Will Tran is a familiar face to anyone visiting the National Zoo and Aquarium.

And soon you’ll get to see the Canberran on stage in his home city.

Will has joined the cast of Trent Dalton’s Love Stories, which will run at Canberra Theatre Centre from 24-27 September.

“Nothing beats the feeling of dancing, of really being in a piece with someone else or even presenting. All of these things really speak to me. I love doing it (performing),” he told CD.

Dalton spent two months in 2021 gathering stories on his sky-blue 1960s Olivetti typewriter, on a prominent street corner in Brisbane’s CBD.

Speaking to Australians from all walks of life, Dalton asked them one simple thing: ‘Can you please tell me a love story?’

“Love Stories is a beautiful piece about the tapestry of the Brisbane city and how all these people with their love stories are intertwined,” Will said.

He will tour with the show to Canberra, Sydney, Darwin, Gold Coast and Auckland in this “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.

“To be part of this amazing Australian production with a celebrated Australian author, Trent Dalton, it’s a dream come true,” Will said.

“To be able to work as an artist, most importantly, a Canberra artist. To be paid for that all around Australia and New Zealand, I couldn’t have asked for anything more exciting and more fulfilling in that regard.”

Will is stepping into about “seven or eight” different characters with the opportunity to sing, dance and act.

“As an artist, what I’m trying to do now is give each of those individuals, who are real people, real Australians, their own voice,” he said.

“There are movements where they carry themselves, and that’s been a really enjoyable process for me.”

While he said it could be challenging at times, Will’s wife, Irina Vyshinskaya, is helping him prepare for the roles.

The preparation for Will includes being line ready, having a base or a template of each character and understanding who they are in that scene in the given circumstances.

Will has been given permission by his employer, where he is an advertising and marketing manager, to take some time off while touring with the show (while also still doing some zoo work).

“My dream one day is to be like someone well known who represents the city in a beautiful way, both through my work as a performative artist and via the Zoo and Jamala as well,” Will said.

And if you were wondering about his own love story that he would submit to Dalton, it would be how Will met his wife.

“We met on a blind date. I was pushed into it from my old ballroom dancing teacher, who was her employer, because my wife is a world champion ballroom dancer from a country called Moldova,” Will said.

“I was about to move to London to pursue my career in Europe, and I was like ‘Oh, well, you know I’d love to meet this person before I go.’”

They met for breakfast at the old Gus’s café and have seen each other every day since.

“I proposed to her after three months, then I went to Europe as a dancer for three months, I got back to Canberra and we got married the day after,” Will said.

“And we’re 10 years this year – 10 years of doing what we’re doing. She’s been the best part of everything that I’m not.”

Tickets to Love Stories can be purchased here: canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/trent-daltons-love-stories

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