to great acclaim. The CD is available with 48 page image booklet through this website.

Most recently Tyran played three Shakespeare productions in repertory for Sport For Jove Theatre Company, “Twelfth Night”, “The Comedy of Errors” and “The Tempest” as well as appearing in “LoveBites” at the Hayes Theatre and a new play about Rock Hudson at the Old Fitz, Sydney.

Tyran also works extensively as a director (see Production) and a writer/dramaturg.

video links;

A promo clip of Jekyll and Hyde (directed by Tyran);