A MASH-UP of musical masterpieces will be heard ringing out across Tamworth at the weekend, when Rob McDougall returns to his hometown.
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Theatre stars Daniel Belle and McDougall will bring numbers to the town hall stage at the weekend, for their new production On with the Show.
It's been a difficult year for the stage wonders, after coronavirus wiped their slates clean of work.
"I was supposed to be on tour with the Secret Garden, so I was cast opposite Anthony Warlow in my first professional major stage lead role on a national tour, and that's now not happening," McDougall said.
"I spent about two months just drinking and sitting at home."
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But, the creative spark that's seen him perform in productions across the world couldn't be dulled for long.
With gigs tabled for the foreseeable future, McDougall started studying a Master's Degree at the University of New England.
"It was really something to help me differentiate Monday from Tuesday because there was literally nothing to do," he said.
Teaching - especially back home in Tamworth - is something he loves to do, and always makes time for.
Belle and McDougall were in town last week to give a "masterclass" to the Tamworth Musical Society's cast of Mamma Mia!
"It's very much returning to the loins of my fruit, so to speak," McDougall laughed.
"I've been out of Tamworth 13 years now and you still walk down the street and go 'oh, hello!', which is really quite nice and you don't get that in Sydney."
On with the Show will take the stage at the Tamworth Town Hall for a cabaret performance full of jazz hits and favourite musical moments on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21.
McDougall said being back in the Town Hall for the first time in more than a decade brought back fond memories of a time gone by.
With an impressive list of credentials under his belt, it's hard to picture the star as a kid sitting at the 'spot tower', shining a light down on someone else.
"Being back in this building is so weird, I haven't been in here for a decade ... that's the first thing I ever did in a musical, sit there and shine a spotlight," McDougall said.
Now, he'll be returning centre-stage with Belle by his side.
Belle told the Leader he was excited to bring a show with a bit of "escapism" to the people of Tamworth.
"With numbers comes an atmosphere, and I have missed that," he said. "We're really excited to sing in front of human beings again."