2015 Graduate

Matt Abell-King

Matt Abell-King first found his love for acting when cast as the lead role in his year 6 production.

This opened a door to work he enjoyed doing, and he spent the next few years in the musical theatre circuit, performing in shows such as ‘Shout!’, ‘The King & I’, and various pantomimes with several Newcastle theatre groups. He was recognized by the Australian Institute of Performing Arts, who asked him to captain the Australian Improv Team to Canada for the International Improv Games, where the two Australian teams won gold and silver. Upon returning to Australia, Matt was luckily awarded the part of Jean Valjean in his high school’s production of Les Miserables, which lead him to pursue acting more seriously, gaining him the roles of ‘Geoffery’ in Newcastle University’s production of Shelagh Delaney’s ‘A Taste Of Honey’ as well as the role of ‘Trev’ in Stooged Theatre’s production of Reg Cribb’s ‘The Return’, both earning him a City Of Newcastle Drama Award (CONDA) nomination.

Music and writing were and still are huge passions of Matt’s, fronting the band, ‘Flight To Dubai’, as well as dabbling in the writing of poetry, script work and short stories. Matt has thoroughly enjoyed the past two and a half years, and can’t wait to see where this path will take him.