VELVET Star Tom Oliver Premieres New One-Man Show

Rising theatre star Tom Oliver, recently announced as Marcia Hines' co-star for the 2017 Australian and New Zealand tour of hit circus-cabaret Velvet, will debut his anticipated one-man show More Than A Boy this month at Brisbane Powerhouse as a highlight of the annual Wonderland Festival.

Oliver has assembled a top-shelf team for the premiere, helmed by esteemed award-winning Australian director David Bell (Queensland Theatre's End of the Rainbow; Gloria), with musical direction by revered composer Andrew McNaughton and original songs by Australian Idol winner Wes Carr, Oliver and McNaughton.

Described as "an original rite-of-passage yarn about family and adventure, fight-or-flight ultimatums and seemingly arbitrary events that ultimately build character and shape destiny", More Than A Boy tells the incredible true story of Oliver's grandfather's chance escape from Europe post World War One.

"My grandfather, Stipan Erceg, and his family were poor and struggling and lived in Banja, a small village on the Dalmatian Coast," 24-year-old Oliver said.

"In 1921, the entire village pooled their money to raise enough for two boat tickets from Croatia to New Zealand, holding a lottery to determine which two members of the community would be given the life-changing opportunity to leave Croatia in pursuit of a better life abroad.

"At just 14-years-old, my grandfather was one of two names drawn."

What follows is an incredible tale of strength and resilience, and the inspiration for Oliver's first venture into devised performance.

"On the boat ride to New Zealand, Stipan's companion passed away, leaving him completely alone on arrival with little money and unable to speak a single word of English," Oliver said.

"With nothing but courage and sheer determination to make a life for himself and his future family, my grandfather spent the last of his money on a ticket to the country, arriving at Te Kuti Railway Station in New Zealand's north island.

"A chance encounter with a local Irish farmer provided Stipan with security and a sense of purpose, changing the course of his and my family's lives forever."

More Than A Boy plays a strictly limited season at Brisbane Powerhouse 24 - 27 November.

For tickets and information, visit brisbanepowerhouse.org.

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