“From the moment I sat in a theatre and the music began, I knew I wanted to be up there!” Melbourne’s Roy Barker kept that a secret for most of his life fearing failure and ridicule. But when Roy turned 50, he made the decision to tell his family that he was going to study acting and he was going to become an actor. “I want to inspire my children. I want them to know it’s ok to make mistakes and to get distracted along the way. And if I inspire others that’s great too!”
In Roy’s own words, art is a universal way to “share the love and be kind because we are all connected.” And connection is what Roy seeks to bring to Melbourne as a recognisable face of Australian Stage and Screen for five comedic and moving nights at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne’s CBD.
On the perks of following his dreams later in life all the way to Hollywood productions such as The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee with fellow Aussie thespians Paul Hogan, Olivia Newton-John and comedic icon Chevy Chase, and now Don’t Get Carried Away: “Learning a craft requires dedication of time to that learning. I am grateful and proud I was able to adjust my life to prioritise things to allow myself time to pursue acting as a career. Don’t Get Carried Away is allowing me to share these stories of my adventures [on the path to acting as a career]. I do hope audiences will see themselves and relate. My experience has taught me that anyone pursuing a goal or career is generally encouraged to do so. However, as a culture we tend to undervalue art, artists and artistic pursuits.”
On why it was important to Roy to not just pursue his acting craft and career, but to invest his time, artistic talents and throw everything into this one-man show as writer and actor: “The most meaningful thing to me about Don’t Get Carried Away is the overall theme of never giving up. No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to pursue a dream. We are fortunate to have an abundance of opportunities if we choose to see them.”
On what audiences can expect from Don’t Get Carried Away playing June 10-14 at The Butterfly Club:
From the time he danced out of his mother’s womb, Roy Barker wanted to be a performer. But life, and bullies, kept getting in the way. Growing up in a brutally tough neighbourhood, Roy survived broken bones, cuts and bruises, by learning how to be invisible—not ideal when you want to be a star. In Roy’s debut solo show, he takes you on a whirlwind ride through the comedic highs and moving lows of following his dream from stage to screen. From Shakespeare to rap, and everything in between, Roy discovers at the age of 50 that it’s never too late to get carried away.
Zenith Ander from Dead in the Desert Media is along for the ride as producer in association with Spencer Productions 2025, and she had this to say on the show’s official Instagram page: “It is beautiful. I laughed and I cried because it is just such a beautiful flowing show. I am so excited and in awe.” Zenith gloated about how inspired she is by Roy’s bravery to commit to a one-man show, and also that for audiences “Don’t Get Carried Away is a journey of Roy becoming the actor that he always genuinely was”.
If you’re in Melbourne, Australia June 10-14, 2025, don’t miss this show. Tickets are available at thebutterflyclub.com or at Eventbrite. There is something for everyone and the world needs more brave artists like Roy Barker now more than ever!
Link > https://thebutterflyclub.com/show/don-t-get-carried-away-roy-barker
