Actor Peter Cousens has been named the Australia Day ambassador for Port Macquarie-Hastings by the Australia Day Council of NSW (ADCNSW).
This Australia Day, communities across the Hastings will celebrate what it means to be Australian with more than 130 much-loved Aussies including sporting, entertainment, lifestyle and arts personalities.
“New South Wales is home to some of this country’s best known personalities and through the Australia Day Ambassador Program, communities across our state have the opportunity to host and share Australia Day with icons of sport, media and the arts among other fields,” said Angelos Frangopoulos, chairman of the Australia Day Council of NSW.
With this year’s Australia Day theme Australia Day – Everyone, Everywhere, the Australia Day Ambassadors will look beyond community borders to demonstrate how Australia Day is celebrated across the world, encouraging people to go online and share their celebrations using the hashtag #AustraliaDay.
Whether it’s a barbecue with friends and family, a day on Sydney Harbour or some backyard cricket, our Australia Day ambassadors will tell the story of the many unique and special ways in which Australians celebrate. Images and bios can be downloaded from www.australiaday.com.au
Peter Cousens
Peter Cousens, a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), is an actor, singer, producer, director, teacher and film director. He is the only Australian to play the role of The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera on London's West End. He has starred alongside Russel Crowe in Blood Brothers, the late Richard Harris in Camelot and has had an extensive career playing major roles in plays and musicals throughout Australia, New Zealand and England.
From 2006 to 2008 he was CEO and Artistic Director of Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre Company and produced seven musicals, two major concerts and fourteen cabaret events.
Since 2013 Peter has been the Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Creative and Performing Arts and Artistic Ambassador for the Bachelor of Theatre program at Central Queensland University.
His musical theatre roles include Tony in West Side Story; Eddie in Blood Brothers; Mordred in Camelot; Chris in Miss Saigon; Nanki Poo in The Mikado; Motel in The Fiddler on the Roof; Bill in The Sentimental Bloke; Raoul in the Australian production of The Phantom Of The Opera; The Phantom in London's West End production of The Phantom of the Opera; Alex in Aspects of Love; Marius in Les Miserables; Ravenal in Hal Prince's Show Boat; Marius in Fanny; The Celebrant in Bernstein's Mass; Anthony and Tobias in Sweeney Todd; Bobby in Company; Mr Makin in The Hatpin; Floyd in Floyd Collins; Vince in Strange Bedfellows - The Musical.
As an actor he has worked extensively with Australia's major performing arts companies including Sydney Theatre Company Macbeth, Measure for Measure, Nicholas Nickleby, Chicago, Chinchilla and Convict's Opera; Griffin The Falls; Philip Street Theatre Whose Life is it Anyway; The Queensland Theatre Company, Camille, Breaker Morant, You Never Can Tell, The Sentimental Bloke; Marian Street, London Assurance and Fanny; Melbourne Theatre Company, Company; Sydney Dance Company Tivoli; Out of Joint (UK) The Convicts Opera; Darlinghurst Theatre The Paris Letter.
Peter won the Variety Heart Award for Best Performer for Chris in Miss Saigon. He has been nominated for seven Mo Awards and in 2009 he won the Glug Award for Services to Theatre.
Peter is an Ambassador for Destiny Rescue an Australian based organisation committed to rescuing young people from human trafficking across South East Asia.
Currently Peter is developing a feature film based on the Daniel Morcombe story which he is directing and co-writing.
