The Queen song talks about a shaft of light showing the way and the bell that rings inside one’s mind.
About seven years ago, Pryor’s friend and colleague Gary Clark found out he had an interest in musical theatre and encouraged him to audition for an Act Three show.
“As soon as I got back into the environment, I remembered how much I loved being on stage and performing,” Pryor said.
Musical theatre is a different environment to his military career, as he can be “just Ben” without any rank or title.
The squadron leader enjoys the creativity of performing and says being involved in theatre has supported his positive mental health and a more balanced lifestyle.
As he processed the traumatic incidents he had experienced in Afghanistan, musical theatre helped provide a creative release and a way out of that deep mental hole.
Pryor was born and raised in Auckland and did musical theatre while at Auckland Grammar School and the University of Auckland, where he studied engineering.
His teenage goal was to be a pilot in the air force. However, the nature of the job meant he was unable to continue his involvement in musical theatre.
He came to Manawatū in 2000 when No 3 Squadron moved from Hobsonville to Ōhakea.
Khashoggi is a fun character to play. “He gets to be a little bit evil but also he gets to have fun while he’s doing it in his own evil way.”
Pryor, a baritone, enjoys playing character roles associated with that vocal range.
In Act Three’s first staging of We Will Rock You in 2021, he was in the ensemble and played Madonna and a teacher.
Other Act Three roles he has played are Amos in Chicago, Thenardier in Les Misérables, Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and Hertz in Rock of Ages.
Rehearsals for We Will Rock You started in May and have required careful juggling with work and family commitments.
Pryor and his wife have three children, aged 9 to 13.
He is becoming increasingly known in Manawatū for his striking dance portrait photography. His father Ian had a photographic business in Auckland and Pryor says he learned some of the craft by osmosis.
Growing up, he loved taking photos of Scouts and Air Training Corps activities he was part of.
Photography was also a creative escape from the challenges of serving in Afghanistan, and more recently Pryor has enjoyed combining his photography and theatre interests.
Pryor spent four years on secondment with the Royal Air Force in Afghanistan. His calmness and bravery under fire in Helmand province earned him a New Zealand Gallantry Medal.
