Antipodes Theatre Companys presents A Development Of

DEATH TO A BUTTERFLY

by ANDY FREEBORN and JESS RAMSEY

Antipodes HQ, South Melbourne

On a lavish Welsh estate, a church reborn into a theatre becomes a haven of queer creativity, and the setting for breaking the boundaries of gender identity, kindling the spark of desire, and discovering what it means to love.

Henry and Lilian, bound together through marriage, learn to see each other for who they are as they face the pressures of family duty and societal expectations.

Death To A Butterfly is a story of queer identity and queer erasure, inspired by the extravagant and indulgent life of Henry Cyril Paget, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey.

“Just as queer people go through the journey of finding themselves, so too are we finding Henry, Lilian, Gab, & Loie throughout this piece of artwork; from ashes is a person, and community reborn. People made of burnt scrapbooks, diaries, letters, essays, art works and poems.” - Andy & Jess

This project was previously developed as part of Antipodes Theatre Company's 2023 Winter Lab and presented concert readings in both 2024 and the 2025 Summer Lab.

PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL NOT BE A PUBLIC SHARING FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT

Co-Creator & Orchestrations: ANDY FREEBORN (they/them)

Co-Creator: JESS RAMSEY (they/she)

Director: KITAN PETKOVSKI (he/him)

Musical Director: DAVID BUTLER (he/him)

Dramaturg: FLICK (they/them)

Creative Producer: BRANDON PAPE (he/him)

Creative Producer: CAMERON STEENS (they/them)

Collaborators:

Co-Choreograhers: AADHYA WIJEGOONAWARDENA (she/her) & CELINA YUENHE (he/she/they)

Performers: TOMÁŠ KANTOR (they/he), NIKOLA GUCCIARDO (she/her), TEO VERGARA (they/them), ALESSANDRA MERLO (she/her), SOPHIA KATOS (she/her), CONOR BEAUMONT (he/him), BEK CHAPMAN (she/her), CHARLYI JAZ (they/them), CASSIE OGLE (they/she), J Ridler (they/she/he) & ALEXANDER TYE (he/him)

Biographies are available below.

Antipodes BrandingL ROB CHIVERS (PUSH Collective)

Meet the Team

Andy Freeborn

They/Them
CO-CREATOR & ORCHESTRATIONS
Andy is a queer, deaf/hard-of- hearing, pianist, songwriter, performer and whose passion lies in stories of hope from a place of trauma. Recently, they performed their autobiographical award winning cabaret, ‘Everything is Shit’ at the Old Fitz. Other credits include: Musical Director: ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ (Little Triangle 2022), Little Shop of Horrors, Spiegelesque (Kermond Creative), Forgetting Tim Minchin (Joy Offensive) & The Decay of Lying (by Jess Ramsey, NIDA, 2022). Vocal Director: Girl Band (New Ghosts Theatre Company). Writing: Alice (2021, writer), Holy Ship! (Cope Creative, composer & orchestrator) The Strong Charmion (sound design & composition) (Flight Path 2024) and various arrangements for productions including They’s at the Hayes and Silver Tongue (2024, Hayes Theatre Company). Andy has most recently taken part in ‘The 48 Hour Musical Challenge’ at the Hayes Theatre, composing for ‘A Tiny Doll’s House’.
Jess Ramsey

They/She
CO-CREATOR
Jess is a queer, neurodivergent theatre maker, and 2023 NIDA graduate from the MFA Directing course. Over 2023 and 2024 Jess has directed and worked on projects at Flight Path Theatre, Old Fitz, Belvoir 25a, Adelaide Fringe, Hayes Theatre, and Antipodes Theatre Company. Their recent directorial work includes ‘The Strong Charmion’ by Chloe Lethlean Higson (Flight Path Theatre), assistant directing ‘Forgetting Tim Minchin’ (Dir. Amy Sole, Belvoir 25a), ‘Berliners’ by comedy duo Nick & Tom (Adelaide Fringe 2024), and currently, they are co-directing Carly Wij’s ‘Us/Them’, (Flight Path Theatre November 2024). Jess has recently added producing and intimacy coordination to their skillset, as creative producer for 107 Projects Inc. and Intimacy Coordinator for ‘Definitely Not A Hungry Games: A Parody Musical’ for Sydney Fringe 2024.
Kitan Petkovski

He/Him
DIRECTOR
Kitan Petkovski is a Green Room award winning theatre director. His practice is embedded in cross-form and queer dramaturgies. Recent directing credits include Djuna (Darebin Speakeasy), Thirty-Six, The Hall, The Inheritance and The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven (fortyfivedownstairs), SUGAR (National Tour), Things I Know to be True, In The Club and Burgerz (Theatre Works). He is the co-founder and creative director of Bullet Heart Club and a panel member of the Theatre Companies Green Room Association Awards. Kitan holds an MFA in directing from the VCA and has been a guest tutor in theatre making and devising processes. www.kitanpetkovski.com
David Butler

He/Him
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
David is a multi-nominated, and Green Room Award winning musical director, freelance performer and vocal coach based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia.
Regularly appearing as drag alter-ego Peppy Smears; he performs and musically directs with Antipodes Theatre Company, Tash York in their award-winning shows HAPPY HOUR, IT’S UP TO YOU: TASH YORK, TASH YORK, and their all-original show LOVE THAT FOR YOU as well as numerous other projects in cabaret and independent theatre.
As a vocal coach David works on a consulting basis with actors and singers; and is a referred voice teacher of Gary May and the Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre.
Flick

They/Them
DRAMATURG
Flick is a writer, dramaturg and creative producer. Flick has worked on projects and programs with La Mama, Australian Plays Transform, Darebin Arts, ATYP, Arts Access Victoria, La Mama, Rawcus, YDAS, Antipodes Theatre, Opera Express and more. As a writer they’re best known for the staged lesbian sci-fi series SLUNTIK™, and their work has been published with Osborne and Fawkner Publishing, Humana Obscura, CREATurE Magazine, and YDAS. They are a panellist for the Green Room Awards Association and a proud member of the MEAA. Flick is based in Naarm, and can be found on Instagram @flickflickcity or online flickflickcity.net.
Brandon Pape

He/Him
CREATIVE PRODUCER
Brandon is the Founding Artistic Director for Antipodes Theatre Company, where he directed Ghost Quartet (two 2020 Green Room Award Nominations, return seasons in 2021 (Meat Market Stables) and 2025 (Hayes Theatre) and co-directed with Trudy Dunn their immersive reimagining of Guys and Dolls (thirteen 2024 Green Room Award nominations). Other Antipodes credits include Sam I Am, And She Would Stand Like This, Passing Strange (five 2023 Green Room Award Nominations), Orlando, and the Winter Lab - an annual development program for new work and bold ideas.
Cameron Steens

They/Them
CREATIVE PRODUCER
A queer, neurodivergent, Naarm-based, multidisciplinary theatre maker, WAAPA graduate and all-round creative. As Antipodes’ New Work Manager, they've produced numerous developments and networking programs (including Winter Labs 2020 - present, Summer Lab & Festival of the Unseen) in addition to the premiere of Orlando, Antipodes' first production originating from the Winter Lab. Other credits include: Ghost Quartet (Assoc. Producer & Marketing, Antipodes & Hayes), This is Living (Assoc Director, Gavin Roach), Protein (Assist. Director & Sound Design, Autonomous Inventions), MIMMA (dir. Adam Mitchell), JTC’s RENT (dir. Mark Taylor) & BSSTC’s Assassins (dir. Roger Hodgman). www.cameronsteens.com

Meet the Collaborators

Aadhya Wijegoonawardena

She/Her
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.
Celina Yuen

He/They/She
CO-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.
Tomáš Kantor

They/He
PERFORMER "Henry”
Tomás 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).
Nikola Gucciardo

She/Her
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).
Teo Vergara

They/Them
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.
Alessandra Merlo

She/Her
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.
Sophia Katos

She/Her
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).
Conor Beaumont

He/Him
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.
Bek Chapman

She/Her
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!
Charlyi Jaz

They/Them
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.
Cassie Ogle

They/She
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.
J Ridler

They/She/Her
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.
Alexander Tye

He/Him
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).