Chris Herden is a versatile singer/actor with a career spanning a broad spectrum of musical styles.
He is a journalist, PR professional, a former secretary of the Queensland Writers Centre and is currently engaged as a teaching associate for the University of Queensland’s School of Medicine.
Chris was Phantom/Raoul understudy for the original three year Sydney season of Phantom of the Opera and toured Australia in the Paul Robeson tribute Deep Bells Ring.
Chris played Danny in XANADU in 2014 and was the leading man for Boadicea-The Celtic Rock Opera at La Boite Theatre June 2014. He conducted a music theatre workshop, Hell & High Water (about the 17th Century shipwreck Batavia) for the Independent Schools Queensland Innovation Forum at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre in July 2012. He was Claudius in Brave New World Order at the Brisbane Powerhouse in 2010 and Jean Valjean in Les Miserables in 2009. Chris wrote, directed and starred in An Australian Tribute to an American Sweetheart (about American singer Nelson Eddy) for the Brisbane Cabaret Festival. He played Macduff and was chorus master for the record breaking Macbeth- the Contemporary Rock Opera (4900 seats sold in 17 performances at the Cremorne Theatre Brisbane) in 2006. He starred in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway hit I Love You …You’re Perfect … Now Change! for Mixed Company (Cement Box and Roundhouse Theatre) and the Australian premier of the Pet Shop Boys musical Closer to Heaven (Powerhouse Theatre). Chris has regularly featured with the Queensland Pops Orchestra and was a participant in Opera Queensland’s Young Artist Program Other theatre credits include The Sentimental Bloke, Tommy, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, White Horse Inn, Chess, Chu Chin Chow, Maid of the Mountains, Annie, Scrooge, Desert Song, Hits of the Blitz, Cabaret and The Boys from Syracuse.
A founding member of Newcastle hard rock bands Unleashed and Bowser, he toured nationally supporting Australian and international acts including INXS, Steeleye Span, XTC, The Cure, Uriah Heap, Motorhead and Midnight Oil.
Television appearances include Police Rescue, Australia’s Most Wanted, Home and Away and Big Sky.