Actor makes most of move to coast

TO some people, Corrimal's Des Mangan is the guy who used to introduce the Saturday Night Cult Movie on SBS; to others, he's the voice of Eurovision.

Those old enough to remember might even recognise him as one of the actors from TV shows The Sullivans or the Young Doctors.

Now, though, Mangan is most recognisable as the lead actor in Wollongong Workshop Theatre's production of David Mamet's play Glengarry Glenn Ross.

Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of four real estate salesmen who are forced into fierce competition when they are told that the third and fourth place-getters in the month's sales contest will lose their jobs.

The writer/actor/host escaped Sydney and moved to Corrimal last year to work on his own screenplay, after eight years of writing for breakfast radio in Sydney and playing host for SBS.

"Other people run off and write the great Australian novel, so I'm doing the screenplay,' Mangan said.

When he's not writing, Mangan rehearses for his new role.

"I haven't been on the stage for 20 years,' he said. " I just came down here and saw (that they were) holding auditions for Glengarry Glenn Ross (and) thought, If I go along and don't get it no-one will know'.

"I write in the day and act at night. It's not quite a super hero but, yes, my secret identity is an actor.'

Glengarry Glenn Ross is playing at Wollongong Workshop Theatre every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until March 3.

Tickets cost about $20.