Rick Lau

Rick Lau graduated from NIDA in 1999 and has since starred in two sell-out cabaret shows, defrocked in Naked Boys Singing!, and serenaded the crowd at the Mardi Gras Chinese New Year Party. His latest hat reads Creative Director, with Lau working alongside Paul Cordeiro as they coordinate the recently opened theatre space of the Asia-Australia Arts Centre (4A).

What are your aims for Theatre 4A?

Well, it’s basically the 4A mission statement, which has been around since 1996. They’ve been concentrating on the visual arts side, which they’ve done very successfully, and their vision is to foster a national forum for excellence, innovation and access to living Asian-Australian cultures. We’ll be doing the same for performing arts and our focus will be to nurture emerging artists and develop the audience.

How are you finding the shift from performer to creative director?

I guess it helps that I sort of produced and wrote my own two cabaret shows before, so I went through the whole process -¦ Now, it’s a much bigger scale -¦ But it’s fun, I’m really enjoying it -¦ But I can also see myself maintaining a performing side as well. I love performing, it’s my biggest passion.

So dish, how was Naked Boys Singing!?

It was a wonderful experience. I think it was a great training for actors, to not be self-conscious about your body and your whole being, in front of strangers, every time -¦ It did open a lot of doors for me as well. Very different from my old days of being an IT consultant!

 

The Asia-Australia Arts Centre and Theatre 4A are located at 181-187 Hay Street, Sydney. The Theatre4A In Cabaret Fundraiser (featuring Lena Cruz and Rick Lau) will be held this Sunday 7 April at 7pm at The Green Room, Caf?ine, 37 Ultimo Road, Haymarket. Phone 9212 0380 for bookings or further information. Admission is by donation.