Tiger Tales

Marcus on Melbourne

One of Australia’s most versatile and sought-after actors, Marcus Graham talks to James Tan about his favourite city to work and play in. Photography by Serge Thomann

Marcus Graham is a man on a mission. Having finished his national tour of Australia as Iago in Othello, Marcus is currently playing a mobster in Underbelly, a mini-series about gang feuds.

Right after that, he’ll be jetting over to New Zealand to film Time Hackers, a children’s adventure series in which he plays a time-travelling robot. After that, it’s back to Melbourne in early 2008 for the Melbourne Theatre Company’s The 39 Steps.

Graham’s passion for acting has driven a career that has spanned roles in theatre, TV and film. Casting off his early heartthrob status as Wheels in the TV se ries E Street (for which he is still fondly remembered), Graham has played a gamut of roles from Brutus in Julius Caesar to Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

After a few years of work in the United States ( Charmed, Josh Jarman, Mulholland Drive ), Graham is now based in Australia again and getting plum roles in projects like The Blue Room and Twelve Angry Men.

Much of Graham’s time is spent working in Melbourne. The city is known as Australia’s art and culture capital, playing host to numerous arts and music festivals, such as the Melbourne International Arts, International Comedy, Fringe, International Film and International Jazz Festivals. Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria has displayed the works of Picasso and the Dutch masters and most recently, the collection of the Guggenheim Museum. But it’s the the atre scene in Melbourne that’s seeing rapid growth and showing tremendous promise.

“There’s a real hunger for it – great support and a real appreciation for theatre. Musicals do very well here. There’s a Broadway feel to Melbourne,” says Graham.

Apart from large theatres like the Regent, the Princess, the Arts Centre and the Malthouse, there are dozens of shows staged each week in smaller theatres throughout the city.

However, it’s not just work alone that brings Perth-born Graham to Melbourne.

“Melbourne’s settled and it’s grounded. It has a constancy and soul to it, and there’s something in that,” he says. “Service is very good, and people are welcoming in a genuine way. While Sydney is fast-paced and ‘big-city-ish’, Melbourne is still a country town at heart. It has its charm, and the people are very warm.”

At the same time, he says that Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city. “It’s culturally very rich, with a lot of wonderful bars, restaurants, theatres and galleries,” he declares.

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Marcus Graham shares the best of Melbourne with Tiger Tales

■ MIRKA AT TOLARNO HOTEL This place fuses food with art. Named after Mirka Mora, a highly accomplished French artist who has been made Officier des Arts et des Lettres, this restaurant serves a wide range of cuisine, from pasta to steak tartare to Russian eggs. Diners savour these dishes surrounded by Mirka’s artistic and creative murals.

Similarly, the Tolarno Boutique Hotel that houses Mirka’s is also covered with Mirka’s wall art. Mirka at Tolarno, 42 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, tel: +613 9525 3088, www.mirkatolarno.com

■ CICCIOLINA This is Graham’s favourite restaurant, situated in St Kilda.

“I’ve been going there for 17 years. There’s the same waiter who has been working there for that time, and I know I can always count on my favourite dish of linguini with salmon that’s on the menu all that time,” he says.

Cicciolina’s no-reservations policy often means spending a bit of time queueing for dinner, but their dishes and wine list make it all worthwhile. 130 Acland Street, St Kilda, tel: +61 (0)3 9525 3333

■ SOUTHBANK “Southbank is a great place to shop and eat, and of course, there’s the world-class Crown Casino. If you dine at Southbank, you’ll be looking across the Yarra River at the beautiful city skyline.”

Once an industrial area, Southbank has been transformed into Melbourne’s entertainment precinct, with the Melbourne Arts Centre and Crown Casino flanking rows of upmarket shops and outdoor restaurants and cafes.

Right in the centre of Southbank is Eureka Tower, the world’s tallest apartment building at 92 storeys tall. It has a public observation deck on the 88th floor featuring The Edge, a glass cube that projects three metres out the side of the building, making it the best spot to see all of Melbourne city.

You can look through the glass floor 300m past your feet to the ground! Eureka Tower, 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank, www.eurekatower.com.au/main.cfm

■ MORNINGTON PENINSULA Graham recommends driving down on a weekend to the Mornington Peninsula, and staying in the beautiful countryside region of Red Hill with its vineyards and cheese factories.

“The thing about going to a region is that all the fish, local produce and wine goes together naturally – just buy the local stuff and have a cook-up,” he says. “You’ll need to book ahead in summer, but Melbourne’s good all year round.”

Further down the peninsula lies the seaside resort of Portsea; protruding out into the Port Phillip Bay, waves at the front beach are excellent for surfing and windsurfing, while the calm waters of the back beach are perfect for children.