John Diedrich
John began his career as a child actor in Australia for J.C. Williamson's appearing in CAMELOT and in OLIVER as the Artful Dodger.
He produced and directed his first musical at the age of nineteen when he presented MINNIE'S BOYS, based on the life of the Marx Brothers, in which he played Groucho Marx.
Work as an actor followed in many shows including SALAD DAYS, GREASE. The musical of TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA and LLOYD GEORGE KNEW MY FATHER with Sir Ralph Richardson.
He then wrote, produced, directed and starred in two highly successful revues, GERSHWIN, a musical tribute to the composed and THE TWENTIES AND ALL THAT JAZZ inspired by the decade of the 1920's.
In 1980 he was brought to London by Cameron Mackintosh to play the lead role of Curly in OKLAHOMA! at the Palace Theatre for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award as best actor in a musical. He returned home to Australia in 1982 to recreate the role of Curly in the Australian production.
In 1987 he produced, directed and starred in the innovative Maury Yeston musical NINE, for which he was nominated as best director of a musical in the Sydney Theatre Critics Award. NINE was also nominated the outstanding production of the year. John co-produced the original cast album of NINE which won the Australian Record Industry Award for the best soundtrack. He has recorded five other cast albums.
John's other theatre credits include Inspector Javert in LES MISERABLES, AREN'T WE ALL with Sir Rex Harrison, INSIGNIFICANCE, WOLF, DEAD WHITE MALES, SWEET CHARITY and HIGH SOCIETY.
In 1993 he again appeared on the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the role of Frank Butler in Ronald Lee's production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.
In 1998 he created the role of Billy Flynn in the Australian production of CHICAGO, which he repeated in London last year.
John has just played Mack in MACK & MABEL in Australia opposite Carol O'Connor.
John most recently starred as Billy Flynn in CHICAGO at the Adelphi Theatre, he also appeared in the new musical SPIN for the Royal National Theatre Studio.
Film credits include Fred Schepsi's THE DEVILS PLAYGROUND and television credits include BLUEY for Australia's Seven network, SPECIAL SQUAD for the Ten Network and THE CHALLENGE for the Nine network. In England he appeared in SECOND THOUGHTS for London Weekend Television and GINGERBREAD GIRL for Yorkshire Television. He has just completed a leading role in a TV movie about the life of Shirley Temple.