Tim Maddren is a familiar face, thanks to his years with the children's musical group, Hi-5, and he has brought his talent to Port Macquarie and beyond.
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Born in Australia, Tim grew up in the Marlborough wine region of New Zealand. His formative years were spent in Blenheim, a very similar town to Port Macquarie, with a strong arts community which produced musicians and performers and inspired him to go on the stage.
His sister was the manager of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and his brother was a sound engineer for bands like U2. Tim moved to Wellington for high school and then Perth to study performing arts at the Western Australian Academy.
Appearing on stage and screen, he moved to Sydney and got married to Steph and they had their son, Banjo. Then they relocated to Port Macquarie for a better life. They have a company, Got Ya Back Productions, and have put on touring shows about Banjo Patterson, and crooners like Frank Sinatra, as well as local productions.
"We showcase Mid North Coast artists in places like the Sydney Opera House. It would be cool if there were people in this region who start their careers here, and get paid, and learn and take their skills to the industry.
"We have produced 15 shows in two and a half years. I believe that if you look after people in business, they will look after you. We do junior productions and the ethos is that you're one team, one family and people have got your back," he explained.
"It's a vulnerable experience, performing, but it's something special. We have original professional shows, with as much local storytelling as possible, and tour those with preferably Mid North Coast-based artists.
"We also have junior productions which are shorter, and encourage all to come to the theatre. We put matting and cushions out, as well as seating. I believe theatre should be for everyone. These days we are so isolated, on our phones and screens," he said.
After the shows, the cast members come out and meet and greet the children. The company puts a call-out to under-18s to see who wants to take part, but they don't do auditions.
"Regardless of experience, the first 20 people to enrol are cast. We did Wizard of Oz this year with 40 teenagers from around Port Macquarie and two casts. Each cast performed and the other cast were backstage.
"I saw a 15-year-old teaching a 13-year-old to do the sound at the Glasshouse. Everything was led by the kids themselves. It's awesome," he said.
Tim and Steph have another baby on the way, their company has a show called 'Into The Woods' in January, and Tim will tour his crooner show in February with pianist, Russell Dick. Their focus is on growing their production company
The Mid North Coast Community College got in touch with Tim and guitarist Matt Brooker, a friend and fellow musician, and asked them to team up with the School of Hard Knocks choir for people living with a challenge, including disability, homelessness, mental ill-health or social isolation.
"We listened to our choir, and we started hearing some pretty cool opinions about what they wanted to do. This year, we started encouraging choir members to write their own songs. They're pretty damn good and they share a perspective of life you wouldn't normally get.
"A woman called Mel, who is vision-impaired wrote: 'I See With Sound'. We go to the theatre to learn something new about our lives, and The School of Hard Knocks Choir teaches us a lot about humanity.
"The banter's getting richer and richer because of my Kiwi background and the fact that we didn't win the Rugby World Cup. I know what's happening is special, and is touching all of us.," he said.
The choir are doing more outdoor events, especially since they got some new chairs, thanks to Wauchope Country Club and Sheathers on High.
In his spare time, Tim takes his son to the beach near their Bonny Hills home, and they go bushwalking and fishing.
"We all question why we're here and who we are. A little section of that can be found in the arts. A life in the arts is a life that can help make people happy. It's a wonderful pursuit and I would encourage anyone to get involved, be it sculpture, theatre, writing," he said.
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