He is especially remembered for his show-stopping appearances in the original Australian productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, as the original Dr Frank’n’furter in the Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show and his bravura performance in the musical Barnum. Reg’s groundbreaking one-man shows in the 1970s – Betty Blokk Buster Follies and Wonder Woman – propelled him to the forefront of a new wave of Australian theatre.

Reg starred as Max Bialystock in the Mel Brooks musical The Producers in 2005/06. He played Henry Higgins in Opera Australia’s 2008 presentation of My Fair Lady, and Alfred Doolittle in the Julie Andrews 60th Anniversary production of this celebrated musical in 2017.

In 2018, Reg’s new play The Widow Unplugged or An Actor Deploys was staged for the 60th Anniversary Season of the Ensemble Theatre, which has also presented his other works, Wish You Were Here, Red Riding Hood, The Speed Hump and the Wolf, and The Thank You Dinner.

Reg received an AO in 1996 and published his autobiography Chapters and Chances in 2004. In 2011, Arts Centre Melbourne celebrated Reg’s career with a major retrospective exhibition Take a Bow. He received the Sydney Critics Lifetime Achievement Award and a Helpmann Award in 2015. Reg was presented the 2017 Centenary JC Williamson Award by Live Performance Australia to honour outstanding contribution to the performing arts industry.