Darren has been a member of The Guild Theatre since 2010. His first show was Separate Tables in which he played the part of an old man. His favourite show to date was The Book of Everything, which he says ‘was just a fantastic play with a brilliant combination of roles. It explored various contemporary issues yet done through humour and great story telling. The cast was excellent and we all got on so well together.’
From 2011 to 2021 Darren was on The Guild committee as the Assistant Secretary. In this role he looked after the Front of House roster as well as catering for the various shows and members’ events. He enjoyed the role, especially when it came to the reading and selection of plays for the upcoming year, finding it to be an honour and privilege to be part of that process.
For Darren, The Guild has always meant community, a place where we can leave the outside world behind, focus on the play and theatre and get to know everyone through that medium. He finds a great level of acceptance and friendship to be within the group.
Away from the theatre community Darren is a student for the priesthood in the Catholic Church. In this role he gets to walk beside people in their spiritual journey, teach people about the faith, and also study himself for his future role within the Church. In 2023 he will be studying at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and University of Notre Dame.
When not doing either theatre or ministry he enjoys nature and landscape photography. It’s his great passion and he loves getting out in nature, photographing, and going for walks.
‘Many of us enjoy the experience of acting or being part of theatre, stepping into a
different world in order to explore and enjoy emotions, scenarios, or activities which are
not part of our regular day to day life. Community theatre provides this opportunity, to
grow, develop, learn, and excel in a safe, community centred way, a way in which
professional theatre may not necessarily provide. It’s a space where you can discover
more about yourself and others through the medium of the stage.’ – Darren McDowell
CREDITS
At The Guild
Previous Roles:
Klingerhoff in The Underpants | Ben Urquhart in David Williamson’s When Dad Married Fury | Abel Klopper in The Book of Everything | Porter Padget in Hallelujah Girls | Orville Livingston in Lilies of the Field | A Body in Out of Order | Mr Fowler in Separate Tables
Other Companies
Previous Roles:
Herr Flick in Allo Allo | The Turkey in Honk – The Musical | Clifton Webb/Noel Coward in Red Hot & Cole | Ladislave Sipos in She Loves Me | Gerald Bolingsbroke in Me & My Girl
Previous Production Team:
Director – Dames At Sea