Richard Norton

Richard Norton (born 17 December 1970) is an Australian actor of stage and screen. After appearing in amateur stage productions and commercials, Norton auditioned for a role in the soap opera Neighbours and was cast as Ryan McLachlan when he was 19. Norton was given a one-year contract and he made his debut in early 1990. However, after less than a year in the role, Norton was written out of the serial. After his final Neighbours scenes aired in March 1991, Norton filmed a role in the Seven Network miniseries Good Vibrations. He also joined the cast of fellow soap opera Home and Away as 16 year old Simon Fitzgerald, becoming one of only a few actors to appear in both soaps. After his two-year contract with Home and Away was cut short by a year, Norton left Australia for the UK and he was hired as a presenter on the children's television show Parallel 9 in April 1993. He took on the recurring role of Shane Cochran in the British soap opera Brookside for a few episode across 1995 and 1996.

Norton has appeared in various UK pantomime, touring, repertory and fringe theatre productions, starting with Jack and the Beanstalk in December 1991. He has played leading roles in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dick Whittington. In 1994, he appeared in his first musical 99 Heyworth Street at the Liverpool Playhouse, and played the streetwise Treat in a production of Lyle Kessler's Orphans. In February 1996, Norton appeared in the European premiere production of Dead White Males at Nuffield Theatre. He was also part of the 1997 touring production of the comedy play The Surprise Party and starred in Welsh play Killing Kangaroos along with his former Neighbours co-star Lucinda Cowden. Norton continued working in the theatre, as a technician and events manager, before becoming a production manager for the Welsh National Opera.

Early life Norton was born on 17 December 1970 in Brighton, South Australia. He is the youngest of four siblings. When Norton was six months old, his older brother was killed during a head-on collision while driving intoxicated. His mother and sister ran amateur dramatics company St Jude's Players, and Norton appeared in various stage productions, including a performance of All About Eve when he was an infant. The pellet went through his lung and lodged in a muscle near his heart. Doctors decided it was safer to leave it rather than attempt open-heart surgery to remove it. He became interested in acting while at school. Initially, it was something he did for fun, and he did not consider it a profession until he discovered how much money he could make from appearing in television commercials.

Career 1990–1993 In 1989, aged 19, Norton was cast as Ryan McLachlan in the soap opera Neighbours. The role marked his first "proper" acting job, following parts in school productions, radio voice-over work, Norton auditioned for the role just as he was starting a hotel traineeship. and had to leave his home for filming. A month later, it was announced that he would coming to the UK to play Simple Simon in a pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Chatham Central Theatre in December. He was given a two-year contract to play 16 year old Simon Fitzgerald. He was 20 years old at the time of his casting. Norton felt that he was working hard on the show, so it came as a shock when the producers decided it was time for Simon to leave. Norton said that the producers told him that Simon "had done his bit" and they wanted to promote new actors Matt Doran and Dieter Brummer. Norton was hired to present the second series of children's television show Parallel 9 in April 1993. Of his role, Norton commented "Presenting sort of found me really, Parallel 9 is such an original show that I thought it was an opportunity to do something different that was too good to miss."

1994–present After Parallel 9, Norton starred in the stage musical 99 Heyworth Street as sailor Laurie Baldwin at the Liverpool Playhouse. In June 1995, he played the shepherd Silvius in As You Like It at Stafford Castle.

From December 1995, Norton played Australian Shane Cochran in the British soap opera Brookside. His character's backstory was similar to his own personal background as Shane is a soap opera star who comes over to the UK to appear in panto. Shane's notable storylines included a romance with Jacqui Dixon (Alex Fletcher) and a drug addiction. Norton revealed that he would not be in the show for long, stating: "It's quite interesting how the romance finishes as it has a lasting effect on Jacqui's life. But Shane doesn't get her pregnant!" filmed a role in the Paramount Pictures film The Saint, and played the narrator in the Beauty and the Beast panto at the Music Hall, Shrewsbury.

He was part of the 1997 touring cast of comedy play The Surprise Party, along with Matthew Kelly and Ruth Madoc, In February 1998, he guested in an episode of the ITV teen drama series Wavelength. A few months later, Norton began teaching drama to students at the Hayley Johnston School of Dance and Drama in Sevenoaks. He appeared in the title role of the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Lyceum Theatre from 12 December 1998 until 10 January 1999. In August 1999, Norton guested in an episode of the British police drama The Bill, before he reunited with Cowden in the Welsh play Killing Kangaroos which was staged at the Taliesin Arts Centre in October. In 2001, Norton played an Australian sergeant in the British television film Sword of Honour.

Norton went onto work as a theatre technician, events manager, freelance assistant production manager for the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, before taking a role as a production manager for the Welsh National Opera. He oversaw a touring production of Figaro Gets a Divorce by Elena Langer in 2016, following its premiere at the Wales Millennium Centre. They met in 1991 when they both appeared in Jack and the Beanstalk as Simple Simon and the Fairy respectively. They maintained a long distance relationship when Norton returned to Australia, before Johnston flew out to visit and convinced Norton to return to the UK.

Norton and his partner welcomed a son in 2017.

Acting credits Television Year Title Role Notes 1990–1991 Neighbours Ryan McLachlan Main cast 1991–1992 Home and Away Simon Fitzgerald Main cast 1992 Good Vibrations Sonny Miniseries 1993 Parallel 9 Earth Base Presenter 1995–1996 Brookside Shane Cochran Recurring 1998 Wavelength Waiter Episode: "Mixed Messages" 1999 The Bill Steve Kellerman Episode: "Sun Hill Boulevard" 2001 Sword of Honour Australian sergeant Television film

Theatre Year Production Role Location 1991–1992 Jack and the Beanstalk Simple Simon Chatham Central Theatre 1992–1993 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Prince Charming Alban Arena 1994 99 Heyworth Street Laurie Baldwin Liverpool Playhouse 1994 Orphans Treat Gatehouse Theatre 1994–1995 Dick Whittington Captain Barnsley Civic 1995 As You Like It Silvius Stafford Castle 1996 Dead White Males Steve Nuffield Theatre 1996 Macbeth Witch Stafford Castle 1996–1997 Beauty and the Beast Muddles the Manservant Music Hall 1997 The Surprise Party Various (touring) 1997–1998 Cinderella Buttons Towngate Theatre 1998–1999 Dick Whittington Dick Whittington Lyceum Theatre 1999 Killing Kangaroos Rod Sherman Theatre, Newport Centre, Taliesin Arts Centre