I love this job. Especially when I get to talk to someone like Nigel Huckle, who brings such clarity and enthusiasm to the craft that you can’t help but feel energised by it.

A dual Australian American performer with credits across Miss Saigon, West Side Story, Les Misérables, and Assassins, Nigel has built a career that spans continents and genres. His performance in Miss Saigon was so extraordinary that I may have fan‑girled embarrassingly early in our chat – but when someone delivers a performance that reshapes how you see a show, what else can you do?

Our conversation moved from the emotional precision of Sondheim, to the strange comfort of knowing even the most seasoned performers still get opening‑night nerves. Nigel has a way of talking about theatre that makes you feel the weight of the craft and the joy of it at the same time.

That same depth and generosity is exactly what he brings to Putting It Together now playing at The Foundry Theatre. For Nigel, the show isn’t just a Sondheim revue but a living, breathing investigation into relationships, contradictions, and the emotional messiness we don’t always say out loud. He talked about building character from the music up, about the cast carving out a real narrative spine in what can easily look like a scatter of songs.

It’s the kind of work that demands honesty, trust, and a fierce respect for the people sharing the stage – qualities Nigel brings instinctively.

So with further ado, Here’s Faith’s Top 5 with Nigel Huckle. Let get Sondheim-ing!

Q1. You’ve performed around the world in shows from West Side Story to Les Misérables and Miss Saigon. What’s your personal connection to Sondheim’s work, and how does Putting It Together let you tap into a new artistic gear?

I actually haven’t done a whole lot of Sondheim, which I’ve been itching to do. In my junior year at Shenandoah Conservatory I played the Balladeer in Assassins. That was my first taste of what it’s like. I’m quite into politics and American history, and I found that experience of learning about American history and blending it with musical theatre really enriching. There aren’t many composers who will do that for you. That was my first entry into Sondheim and the importance of storytelling.

West Side Story didn’t come about for me until 2019. I’m dying to do a traditional Sondheim like Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Putting It Together is an amalgamation of all his works, and a nice degustation of what I might want to do in the future.

Q2. The show unfolds at an all night black tie party where relationships shift in real time. Working with director Cameron Mitchell, how did you go about shaping a character in a revue style piece where the emotional arc lives inside the songs rather than a traditional script?

For us, it all started with learning the music. You have to get all the layers and the nuances right to deliver Sondheim the way he wrote it. The detail in his writing is really crucial. It’s really like a meal for the actor.

Bert makes the joke at the top of the show that there’s not much of a plot. The show can appear like a ramble until you realise it’s actually structured around relationships. The order of the songs and the lyrics creates a through-line. Act 2 can appear like a showcase but the songs shape the journey and the loose plot of the show.

With Cameron there was a big discussion of what our relationships are, both as the two couples on stage, and then the couples’ relationships with each other. How do we develop contrast between the two couples as directed by the lyrics and the sequence of the songs?

Q3. You’re sharing the stage with some of Australia’s most electrifying performers, Caroline O’Connor, Michael Cormick, Bert LaBonté, Stefanie Caccamo. What’s been the most surprising or inspiring part of diving into this ensemble?

No matter what level you are in your career, we all have the same artist psyche. I was shocked on opening night to hear Caroline say it never gets easier. She’s done every show under the sun and worked in every major market in the world. She and Michael and everyone still get nervous before opening night. That was the most comforting bit of enlightenment – we are all the same, no matter where you are in your career. 

Stefanie is closer in age to me, but I saw her in Well Behaved Women at Belvoir and was gobsmacked at her talent. I was dying to work with her. But it never feels like I have to be on my tiptoes around any personality. We’re united in giving a show. Maybe doing a five hander makes it different but it’s cool to go out there arm in arm and just let the audience have it. 

Q4. Sondheim’s work can land differently for everyone. In Putting It Together, is there a song or moment that feels especially personal or a favourite for you, something that surprised you, challenged you, or revealed a new layer of his writing?

The way we do “Being Alive.” It’s a big five part moment, all of us on stage, beautiful harmonies and counter melodies. “Being Alive” is a big solo piece in Company, but our version is a reflection of what we’ve done through the whole show – talking about relationships and love.

Our version is solemn. I don’t know if I’ve learned anything new or had an epiphany, but being on stage, just the five of us, there’s a contemplativeness that’s special. These arrangements were created by Guy Simpson and Kevin Wang specifically for this production and this cast. This is the only time you’ll ever hear this version. You don’t get to do that in a lot of shows or arrangements.There’s something wonderful about the five of us leaving our mark at the end of the show, after the whole journey we’ve taken together.

Q5. What kind of night do you think audiences at the Foundry Theatre are in for, and what do you hope they’re talking about as they head back out into Pyrmont afterwards?

It’s a reflection. The show puts a mirror up to audiences, whether you’re in a relationship, have experienced heartbreak, or are at different stages of relationships – or not in a relationship at all. Steph’s character and mine are at an early stage, whereas Caroline’s and Michael’s are further along. The storytelling takes hold of you and takes you on a journey.

And the music, it’s Sondheim. It’s iconic. There are obscure pieces too, pieces people who aren’t theatre enthusiasts will hear for the first time. I hope people sit and dial into what everyone is saying through the songs. Sondheim sets that up so nicely.

We have an attention shortage in the world right now. If people sit and close their minds to the outside world and just be with us, it’s an intimate space. We breathe the same air. We’re metres away. You can hear those words shimmer. A painting and a story are being told right in front of your eyes. That’s what I’d want people to take away.

Bonus Question. What was one question you were secretly hoping I’d ask and what is your answer?

• What do I like more, performing in Australia or performing in the US?

My colleagues in Australia have a lot of tenacity because we all work knowing there are fewer opportunities, so you have to give the one you’re in your absolute best.

In the US, there’s a lot of focus on getting the job, whereas in Australia there’s a lot of focus on doing the job. That’s the most exciting thing about working in Australia.

However in the US, there are more opportunities to do things that take more risk. There’s more artistic and creative fulfilment because there are so many opportunities and markets, and more people willing to be daring.

***** Putting it Together runs from 6 Jan – 15 Feb 2026 at The Foundry Theatre, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont*****

For further details see :https://www.foundrytheatre.com.au/putting-it-together

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