Paul Watson

PAUL WATSON
Born in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Paul began his interest in music and theatre at an early age when he discovered his Uncle had toured Australia as a bass player in The Phantoms, a supporting act for The Beatles. A predominantly self-taught musician his music work to date includes work for GFO, Disney, Dainty, Liflelike Touring, Ambassadors, Stage by Stage, MTC, New Theatricals, Essential Theatre, Magnormos, Melbourne Gang Show, The Chosen Few, Stella, The Living Room Floor and What’s On? Production Company. Professional music industry projects include: Pete Murray, Dave Thomas, Planet Vox, Simple Folk, Kalibrium, Chong Lim Orchestra, Disney Unser The Stars and front man for Melbourne’s Crowded House tribute... Pineapplehead!

As an actor Paul most recently was seen on-stage as an original cast member in the Tony Award winning musical Once, produced in Australia by GFO and Melbourne Theatre Company and directed by Tony Award winner John Tiffany. Paul took on a mammoth workload swinging the roles of Emcee, Eamon, Andre and Svec and was 2nd Cover for the lead role, Guy. During the production, Paul was required to play 14 instruments with a music workload that required knowing over 150 different charts within the score at anytime.

Paul next won the mainstage role of Madonna in We Will Rock You when producers (GFO) attended a performance of Saturday Night Fever at Chapel off Chapel with Paul in the dual roles of Monty and Frank Snr. Paul completed his next project, touring as a musician and singer for Disney, under the baton of Chong Lim, before joining the We Will Rock You cast as Madonna and covering the roles of Kashoggi and Buddy for Brian Mannix.

Prior to Once Paul played the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for Harvest Rain, followed by the role of Dan Goodman in Next to Normal, Thomas B. Collins in RENT in South Australia and Paul was also an original Australian Jersey Boys cast member in the role of Norm Waxman, directed by Tony Award winning director Des Macanuff. Before Jersey Boys, Paul was cast as Society Max/Joey Biltmore in the Ambassadors, Australian production of Guys & Dolls.

Other professional theatre credits include: Yussel and Perchik (cover) in the Aus / NZ tour of Topol in Fiddler on the Roof (TML), Denny Doherty in Flowerchildren (Magnormos), Jim in Wentworthville (Vic Arts Centre), Mark Cohen in RENT (National), Sebastian/Valentine in 12th Night (Australian Tour), Willy/Narrator in Flora the Red Menace (Magnormos) and Roger Davis in RENT (Next Step Productions). Paul premiered the role of Alan in I Sing (Chapel off Chapel) and appeared in Nostradamus (MTC) directed by Rodger Hodgman.

Television credits include: ANZ, Bunnings, Mimosa, AHM Insurance, We Will Rock You, Open Universities, Mantra Hotels, Once, Ski Yoghurt, Channel 11, Neighbours, Beaurepairs, Always Fresh, 1st Choice Liquor Stores, Metlink, Guys and Dolls, T.A.C, Ashes Pin Collection, Jersey Boys, Herald Sun, Today Show, Mornings with Kerri-Anne, The Helpmann Awards, It Takes Two, Dancing With The Stars, Carols by Candlelight and The Channel Nine Footy Show. Paul recently played the Recurring Guest Role of Simon Embrey on Winners and Losers, and Jonas Page on Neighbours and featured as Dr. Madden in the first fully crowd funded sitcom The Weatherman.

As a Director, Pauls credits include: Songs for a New World (Theatrespot UK) in London’s West End before touring to Edinburgh Festival, Honk!, Clue!, Slice of Saturday Night, Big, The Pirates of Penzance, How to Succeed in Business... for which he won Direction, Design and Production Awards. Paul also directed Singing in the Rain, Fame, Barnum, Anything Goes, Hot Mikado, Oklahoma, Calamity Jane, West Side Story, The Wizard of Oz, RENT and Chicago which also won several awards. He co-directed the professional production of Is There Life After High School at Chapel off Chapel with Peter Fitzpatrick before directing Pink! and Partners for Oz-Made Musical Showcase. In 2013 Paul began his own company What’s On? Production Company, to produce the world premiere of Swan Dive. After Swan Dive Paul directed Fiddler on the Roof, The Wedding Singer and was Artistic Director for StageArtXposed. Paul then directed critically acclaimed productions of RENT in Melbourne and Geelong. Next were The Road to Woodstock and Black Diva Power which was then commissioned to play Edinburgh Festival, receiving 4 stars. Paul then returned home to direct Tick Tick Boom at Chapel off Chapel that went on to score Green Room Award Nominations including best direction and best production up against some of the giants of Broadway Musical Theatre including Kinky Boots and Matilda. The production was then asked to join the Hayes 2017 programmed season. Paul is currently back directing productions for Westbourne Grammar School and Centrestage Geelong and will be working on a world premiere musical later in 2018.