Former Rabbitoh George Burgess and Ryan Morgan in new Aussie thriller Locusts
Former South Sydney Rabbitoh George Burgess and actor Ryan Morgan drop into The Ritz to give us the goss on the new Australian outback thriller, Locusts
Southern Courier
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The curtain may have come down on former NRL star George Burgess’s time with the Rabbitohs but before he leaves for England, to play with Super League side Wigan, we get to see him on a different stage in the feature film Locusts.
Burgess makes his debut big screen role in the Australian outback crime-thriller that opens at the Ritz Cinemas Randwick on Thursday, October 17.
Burgess, who played nine seasons with the Rabbitohs and counts the drought-breaking 2014 grand final where he scored a try among his fondest memories, said his Locust’s character, Ivan was a bouncer at the local club the Sidewinder.
“It is a good physical role but there is not much dialogue,” Burgess, who also featured in the cast of the pilot for Locusts that, like the film, was written, produced and created by radiologist Angus Watts (Legacy, The Blacksmith), who Burgess counts as a friend.
Burgess, a father of three who caught the “acting bug” while filming Locusts, also displayed his acting chops in a couple of Short+Sweet productions earlier this year, including Copy Boy the Musical where he sung three songs.
“Locusts was a good stepping stone,” Burgess said indicating more acting gigs could be in his future.
Locusts also stars Randwick actor Ryan Morgan (Deadhouse Dark, Ultraviolence) who plays Caleb, one of the desperate small-town criminals in a post mining-boom town.
The NIDA graduate said his character was a product of his environment.
“He is a product of the role models around him,” Morgan said.
“He is caught in this town, in an environment that really is not the best for him but then Ryan (Ben Geurens) comes to town and it changes things for him.
“He sees a different kind of role model, he sees how his life could be.”
Geuren’s plays an estranged tech entrepreneur Ryan Black who returns to his post mining-boom hometown for his father’s funeral and, together with his ex-con brother (Nathaniel Dean), becomes entangled in an extortion scam.
Morgan described Locusts as “fast, quick paced; it takes you on a journey”.
Locusts stars Geurens (Reign) and Dean (Alien: Covenant) alongside a great cast that includes Jessica McNamee (The Meg), Justin Rosniak (Animal Kingdom), Steve Le Marquand (Two Hands), Andy McPhee (Sons of Anarchy) and Peter Phelps (Lantana) — there’s even a cameo from rocker Angry Anderson.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Locusts follows estranged tech entrepreneur Ryan Black (Ben Geurens) who returns to his post mining-boom hometown for his father’s funeral, and is reluctantly reunited with his ex-con brother (Nathaniel Dean). When the pair become entangled in an extortion scam at the hands of desperate small-town criminals, Ryan is forced to resort to extreme measures, exposing the dark underbelly of the sleepy mining town.
SEE IT
Locusts is opening at the Ritz Cinema Randwick on Thursday, October 17. The season will kick off with a special cast and crew Q&A screening. Find out more ritzcinemas.com.au/movies/locusts