CATE BLANCHETT's appointment as co-artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company in Australia has prompted a leading actor at the prestigious venue to resign in protest (gasp!)

Mr "no one's ever heard of me and now they probably never will" Colin Moody announced his plans to quit after becoming angered by the news that Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, were being given the top jobs at Australia's national theatre.

He fumes, "An Oscar for acting is not a suitable recommendation to run the biggest theatre company in the country."

He added that he could no longer take the "office politics" at the company, saying that they had been "importing people asking them to do a task that they haven't a clue how to do."

Moody by name, moody by nature?

Blanchett and Upton's appointment last year was apparently met with surprise, because other candidates were not given a chance to apply for the position. Since then, Blanchett's whipped out her contacts book and persuaded designer Giorgio Armani to become patron of the theatre for a year when she takes on the post in the New Year (08). Loving your string-pulling, missy!

Unsurprisingly, The Sydney Theatre Company's general manager, Rob Brookman, says, "They will do a wonderful job."

(snigger)