He's Ba-ack!

May 7th 2007 12:00 am | Theatre | Feature - By Diana Simmonds

Bill Hunter climbs aboard Priscilla after 13 years

Hunter is renowned for being outspoken and a bus full of drag queens being hounded out of outback towns - as happens in the admirably tough Priscilla scenario - is an opportunity not to be missed.

"When I was a kid it was the dagos and wogs and then the slopes who got a kicking and poofter bashing was a national sport. And look where we are now. We needed to become multicultural. It's made us a better place and better people. I think we can achieve what America has failed to achieve."

The achievement is tangible in Priscilla where laughter gives way to uncertain giggles then stunned silence when, for instance, the lads return from a warmly received night at the pub to find the bus daubed with "Fuck off faggots".

"It is interesting to hear the way the laughter stops," says Hunter. "Hate and fear are the great stimuli and it's always stoked by these right-wing mongrel bastards that calls itself a government. Not that I'd want you to think I'm opinionated." And the Hunter twinkle returns.

After his two weeks on the bus Hunter returns to waiting to hear whether he's ever to get started on the new Baz Lurhman epic (the one with Our Nicole and Our Hugh doing a spot of cattle droving).

"It's been on or off or on for two years now," Hunter says, shrugging and grinning with the kind of resignation that can only come from spending most of your life on a film set. "We'll see."

Bill Hunter Home and Away's Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart) is the next guest star due to take on the role of Bob the mechanic - in June.

"I'm like Bill, I think," he says. "I'm not sure what I've let myself in for. But I know it's going to be fun."

So will this be a holiday from the long-running soapie?

Lord no!" he laughs. "Holidays are when I go to the UK and do pantomime. No, I'll be working on Home and Away during the day and doing Priscilla at night. But I think they're going to work around me, who knows I might have really easy calls."

So what's the attraction of the musical?

"Well, I wasn't going to do it, but they said - just come and see it. And I did and well ... " he laughs. "Sometimes you just have to do things when they're offered. You're a long time dead."

Pictured here: Bill Hunter, Michael Caton and Ray Meagher - the Bobs

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