Newcastle actor Nicholas Thoroughgood has been in awe of his musical theatre co-stars Marina Prior and Philip Quast ever since he stepped on stage with them in May.
But yesterday, he was able to teach his on-stage mum and dad a few things about his home town.
Thoroughgood, 12, is one of five boys who share the role of Michael Banks in the national musical Mary Poppins, which is showing at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney.
Quast and Prior play his parents George and Winifred Banks.
Both performers have three children of their own so mixing with their younger co-stars has been natural.
‘‘I can play a parent with much more authority now than I could 15 years ago. My eldest is 15,’’ Prior said.
‘‘The first thing you realise when you work with these children is they are the stars of the show. We think it’s all about us but it’s really about them,’’ Quast added.
Making his national theatre debut with such stars has been a learning curve for Thoroughgood.
‘‘I like how Marina is so funny when she plays Winifred and Philip plays a strict dad very well,’’ Hunter School of Performing Arts pupil Thoroughgood said.
The visit to the region was part of a promotional trip.
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