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creative people •“I love being able to help theindividual cast members createor become their characters.”undertook a short makeup courseand was hooked. “I suddenly felt likeI’d fallen on my feet,” he says. Hecompleted a year’s full time study ata Bondi school now known as ‘Themake-up technicians (TMT) school ofmake-up’ where he now serves as aguest lecturer.A lover of heavier styles of make-up,Andrew gravitated towards theatre andopera while fellow students chose towork in film, television and fashion.“With opera you have to make theperson look realistic on stage as theircharacter. Performers are cast for theirvoices, not because they look like thecharacter. I love being able to helpthe individual cast members create orbecome their characters,” he says.A collaborative job that requiresartistry and flair along with an eventemper, attention to detail and stamina,Andrew is assisted in running themake-up team by one full time deputy.The rest of the staff – eight or sopeople – works on a contract basisbecause Opera Australia divides itstime between its Sydney base andhome-away-from-home, Melbourne.Andrew will normally be briefedby the production designer on newshows but some productions willrevisit hair and make-up styles frompast performances. Recent excitingchallenges undertaken by Andrewinclude creating make-up that made theperformers look like actors in a blackand white movie.“The show was called ‘Girl of theGolden West’, Puccini’s version of aspaghetti western. The productionoriginated in South Australia with twomain characters in glorious colour andthe rest of the cast in black and white.I had to get rid of all skin tones. I lovedthis challenge!”Andrew designed make-upconcepts, applied them to himself thenphotographed them and sent them tothe director who loved them. He wasflown to Adelaide to work with theteams there, teaching his concept andensuring it worked on stage.“Seeing it all under the lights andhaving the director and the designerturn to me with big smiles on theirfaces, that is the most satisfyingthing,” he says.Recently Andrew travelledto Edinburgh, Scotland, for theInternational Festival where he createdthe make-up for ‘Bliss’, a new all-Australian opera including Australianvernacular and accents. He workedwith Scottish make-up artists for theduration, creating looks from Australiain the 1980s.He loves the life of the opera butadmits it brings with it odd hours andunique pressures. “People don’t reallyunderstand the amount of schedulingand planning that goes on,” he says.“It’s a fast industry. If you’re not up forthat then it’s not for you. We normallyallow half hour slots for each castmember, hair and make-up. Bigger,more complex shows mean we startthings two hours before curtain up.”Sound like a nightmare? Andrewloves it: “Often when we’re on touror I’m just walking in to work in theafternoon (the Sydney Opera House) Ithink what a great job this is,” he says.For those thinking of following inhis footsteps, Andrew has this advice.“Once you’re working within a companylike ours, it’s not a competitiveenvironment. In fact, team work is soimportant that competitive souls makeit more difficult.” He recommendsCatherine Carby andthe silver rose in ‘DerRosenkavalier’. (Photoby Branco Gaica)Paul O’Neill as the Duke of Mantua andAlan Opie as Rigoletto in Opera Australia’s‘Rigoletto’. (Photo by Branco Gaica)people study a make-up artistry courseand look for work experience withamateur or semi-professional theatresin their regions.“This is a word-of-mouth industry,”he says. “If I need someone Ialmost never advertise. I need to getrecommendations from someone Itrust. New artists need to be talentedbut also fit into the team.”@ Visit www.opera-australia.org.auTicketing: (02) 9318 8200Get Creative Quarterly Autumn 2011 131