Rob Mills - Pawn Star

Image: Rob Mills in Grease (2013). Photographer: Jeff Busby.

Music Theatre star and Neighbours TV villain Rob Mills is best known for his heart throb roles on the stage. He’s relishing a switch to a more cerebral part, as a scheming agent, in a national concert tour of the musical CHESS. David Spicer reports.

Early last decade Rob Mills was such a shoo-in for male leads that he was in Stage Whispers every second edition. His reputation was for portraying the smouldering lead, not the bright spark. My first question to him was, do you even know how to play Chess?

“Oh yes,” he said with a sheepish giggle. “Pawn to C3, you have sunk my battle-ship.”

Jokes aside, he admits to being “pretty sure” how the game works and how the pieces move in different directions.

“Do I know the million moves that I can make? No, I do not know how to play it well. But I watched The Queen’s Gambit during lockdown.”

Of course you don’t need to be able to play Chess to be in the musical Chess, any more than someone playing Curley in Oklahoma! has to be a skilled cowboy.

What Rob Mills is skilled at is being a multi-faceted entertainer. He rode the wave of fame from being a finalist on the original season of Australian Idol, to a famous public dalliance with Paris Hilton, and scoring lead roles in musicals such as Grease and Wicked.

He gets annoyed that reviewers would often write that ‘Rob Mills was surprisingly good’ in their summations of his performances. It is no longer surprising that he is good. Now, a few years off 40, the type of roles he is playing are changing.

In the concert production of Chess he will play the role of the Walter, a smarmy, sly American who manages Chess players.

“Walter is the guy who puts it all together - the match between the Russian and American grandmasters. I am the puppeteer, a bit of a shyster, a salesman and also a CIA operative who wants to make sure an American comes out on top.

“I am looking forward to getting away from being a romantic lead, and not having to dance.

“It is a different sort of role - more Machiavellian. I like that. I spent the last three years on Neighbours playing the bad guy (teacher Finn Kelly) trying to kill off some of the other characters.”

Rob says he relishes grittier roles. 

“I am hoping intellect is becoming sexier. That is what The Queen’s Gambit is about. Nerds are sexy.

“I am not that clever. I know my partner is very clever. I find her sexy because she is very clever.”

Rob’s partner is ABC News breakfast sports presenter Georgie Tunny. They famously met when Rob saw her on TV and introduced himself over social media.

Before Covid-19 they had plans to fly to London, where a career in the West End beckoned. The combination of his music theatre talent and recent status as a star on Neighbours would have made Rob a hot property on the pantomime circuit.

He was all geared up to frock up. “I love wearing a dress and think pantos are super fun.

“I did a trip to London and got myself an agent. It was all going ahead, with Georgie becoming a European correspondent or working for the BBC.”

All that is now on hold. Rob spent the long lockdown in Melbourne working on a new show that he is writing with performer Bobby Fox, worked on a ‘start-up’ in creative consulting and did lots of reading, after years of intense commitments.

As for 2022 and the possibility of heading back to the UK, “it depends on Boris. It feels like they are going for full herd immunity. Watch this space. I feel super grateful to live here. We have a pretty good Government, the majority of punters do the right thing and we are super blessed to have theatres opening up.”

Filming for his role on Neighbours ended in 2019.

“Any entertainment gig I love. With theatre you create a family and tour around the country. You put together a wonderful production and get that instant gratification every night.

“With TV you are constantly learning something new. You have the weekend back, but on the weekend you are learning lines for the following week.”

Some of the attention he has received for being on TV was not always welcome.

“I got abused on the street for being (a villain) in London. Sometimes they are aggressive about it. ‘Fin Kelly you are a bastard.’ I responded with – ‘My name is Rob. Thanks for the hospitality in England.’”

The concert production of Chess will be his first extended tour for a number of years. It opens in Melbourne in April, then travels to Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. It’s directed by Tyran Parke and other leads include Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Paulini, Alexander Lewis, Mark Furze and Brittanie Shipway.

Image: Rob Mills in Ghost (2016). Photographer: Jeff Busby.

Why should people see the concert rendition of the musical? Rob, ever the salesman, has his pitch ready.

“We have not seen the show (professionally) for such a long time. The writer, Tim Rice, is phenomenal. This was his first musical away from Andrew Lloyd Webber. Combined with the music of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA), the concept album was number one for months.

“What you have not seen often is the old school 24-piece orchestra on the stage. The enormity of the soundtrack will be fully realised.”

Rob says audiences understand that a concert presentation lacks a big set and choreography.

“It is sung though, which lends itself to the rock opera style. With clever lighting, the calibre of actors and direction of Tyran Parke, you know you are going to get something thought-provoking.”

StoreyBoard Entertainment presents Chess The Musical

Melbourne: Regent Theatre - April 22-24.

Adelaide: Her Majesty’s Theatre – May 27 -29.

Perth: Perth Concert Hall - June 3 - 5.

Brisbane: QPAC - June 8 -10.

www.chessmusical.info