Bendigo performer Zach Fitzpatrick has won the Victorian New Faces Talent Academy scholarship.
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Fitzpatrick competed at the New Faces Talent Academy Melbourne competition impressing in the monologue, commercial and overall teen performance categories.
The 17-year-old will now compete in the Australian Convention of Actors and Artists in December.
“Mum found an ad for this academy and I auditioned for some workshops and was told to prepare a monologue and a commercial,” Fitzpatrick said.
So I had three months to rehearse it and went to perform in Melbourne for a few agents who rated us out of 10. I won the best monologue, best commercial and best overall performer for my age group.
“There were about 100 people competing and I thought there would surely be someone who got the scholarship over me.”
Fitzpatrick said he prepared a more emotional monologue and put some comedy into his commercial.
“The monologue interpreted a person that has lost something and the commercial was a very over the top Jim Carrey-type performance advertising protein powder,” he said.
“I enjoy exploring different characters and really going over the top and doing stuff wouldn’t do in real life.
”All the comics like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams are who I enjoy.”
The competition in December will showcase talent in front Australian acting agents, managers and other industry professionals from America, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada.
Fitzpatrick played the title role in Bendigo Theatre Company’s pantomime Aladdin as well as performing in the ensemble with BTC’s Boy From Oz and taking part in the company’s 10x10 short play project.
He is currently cast as Chester Lyman in BTC Tribe Youth Theatre’s debut production Barnum.
“Barnum is going really well, we are getting a lot done. It’s a very intense first production, there is a lot of singing and dancing and circus tricks for this show,” he said.
“Before (joining BTC) I did some stuff at primary school like Alice in Wonderland and Hairspray with Catholic College Bendigo.
“I was also playing sport but was looking for something different to do. My dad knew John Murray at BTC and asked if there was anything coming up, which got me interested in Boy From Oz.”