DEATH TO A BUTTERFLY

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CO-CHOREOGRAPHER

Aadhya Wijegoonawardena is a proud Sri Lankan choreographer, dancer actress, singer, and creative. Aadhya has worked in a wide range of settings from tv shows, music videos, motion capture, theatre, opera, commercials and most recently as a Swing in the Australasian tour of & Juliet the musical. Since then Aadhya has dived head first into Choreography, with ‘Bearded’ the new Australian musical being her Choreographic debut.

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CO-CHOREOGRAPHER

Celina is an accomplished performer with a diverse range of professional credits across stage and screen, including South Pacific (OA/GFO), Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (CrossroadsLive), Bring It On The Musical (DavidVennEnt.) The Boy From Oz (TheProdCo.) 
Their creative credits include, Music Of The Night (Choreographer/Asst. Director, Spears Entertainment), Guys & Dolls (Assoc. Director/Assoc. Choreographer, Antipodes Theatre). Celina is committed to fostering safe and inclusive creative spaces, and is proud to be working with Antipodes Theatre Company for this development of Death To A Butterfly.

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PERFORMER "Henry”

Tomáš Kantor is a multidisciplinary performing artist who works regularly across stage, screen, voice and dance. They are also an accomplished pianist and cellist.

Theatre credits include Truth (Malthouse Theatre); Slap.Bang. Kiss (Melbourne Theatre Company); Watershed: The Death of Dr. Duncan, West Side Story (Opera Australia); Twelfth Night, The Lovers, Timon of Athens - Play in a Day (Bell Shakespeare); FANGIRLS (Belvoir); SUGAR (Bullet Heart Club); Things I Know to Be True (Theatre Works); The Inheritance (fortyfivedownstairs); Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Brigadoon (Hayes Theatre Co.); The Divine Miss Bette (Darlinghurst Theatre Company) and Meow Meow's Pandemonium (MSO & Arts Centre Melbourne).

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PERFORMER “Lilian”

Nikola is a Melbourne (Naarm) based performer, graduating with a BFA (Music Theatre) from The Victorian College of the Arts in 2021. Most recently, Nikola played the role of Mary O’Brien (Young Dusty) in ‘Dusty The Musical - In Concert’ (Prospero Arts, QPAC). Other credits include Helen Hill in ‘The Hello Girls’ (Hayes Theatre Co, Heartstrings Theatre), Maggie in the 2023 staged workshop of ‘I Can Jump Puddles’ (Antipodes Theatre Co.) and was a player in the 2022 ‘La Mama Explorations’ series. Nikola was also a part of the 2024 Toyota Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Campaign TVC (ROTOR Productions).

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PERFORMER “Gab”

On stage, Teo has been seen in Jagged Little Pill (GWB), Songs for a New World (Soundworks Productions), Converted! (ATYP) and A Transgender Woman on the Internet Crying (Homegrown). On Screen, they have starred in Crazy Fun Park (ABC), and Turn Up the Volume (ABC). Stream The Sloth Lane now on Binge where they can be heard as the lead character of Laura, proudly celebrating their Latinx culture.

Teo is very interested in curating new works, particularly centring queer and sapphic narratives, and has been a part of numerous developments with Antipodes and more.

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PERFORMER “Loie”

Alessandra Merlo is a versatile Australian performer, often moving between musical theatre and screen acting. A graduate from The Victorian College of the Arts Musical Theatre BFA, she has performed in 'Big Fish' (The Hayes Theatre Co), 'Titanic the Musical in Concert', starring Anthony Warlow (The Marrollo Project) and most recently, 'Midnight', a brand new Australian Musical starring Shane Jacobson and Lucy Durack. Screen credits include La Brea (NBC ), Safe Home (SBS), Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries (Acorn TV/Seven Network), Neighbours (Fremantle Media). She has also featured in the short film Blvck Gold, which was selected for St Kilda Film Festival 2022 and Flicker Fest 2023, among other International Festival Selections. 'Run, Baby' and #followme as well as Associate Producing and co-starring in the short film, A Good Boy.

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PERFORMER - “Blanche”

Trained at NIDA, Sophia's stage highlights include Strictly Ballroom the Musical (Global Creatures), You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (What’s On Productions), I Can Jump Puddles (Antipodes Theatre Company - workshop), Funny Girl and Kismet (The Production Company), Wild World - The Cat Stevens' Story (HIT Productions), Cafe Rebetika! (The Follies Company) and Reefer Madness (Squabbalogic).

For television, Sophia has had featured roles in Seasons 4 & 5 of Wentworth (Fremantle Media), in the ABC's hit drama miniseries, 7 Types of Ambiguity (Matchbox Pictures) and Packed To The Rafters (7 Network).

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PERFORMER - Ensemble

Conor Beaumont is a multidisciplinary artist based on Wurundjeri land, in Melbourne, Australia. Following study, Conor has contributed to the development of several new works of musical theatre — including Murder Is An Art, for which he was also sole writer and composer. Recently, he worked as sound designer for Kikki Temple’s acclaimed play STUCK, and released Romantics, a concept album for which Conor was writer, composer, lyricist, orchestrator, sound designer and producer. As a musician, he released his debut EP degloved in 2025.

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PERFORMER - Ensemble

Bek spent 20 years touring as a musician/ vocalist with different bands, whilst also doing amateur theatre and touring as a TIE performer, children's entertainer and pre-school music teacher. Currently in a TVC on air (Rock-climbing Compare the Pair TVC). Her pro-theatre debut was in 2024 in Kinky Boots as Marge/ Ensemble and Pat/Trish Swing with James Terry Collective. Starred in Jazz Men (variety dance show) in 2024-25 as MC, Singer, Dancer at The Athenaeum Theatre. An extremely versatile performer with strong comedic chops and solid serious acting range. A supportive cast member and love taking direction and lifting up others to make the work great!

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PERFORMER - Ensemble

Charlyi Jaz is a young and upcoming performer who recently graduated from Ministry Of Dance. In times after graduating, Charlyi completed their first independent musical ‘Bearded’ as the role of Kelly. In 2024, Charlyi workshopped The Zoo Musical created by Blake Appelqvist for an intensive week, which lead to Charlyi’s opportunity to perform at Theys At The Hayes in Febuary 2025. Recently, they concluded the 2025 season of The Beep Test as the role of Sandra. Charlyi has found an appreciation for independent, inclusive and queer spaces in the naarm/melbourne area and hopes to continue their path in those communities.

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PERFORMER - Ensemble

VCA (BFA Music Theatre), and WAAPA (Diploma Musical Theatre). Recent roles; 'Avenue Q' Lucy The Slut/Mrs. T/Puppeteer US (AG Theatre, dir. Pip Mushin), 'Seussical: The Musical' The Cat (OCPAC, dir. Joey Phyland), 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' Hermia (JohnX Presents, dir. Roger Hodgeman), originating lead roles in new Australian works 'For a Mother’s Love' (writer/dir. Jami Bladel), and 'Lullaby of the Earth' (ACERS Victoria). Alongside a myriad of performances while studying, and growing up in Tasmania.

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PERFORMER - Ensemble

J Ridler is a proud queer, Anglo Indian performer born and raised in Naarm.

J was the Bet Alternate/Featured Ensemble in the sold out season of Bearded (Theatreworks). Other notable credits include Eleven/Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical (Salty Theatre), Ensemble/Lauren Cover in Kinky Boots (James Terry Collective) and Christopher Robin in Disney's Winnie the Pooh, The New Stage Adaptation (TEG Life Like Touring). J is represented by Monument Management.

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PERFORMER - Ensemble

Alexander Tye is a proud First Nations performer originally from Hobart/ Nipaluna, Tasmania. Alex graduated with a Bachelor of Musical Theatre in 2023 at the Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre (QAEMT) where he had the privilege of playing roles such as JD in ‘Heathers: The Musical’ and Dupree in ‘Cry-Baby’. Most recently, Alex was cast as Lorry Hocking / Frank Doyle & Dave Daylight cover in ‘The Sunshine Club’ Australian Tour (Hit Productions, 2024), Enoch Snow Jr./ Ensemble in ‘Carousel: A Concert’ (Enda Markey Presents, 2024), Andrew Shelford in ‘Round The Twist: The Musical’ (Queensland Theatre/ QPAC, 2024), and Casey in ‘Bearded’ (Theatre Works, 2025).