Hi-5's Got A New Man About The Set
Sun Herald
Sunday November 11, 2007
HE IS a NIDA-trained Shakespearean actor who will be known simply as "Stevie" to a generation of pint-sized fans.
Stevie Nicholson is the newest member of Hi-5, the man selected to replace long-time member Tim Harding. The 23-year-old, who grew up in Victoria but now lives in Sydney, said performing for kids required every skill he's developed as a classically trained actor. "I still use the stuff that I learnt at NIDA every day in working with Hi-5," he said. "In a day, you might have to play a cow, a tenpin-bowling pin, a crow that sings opera, all of these things - there's a bit of Shakespeare in there I'm sure." Nicholson is the newest face in the Hi-5 line-up, which includes original members Nathan Foley, Charli Delaney and Kellie Hoggart, plus Sun Park, who replaced Kathleen de Leon. Nicholson's journey from some of the world's most prestigious acting institutions - apart from NIDA he also trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London - to Hi-5 is one of extraordinary determination and talent, with a twist of fate. "It's like he was born to this job," said Hi-5 creator Helena Harris, who hand-picked the new recruit. Nicholson will soon be a global name in children's entertainment, but his own childhood was marred by serious illness, before he discovered acting in his late teens. "I had bacterial meningitis and was in hospitals for months," he said. "I was about three or four - I'd forgotten how to walk, I was nearly deaf. "Part of my redevelopment was using programs like Play School. "So, for me now, to be contributing in some way [to children's education] is very special," he said. Nicholson was chosen as a male understudy for Hi-5 only a few days before Tim Harding had a serious motorbike accident. "It's funny how your life can change within the space of a week," said Nicholson, who stepped in for Harding, then was given the full-time role. Since joining the group, Nicholson has recorded an album with Hi-5, rehearsed a stage show, filmed series 10 of the program (to screen next year) and travelled to Singapore on tour. >A life in change: Hi-5's Tim Harding: Extra, page 53
© 2007 Sun Herald