I’m Michael Caton and I’m going Back to School with Student Edge.
I’m curious, what kind of student were you growing up?
More hands on, student, sort of. I went to a Catholic primary school and I was always
very handy and I managed to get out of homework because I could plait plastic bags and stuff
that the nuns could sell at the school fetes, so I was quite industrious in getting out
of homework.
Were these in actual, like, woodshop classes or textiles classes?
No, no there was no such thing then. There was no such thing.
How’s the serenity. Not a sound.
Being a Catholic school there was always a lot of singing, choirs, concerts;
All that sort of thing. And then I went to - this is in Brisbane - I went to a GPS school, where all of that
was sort of a bit “sissy” and in about year 10 I had a bit of an accident at school,
having a “wrassle” with a friend of mine; where I busted a high pressure tap that came off in
my hand and flooded the school, and they decided that my return to school was provisional.
Then the family decided, “Well we better send him to boarding school.”
And they sent me to Gympie Christian Brothers, which was a little bit like Hogan’s Heroes,
being an institution run by the inmates. It was a great school and a lot of larrikin behavior,
but it also... we did elaborate concerts. There was a brother there – Brother Lough
– who I owe a great debt to. When we did sort of balls and things like that at the
primary school, I always seemed to get that role out front, doing something apart from the others.
And he… we did elaborate concerts. We might mime something or the college trio
would do folk songs, and things like that. I just sort of got the taste and I wasn’t
an incredible sportsman, I wasn’t an incredible academic. The compliment that I got that summed
me up most, was one of the brothers at the GPS school said, “you're very cunning, Mr. Caton,”
for always having such a plausible reason for not having done my homework. And
And I took that as a compliment actually.
Were there subjects you just weren’t into? Did you feel like, “Look, my talents lay
elsewhere, so why am I wasting my time?”
I was really good at maths and geometry and things like that, but once maths got abstract
and science got abstract, I was gone. The whole abstraction – cosine, theta – woof,
I was gone. That wasn’t me at all. And my son who’s excellent at maths, his mother
and I sort of believe we took the wrong baby home from the hospital.
Sure. At least now someone in the family is good at maths.
Exactly. I mean, I could add up, because I grew up in a shop.
As soon as you could add up, you were behind the counter.
I live in Broken Hill, but I’m dying.
Well, going back just to the school where acting or being part of musical performances
was kind of frowned upon – or “sissy” as you described it – was it difficult in that period?
I'm not sure how long you were at that particular school, but was it difficult having this passion
for something or at least knowing you liked this one type of thing and not being able
to express it?
Oh no, look it was, all the development in that particular school, while I was at that
particular school, happened outside of the school. It was the era of Elvis and rock and roll,
So that’s what we got into. I remember at one stage, there was a film they made years ago
called Smiley, and I remember saying to my mum, “I wouldn’t mind auditioning for that.”
Or going along. Because it was a big deal, they were advertising it. Mum wouldn’t hear about it.
But I’d always be at the movies and I’d look at them and go, “I think I can do that.”
I’d think to myself. But I never had any real training until I left school,
but I got the taste from being on stage and performing at that country boarding school
in Gympie.
Eventually you became a parent; as you mentioned that your own son is skilled at maths.
What did you notice, I guess, as a parent with a child going through schooling years?
Had you noticed a difference in the way that education was kind of being rolled out?
Anything you were concerned about? Anything you wish you had had when you were going through?
Oh God yes. He went to a great school. My son’s been through NIDA and he’s a nice actor.
He’s a lovely musician, singer and songwriter. But his school years were so much richer than mine.
He went to a good high school in Sydney that had a great drama department.
At 14 he started to go to the Australian Theatre For Young People, which I sort of didn’t approve of initially.
But it basically kept him out of trouble all through his teenage years.
Why was it that you didn’t approve of it at the time?
Oh, I thought there’d be plenty of time for that, but in actual fact it was a great
idea and he did some great plays. He did Little Shop of Horrors at school and I thought he’s gone.
He’s gone. He’s going down that road.
Who’d he play in Little Shop?
The dentist.
That’s a good one. It’s hard to turn back once you’ve played the dentist.
Then coming out for the curtain calls, sort of going… I thought, “There you go. He’s gone."
Is that a chip off the old block? Is that what you were like at that age as well?
Oh God no, I had no idea I’d ever be acting professionally. I just did it because I loved it.
I had no idea that someone would ever pay me to do it
And then when someone did start to pay me to do it
I thought, “This is amazing. They’re paying me to do something I really love doing.”
Dad, 450. For Jousting sticks? Tell him, he’s dreaming.
And just finally, do you have one piece of advice, with everything you've gone through,
One piece of advice you’d give to students about the way they deal with their education.
Try to realise what your talents are, what you’re good at, and aim your education that way
And be brave and have a go, because life’s a funny thing. Something you might end up doing,
Leaving school, mightn’t be the job that you end up with, because along the way and
with life experience you learn other things. So I’d say be adaptable, don’t be on railway lines
And take the advantages when they’re there, and if you’ve got a hobby, something
you really love doing, well, go with it, and who knows what that hobby could turn into.
Beautiful. Michael, thanks so much for your time today.
My pleasure mate.
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