GUYS & DOLLS

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BOOK

Born in Russia in 1897, Jo Swerling was a playwright, screenwriter and vaudeville sketch writer. Mr. Swerling's long career began as a reporter and feature writer in New York and Chicago.

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BOOK

After studying to be a doctor and an accountant, Abe Burrows had a career in sales before becoming a successful radio script writer and writer/performer of musical parody numbers. His first Broadway libretto was Guys and Dolls, co-written with Jo Swerling, with a score by Frank Loesser. Among the musicals for which he provided librettos are Make A Wish, Can-Can and Silk Stockings (both with scores by Cole Porter), Say, Darling, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (which he also directed; score by Frank Loesser). His non-musical plays include Cactus Flower (wrote and directed) and Forty Carats (directed).

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MUSIC & LYRICS

Frank Loesser (1910 – 1969) has been called the most versatile of all Broadway composers. Each of his five Broadway musicals: Where’s Charley?, Guys And Dolls, The Most Happy Fella, Greenwillow and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, is endowed with its own unique sound and style.

For more information on Frank Loesser, please visit his official website.

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CO-DIRECTOR

Trudy coordinated and taught the Diploma of Acting at WAAPA before moving to Melbourne. Directing credits include WAGs (workshop development, also contributing writer), Maverick Newman in Conversation (Hayes), Urinetown (VCA), Cybec Electric (MTC), Tick Tick Boom! (resident director, Storeyboard Entertainment). Trudy grew up in a theatrical family and both her children pursue careers in the performing arts. She is married to a VERY understanding teacher.

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CO-DIRECTOR

Brandon is the founding Artistic Director of Antipodes Theatre Company, where credits include Ghost Quartet (two 2020 Green Room Award Nominations, return season in 2021), Sam Martin’s Sam I Am, And She Would Stand Like This, Passing Strange (five 2023 Green Room Award Nominations), and the Winter Lab - Antipodes’ annual development program for new work and bold ideas.

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MUSICAL DIRECTOR &, BAND ‘ Conductor/Keys’

David is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (Voice), a founding member of Antipodes Theatre Company and is a freelance performer, musical director and vocal coach based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. As a vocal coach, David works with singers, actors and other professional voice-users; he also tutors and lectures in Musical Theatre for Theatre Blacks and the VCA. Performance highlights include the Australian premiere GHOST QUARTET, #REALLY?! and two seasons of MAD WORLD. Musical direction credits include FALSETTOS (StageArt), GHOST QUARTET (ATC), INTO THE WOODS (Bottled Snail Productions) and MAD WORLD (DBS).

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MOVEMENT DIRECTOR

Jonathan is a choreographer and curator working from the positionality of a Queer Person of Colour based on Wurundjeri country. From Footscray Community Arts, Melbourne Theatre Company to Melbourne Museum, Jonathan specialises in platforming Street and Queer-born dance forms to cultivate empowerment for sexually and ethnically diverse young people. He is a recent Green Room award winner for I Am Maggie.

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CHOREOGRAPHER

Carolyn, also known as Caro, has been dancing since the age of 4. Although she has over a decade of experience in classical Ballet and enjoys learning different Street dance styles, she is the most passionate about Waacking. Caro supports the current and next generation of dancers through teaching at universities and curating events such as Dancehousing, K-pop Battle Melbourne 2021, and more.

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ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER

Celina has been performing professionally on stage and screen for over a decade. Theatre credits: The King & I, Kismet, The Boy From Oz (Production Company), Liat in South Pacific (Opera Australia/GFO), Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Music Of The Night (Spears Entertainment). TV credits: Neighbours, The Warriors and Mad As Hell. In 2018, she was nominated for best actress award at Sinag Maynila FF.

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SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

Bianca is a passionate Melbourne/Naarm based designer and maker. Throughout 2019, her graduate year at the VCA, she was the Set Designer for Fucking A and Costume Designer for Mad Forest. Bianca also interned with Semafor Theatre and Česká Televize in Prague and with Designer Christina Smith. Bianca designed for two femme-BIPOC projects, TakeBack! and Ngarngk: Giver of Life. Last year, Bianca dressed for Jagged Little Pill and Hamilton.

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LIGHTNING DESIGNER

Tim is a Naarm/Melbourne-based lighting designer whose work encompasses theatre, dance, music theatre and live events. Since graduating from WAAPA, credits include Common Dissonance (Na Djinang Circus), Half Time (Hayes Theatre), Caligula, Little Eyolf (Burning House), Hard Quiz Live, Tommy Little’s Pretty Fly for a Dickhead, and Genesis (West Australian Ballet). Tim also currently works as the head of lighting at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

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SOUND DESIGNER

Evan is a Melbourne-based sound designer, working mainly in music theatre. Design credits include Ghost Quartet (Antipodes Theatre), Heathers (Australian Tour), Madiba (Aus/NZ tour). As a mix engineer, Evan has toured productions of Rocky Horror Picture Show, Girl From The North Country, Kinky Boots, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia! & Barnum.

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PROPS DESIGNER & ASSOCIATE SET DESIGNER

Bridie is a Naarm/Melbourne based Production Designer and Associate Artist with Burning House. Recent credits include Production Designer for Little Eyolf (Burning House and Heartstring), Props Designer for Measure of a Moment (La Mama), Assistant Designer for Caligula (Burning House), and Set Designer for Footloose (UMMTA) and Those Well- Oiled Members (2050 Theatre). She is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Politics at the University of Melbourne.

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STAGE MANAGER

Ash is a Stage, Production, and Company Manager originally from the UK. She found her love for theatre in Malaysia before graduating from VCA with a BFA in Production – Stage Management. Credits include MICF, Victorian State Schools Spectacular, Punk Rock (Patalog Theatre), Bright Star (Pursued By Bear), LAND, ANALOG (Three Fates), Ghost Quartet (Antipodes Theatre), The View From Up Here, The Grief Trilogy (VIMH) and The Mentor (Bravo Arts).

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ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Ellie is a Melbourne-based Freelance Stage Manager who studied at Melbourne Polytechnic and Victoria University. SM credits: Stop/Over (Three Fates), When All Is Said And Done (Beng Oh), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Melbourne Shakespeare). ASM credits: And She Would Stand Like This (Antipodes Theatre), Exiles (Bloomsday In Melbourne), Parade (Soundworks). Ellie was Audition Coordinator for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical and works as a Crewing and Logistics Assistant at CVP Events.

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ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Rachel attended Federation University’s Arts Academy (Bachelor of Music Theatre), and returned to Melbourne University to complete a Masters of Arts and Cultural Management. Credits include Hairspray (Crossroads Live), Sooshi Mango: Off The Boat Tour (TEG Dainty), In The Heights (OCPAC) and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (UMMTA), Production and Facilities Coordinator at Opera Australia and stage manager at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National Academy of Music.

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PRODUCTION MANAGER

Cameron is a Naarm/Melbourne based multidisciplinary theatre maker, performer and all-round creative. Currently the New Work Manager for Antipodes Theatre company, they’ve run multiple creative & networking programs and established themself as an excellent programmer having leased theatres for Gasworks Arts Park. A WAAPA music theatre graduate, performance credits include Assassins (dir. Roger Hodgman), Rent (dir. Mark Taylor) and Mimma (dir. Adam Mitchell). www.cameronsteens.com

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BAND ‘Drums’

Ali is a session drummer who’s played with household names like Guy Sebastian, Zak Starkey, Renee Geyer, Kasey Chambers, Katie Noonan, Wendy Matthews, Shane Nicholson and Beccy Cole. Recent credits include touring Europe and Australia with the Hussy Hicks and SIX The Musical (Sydney Opera House). The rebellious grunge girl decided to study drums at the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music.

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BAND ‘Trombone’

Griffin has been performing professionally for over a decade. After finishing her Bachelor of Music in Brisbane she spent several years travelling the world, performing on cruise ships and living abroad in Canada and England. Along with performing, Griffin has extensive experience as an educator and band leader, having also held the position of Director of Jazz at the Halifax Music Co-op in Canada.

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BAND ‘Trumpt’

Hugh is an emerging trumpet player and composer who comes from a jazz and improvised music background. He has featured on recordings with the Jazzlab Orcheztra, Alpaka Maraka, Eamonn Conor, Mount Kujo, and the Monash Arts Ensemble featuring Paul Grabowsky. He has performed alongside luminaries including James Morrison, Sarah McKenzie and Kate Ceberano. The coming year will see the recording and release of his debut solo album.

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BAND ‘Double Bass’

Since graduating from Federation University with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre), Patrick has performed in Once (Darlinghurst Theatre), The Mystery of the Bunyip Boy (Matthew Barron/MICF), Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Alice In Wonderland, The Jungle Book, Wind In The Willows (Australian Shakespeare Company), Motor-Mouth Loves Suckface (La Mama), No More Silence (Wordsmith Theatre) and Manwatching (Butterfly Club). Outside of performing, Patrick is an Infantry Soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.

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BAND ‘Violi’ & PERFORMER ‘Agatha’

Reuben is a Ballarat based musician, dancer, singer, conductor and arranger. Theatre credits include Dance Captain in Phantom of the Opera & Miss Saigon, Franz in Rock of Ages, Neleus in Mary Poppins and Prince Herbert in Spamalot as well as playing in the pit orchestras for over 25 local and international productions. Music Director credits include The Little Mermaid, The Drowsy Chaperone, Legally Blonde and The Addams Family. In what little spare time he has Reuben moonlights as cabaret chanteuse Vivian Fonteyn.

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BAND ‘Reeds’ (Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone)

Ryan is a Melbourne based woodwind multi- instrumentalist and educator working across Australia with a focus on contemporary classical styles and musical theatre. Ryan’s musical highlights have been performing with Melbourne Opera, Opera Australia, Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Theatre Company, Hugh Jackman on his Australian National tour and guest performing with the Northern Contemporary Collective in Leeds.