Australian cabaret performer who has appeared in television and stage productions in Australia, the UK and the USA, in the guise of his alter ego “Bob Downe” (the “Prince of Polyester.”)
Mark Trevorrow was born the third of four children to a builder-turned-teacher and a housewife in suburban Melbourne. After making his own newspapers at age 10, he became editor of his High School rag. At 17, he joined the Melbourne Sun News-Pictorial as a copyboy; his four-year cadetship including a year as a daily Pop Columnist.
In 1980, Mark formed the group “Gloria and The Go Go’s,” later to re-form as “The Globos;” the group soon becoming a regular highlight on Melbourne’s cabaret circuit. Two years later he left journalism when the group professional, scoring a national Top 20 hit with their first single, “Tintarella di Luna.” In 1983 their second and final single release, “The Beat Goes On,” became a Top 40 hit. In the same year the group opened for Cliff Richard during his Australian tour.
When The Globos disbanded in 1984, Trevorrow returned briefly to journalism, serving as freelance Arts Editor of Vogue Australia. The Globos reformed for six months, giving Mark his first opportunity to perform at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1986. In January 1987, Mark went solo as a cabaret comedian at the Harold Park Hotel in Sydney, followed by appearances at Melbourne’s Last Laugh theatre-restaurant.
After evolving over four years, Mark’s alter ego Bob Downe (“actor, singer, model, dancer and international variety artiste”) debuted at the 1988 Edinburgh Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. Mark subsequently won the coveted Glasgow Mayfest award in 1992 with Downe quickly establishing a cult following. As of 2001, he had returned to Edinburgh every year to play Downe to larger audiences. Downe typically appears in an ash-blond wig, loud safari suits and hush puppies, singing his signature tune, “Yeah, Yeah.” Mark’s first studio album, “Bob Downe – Greatest Hits,” 1996, contains a collection of classic songs from his stage shows. The ‘live’ album, “Jazzy!” 1997, was nominated for Best Australian Comedy Release at the ARIA Awards.
Dividing time between London and Sydney, Trevorrow continues to bring Bob to the masses with increasingly successful tours. English TV credits include “Viva Cabaret,” “Naked City” (Channel 4), “Bob Downe Under” (LWT 1994), “The Royal Variety Performance” (ITV 1995), “The Bob Downe Special,” (ITV 1996), “Bob Downe All Over Britain” (UK Play 1998) and co-writing of the show “Camp Christmas.”
In Australia, Trevorrow (as Downe) has four times co-compared the annual “Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade” telecasts as well as appearing as a regular panelist on “Good News Week” and co-hosting the 1999 ARIA Awards. His first book, “All Bob Downe!” was published in 1998. In 2000, Bob Downe won the Best Cabaret Artiste of the year at the 17th annual Green Room Awards in Melbourne, and hosted his own chat show, “The Bob Downe Show” on cable channel TV1. Trevorrow debuted his live Bob Downe show in New York, to great acclaim, in the Spring of 2001. At the end of that year, he also first appeared as himself (rather than as Downe) doing cabaret shows at The Black Cat Cabaret Bar in his home city of Melbourne prior to a national Australian tour in 2002.
Link to Wikipedia biography