He/Him

LEAD ARTIST

Max's previous stage credits include Torch The Place, Young Tycoons, The Entrée Was Death and Waiting for Gotterson. His television credits include the recurring role of David Goldman in the award- winning series Glitch, as well as roles in Hungry Ghosts, Bad Mothers, Secret City, Neighbours, Home and Away and his latest role as Oscar Wolfe in the Stan Originals series The Gloaming. Max’s film credits include We’re Not Here to F*ck Spiders, Waiting for Angel, Small Packages and The Opposite of Solitude. As a writer, Max contributed to the award winning Dirtgirlworld and wrote an educational children’s series for XYZ Entertainment.

He/Him

ACTOR

Born in the UK, Keith trained as an actor at the National Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Recent credits: Ching Ho in The Production Company’s Thoroughly Modern Millie and clueless “mathemagician” Oliver Rivers in the off-Broadway hit Puffs. Keith’s theatre credits include Happy Ending for MTC, Title and Deed, national tours of Porcelain and The Yellow Wave, Noises Off!, Sex Diary of an Infidel, and Tim Winton’s Shrine. A series regular in the TV cult hits The Librarians and Ronny Chieng: International Student, his other recent screen credits include Five Bedrooms, Bad Mothers, Bloom, Seven Types of Ambiguity, and True Story with Hamish and Andy.

She/Her

DIRECTOR

Sherri Eden Barber is currently the Resident Director of Hamilton in San Francisco (AndPeggy Company). Recent Directing credits: Tiny Beautiful Things featuring Nia Vardalos (Pasadena Playhouse), To Let Go and Fall (Theatre Latté Da, Minneapolis), good friday (The Flea, NYC), Only You Can Prevent Wildfires, Happily After Ever, Gordy Crashes (Ricochet Collective, NYC). Selected Associate Directing credits: Sweat (Broadway), Tiny Beautiful Things, The Girl from the North Country (The Public), Daphne's Dive (Signature Theatre) and others with directors Thomas Kail, Leigh Silverman, and Kathy Najimy. She has developed new work with Rattlestick, Orchard Project, The Flea, Culture Project, Chautauqua, and The Old Vic.

She/Her

DRAMATURG

Bernadette Fam is a multidisciplinary theatre maker working across performance, writing, directing, dramaturge and creative producing.​ She is passionate about exploring the intricacies of identity, belonging and cultural connection in Australia’s current socio-economic landscape. Recent credits: directing the Youth Artist Ensemble for Q Theatre, Mother (Annual Youth Theatre Festival – Q Theatre), Fight or Flight (Intersection: Beat - ATYP) and tutaj / هناك (here/there) (BATCH 2020/Green Door Theatre Company). Bernadette is currently undertaking a dramaturge mentorship with Jane Fitzgerald and was awarded the 2019 Create NSW Young Creative Leaders Fellowship. Bernadette is the Artist-in-Residence at PYT, Fairfield and the Associate Creative Producer of Green Door Theatre Company.

She/Her

SOCIATE ARTIST

Originally a performer from Canberra, Kristy holds a Cert IV in Performing Arts from Brent Street Studios, a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre from Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore and a MA in Arts and Cultural Management from Deakin University. Kristy has worked professionally since 2005 in all facets of performing and creative/production team roles in both Singapore and Australia. She is also a highly experienced educator, teaching Dance and Drama in secondary and tertiary courses, and at her own dance school, Griffin Dance Studio.

She/Her

ACTOR

Susan Ling Young completed Cert IV Music Theatre Performance at the Actor’s College of Theatre and Television;  Advanced Actor’s Studio, at NIDA.  Recent credits: Principal cast for SBS miniseries Hungry Ghosts.  Australian-made for US series Reckoning.  Soul Mates, Redfern Now.  Feature film 24 Hours to Live, shot in South Africa with Ethan Hawke. Stage credits: A Deal Australian premiere (Chippen St Theatre), Noli Me Tangere World premiere Australian/Filipino musical (Riverside Theatre). Creative Development workshop: Monkey, Journey to the West for Director John Bell/Theatre of Image.  As Writer, Director, Co-Producer, Designer, Susan’s first short film won the 2010 NSW Nurses Association Short Film Festival.

She/Her

ACTOR

Kaori Maeda-Judge received a diploma in screen acting (Film and Television Institute) and a BFA in Music theatre (Victorian College of the Arts). Kaori was a series regular on Neighbours and appeared alongside Nazeem Hussain on Orange Is The New Brown, as well as numerous short films. On stage, Kaori was a soloist in a concert of accomplished Broadway composer John Bucchino’s work, and performed alongside Australian icons John Waters, Tim Freedman and Brian Mannix in the cast of PARIS – A Rock Odyssey. Most recently, Kaori was in the original Australian cast of Lazarus playing the role of Maemi (Production Company).

She/Her

LEAD ARTIST

Hayley holds a Masters of Writing for Performance from the Victorian College of the Arts. She has completed internships with Ranters, Creative VaQi, and Tashmadada Theatre Companies. In 2017/2018, Hayley was a participant in Melbourne Theatre Company's and Frankston Arts Centre's NEON Hatch Masterclass and Stage 2 Programs.​ In 2019, Hayley attended the UNESCO Short Play Festival at the University of Otago, and was the Wheeler Centre and Just Pretending Theatre Group Hot Desk Playwright Fellow.​ This year, Hayley was awarded a City of Melbourne Quick Response Arts Grant in order to develop her full-length play, Dox.

He/Him

MUSICAL CONSULTANT

David Butler is a graduate of the VCA (Voice) and a freelance performer, musical director and vocal coach based in Melbourne. He is director of David Butler Studio, liaises with the Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre in rehabilitating damaged voices, and is a casual lecturer in Musical Theatre for VCA. Recent credits include two seasons of Mad World, Woman: It’s a Mother of a Cabaret, From: New York, For: Him, Faure’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle, and Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas and King Arthur. David’s musical direction credits include Falsettos (StageArt, Green Room Award nomination) and Into The Woods (Bottled Snail Productions).

She/Her

ASSOCIATE ARTIST

Originally a performer from Canberra, Kristy holds a Cert IV in Performing Arts from Brent Street Studios, a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre from Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore and a MA in Arts and Cultural Management from Deakin University. Kristy has worked professionally since 2005 in all facets of performing and creative/production team roles in both Singapore and Australia. She is also a highly experienced educator, teaching Dance and Drama in secondary and tertiary courses, and at her own dance school, Griffin Dance Studio.

She/Her

DIRECTOR & DRAMATURG

Deborah Leiser-Moore is a performance maker and director whose bold, visual, physical works investigate gender, culture and contemporary issues. She has toured extensively, trained in Japan with Tadashi Suzuki, also in the work of Ettiene Decroux and Rasaboxes with Richard Schechner (with whom she collaborated with in New York in Imagining O, Peak Performance Festival). Her recent works are: unHOWsed – with an ensemble of mature ex-homeless women (Theatre Works); and Medea: Kaddish For The Children – a feminist re-imagining of the classic Medea story (FCAC). Deborah completed her practice led PhD at La Trobe University and MA (Performance) at Victoria University.

She/Her

LEAD ARTIST

Rachel is a composer, pianist, sound designer based in Melbourne, Australia. Graduating from the VCA with a BFA and BMus (Hons) in Interactive Composition, her sound has developed from her classical piano background with contemporary influences of voice and electronic synthesis. Her work has been premiered nationally at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne Cabaret Festival, FortyFive Downstairs and many local gig venues; and internationally at Wuzhen Theatre Festival - China, Hollywood International Moving Pictures Festival and the Cook Islands. She was awarded the Marion Thomas Award for Excellence in 2017 and was nominated for two Green Room Awards in 2020.

She/Her

LEAD ARTIST

Willow is a writer, creative and music theatre performer. A graduate of Victorian College of the Arts, credits include Where the Story Begins (Indonesian Institute of the Arts), Put the Blame on Mame (Upcoming Artist Grant, Melb Cab Fest), a sold-out season of Death of a Demi Diva and a musical web series Cowboys and Taxes (commissioned by Victorian College of the Arts). Theatrical credits: Dance Hall (Finucane and Smith, Luna Park and Canberra Theatre Centre), Ghost Quartet (Antipodes Theatre Company), The Rapture (fortyfivedownstairs), RENT the Musical and Legally Blonde (James Terry Collective). Willow received four 2020 Green Room Award nominations.

He/They

ACTOR

Marty Alix graduated from VCA and studied at the Atlantic Acting School, New York sponsored by The Ron and Margaret Dobell Foundation. VCA highlights: Oh, What a Lovely War, Mate!, Company, and The Drowsy Chaperone. Professional credits: Spamalot (Hayes Co/One Eyed Man Productions), Bring It On (Stage Masters), Rent (Chapel Off Chapel), and the Sydney premiere of In The Heights (Hayes Co & Sydney Opera House/Blue Saint Productions) where he received two Sydney Theatre Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Newcomer as well as a Helpmann Award nomination for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

She/Her

DRAMATURG & MENTOR

Maude Davey has been making work in and out of Melbourne for more than thirty years. Trained as an actor at VCA, she regularly appears in film, on TV and on stage. In 2016 she completed a Masters in Writing for Performance at VCA. Selected credits: Finucane & Smith’s The Burlesque Hour/Glory Box, her burlesque retrospective My Life in the Nude, and Retro Futurismus (nominated for 6 Green Room Awards). Recent directing: Gender Euphoria (Melbourne Festival) and Dance Nation (Red Stitch). Recent acting: Anthem (Melbourne Festival) and Melancholia (Malthouse) for which she won a Green Room Award for Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role.

She/Her

ACTOR
Jess D’Souza completed her BFA (Music Theatre) at the VCA as recipient of the Nancye Hayes Scholarship. There, Jess performed in and choreographed Oh What a Lovely War, Mate! (dir. Maude Davey) and performed in Company (dir. Roger Hodgman).  As a commercial dancer, Jess has performed with Jessie J, Mel B, Ricki-Lee and LMFAO.  In 2019, Jess provided the musical staging and assisted director Tyran Parke for Everything’s Coming Up Sondheim, and assistant directed On The Town (VCA).  Jess made her directorial debut on the new Australian work, Songs of the Northern River and is touring Australia in The H Team and Flipside (Brainstorm Productions).

She/Her

ACTOR

Kala Gare is a Melbourne-based singer, actor, musician and songwriter with a BFA in Music Theatre from the Victorian College of the Arts. Kala’s theatre credits include: Alice in Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Production Company), Sophie De Palma in Terence McNelly’s Masterclass (Andrew Kay Productions), Maureen in Rent (Chapel Off Chapel), Olivia in Twelfth Night (Melbourne Shakespeare Company), Anastasia Steele in 50 Shades! (David Venn Enterprises), Alice in Bright Star (Pursued By Bear). Most recently, Kala originated the role of Anne Boleyn in the Australian production of SIX the Musical. @k.gare

He/Him

ASSOCIATE ARTIST

Cameron Steens is a graduate from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor Degree in Music Theatre.  He appeared in numerous shows, most notably Rent (Tom Collins, dir. Adam Mitchell), The Crucible (Thomas Danforth, dir. Crispin Taylor) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nick Bottom, dir. Trent Baker). He made his professional debut in Black Swan Theatre Company’s Assassins (Leon Czolgosz, dir. Roger Hodgman), his Melbourne debut in James Terry Collective’s Rent (Benny, dir. Mark Taylor) and was most recently seen in the world premiere of Mimma: A Musical of War and Friendship (dir. Adam Mitchell).

She/Her

LEAD ARTIST

Mama Alto is a jazz singer, cabaret artiste & gender transcendent diva. She is a transgender & queer person of colour whose writing has been featured at MTC's Cyber Electric, Melbourne Writers Festival, Queerstories, Emerging Writers Festival, Word In Hand, The Age, Archer Magazine, Querelle 2018, TheMusic, and Melbourne Recital Centre's Soundescapes. She contributed to Queerstories (ed. Maeve Marsden, Hachette Australia 2018) and Living & Loving in Diversity (ed. Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Wakefield Press & AGMC 2019). As part of her 2019 Creative Victoria Creators Fund fellowship and her 2020 Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship, she has begun work on her forthcoming book exploring the concept of 'the diva.' Photo credit: Torrey Atkin

He/They

DRAMATURG

Marty Alix graduated from VCA and studied at the Atlantic Acting School, New York sponsored by The Ron and Margaret Dobell Foundation. VCA highlights: Oh, What a Lovely War, Mate!, Company, and The Drowsy Chaperone. Professional credits: Spamalot (Hayes Co/One Eyed Man Productions), Bring It On (Stage Masters), Rent (Chapel Off Chapel), and the Sydney premiere of In The Heights (Hayes Co & Sydney Opera House/Blue Saint Productions) where he received two Sydney Theatre Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Newcomer as well as a Helpmann Award nomination for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

He/HIm

MUSICAL CONSULTANT & ASSOCIATE ARTIST

David Butler is a graduate of the VCA (Voice) and a freelance performer, musical director and vocal coach based in Melbourne. He is director of David Butler Studio, liaises with the Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre in rehabilitating damaged voices, and is a casual lecturer in Musical Theatre for VCA. Recent credits include two seasons of Mad World, Woman: It’s a Mother of a Cabaret, From: New York, For: Him, Faure’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle, and Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas and King Arthur. David’s musical direction credits include Falsettos (StageArt, Green Room Award nomination) and Into The Woods (Bottled Snail Productions).

She/Her

DIRECTOR

Jennifer Sarah Dean trained at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. She is the artistic director for the Melbourne Shakespeare Company and has directed 9 productions for them including As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night. Jennifer’s other credits include Ghost Stories (National Tour), The Haunting (The Atheneum), Travesties (45 Downstairs), Festen (Ripponlea Manor House) and Tape (Courthouse).

She/Her

ACTOR

Bailee-rose Farnham is a trans performer based in Melbourne. She started her career in burlesque as Miss Bailee-rose in 2018: “Miss Bailee-Rose’s saucy strip tease elicits howls and cheers form the sold-out crowd.” (The Age). She is also a trained dancer/choreographer, she choreographed her first contemporary piece for ABC iView 2018: “Farnham describes the experience of choreographing her own work as ‘liberating.’” (ABC). She recently made her acting debut in a reading of And She Would Stand Like This by Harrison David Rivers, and performed three sold-out seasons of Gender Euphoria. “My goal is to show the beauty of diversity and to question gender norms.”

She/Her

ACTOR

Miss Cairo has been treading the boards since the tender age of five! Her career has taken her around the world, and has led her to explore many avenues in the creative fields. Her focus now is healing and communication and is exploring the many mediums to examine and learn new tools of releasing trauma. A dancer, a singer, an actress, an activist, a writer she aims to galvanise people into making expansive changes in the world.

She/They

ACTOR

Tre Turner aka Stone Motherless Cold is an emerging Arrernte artist based in so called Melbourne. Using drag as their main medium, dabbles in performance art, dance, spoken word and visual art. Stone aims to explore their blakness-queerness through performance and to create space for bla(c)k excellence. Stone was one of the title winners of the VIC NAIDOC LGBTQIA+ 2019 event and has previously worked on The Fae at Signal Arts 2020, 2020 Midsumma Carnival stage shows, Drag of Kwatye at 2019 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Dis Rupt for 2019 Yirramboi And 2019, and Lets Take Over presents: The Reveillon at Northcote Town Hall.

They/Them

LEAD ARTIST

Brooke is a playwright and producer. In 2019, they were selected for the First Stage emerging playwright’s program, and a reading of their short play Chariot was performed at Melbourne Theatre Company. Brooke attended the 2018 ATYP National Studio, and their short play, Pink Soap was performed as part of ATYP’s “Intersection: Arrival” and published by Currency Press. In 2019 Brooke produced No Return, a collection of solo performances by Transgender and Non-binary emerging artists. Brooke currently works as an inclusion support artist at St Martins Youth Arts, using this learning about diversity and empowerment to inform their practice.

She/Her

DIRECTOR

Sherri Eden Barber is currently the Resident Director of Hamilton in San Francisco (AndPeggy Company). Recent Directing credits: Tiny Beautiful Things featuring Nia Vardalos (Pasadena Playhouse), To Let Go and Fall (Theatre Latté Da, Minneapolis), good friday (The Flea, NYC), Only You Can Prevent Wildfires, Happily After Ever, Gordy Crashes (Ricochet Collective, NYC). Selected Associate Directing credits: Sweat (Broadway), Tiny Beautiful Things, The Girl from the North Country (The Public), Daphne's Dive (Signature Theatre) and others with directors Thomas Kail, Leigh Silverman, and Kathy Najimy. She has developed new work with Rattlestick, Orchard Project, The Flea, Culture Project, Chautauqua, and The Old Vic.

She/Her

DRAMATURG

Theresa Borg is a performer, writer and director. This year she will complete a Master of Theatre (Writing) at VCA. In her founding role at Life Like Touring, Theresa directed and wrote over 20 family musicals for festivals and mainstages around the world. Her direction credits also include acclaimed productions of The Light in the Piazza and Sweeney Todd for the Life Like Company. Her sung roles include Christine, Cosette, Jellylorum/Griddlebone and Fosca for producers including Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company and the LifeLike Company along with numerous roles for Opera Australia and Victorian Opera including Musetta and Angelique.

He/Him

ACTOR

Since graduating from MT at the Qld Con in 2014, Anthony has been performing in a big ol’ bunch of stuff. Some credits from the past year are Alice in Wonderland (Rapidfire International), Twelfth Night (Melb. Shakespeare Company), Sunday in the Park with George (Watch This), upcoming feature film Lone Wolf (Jonathan Ogilvie), and Bright Star (Pursued by Bear). He recently got a 2020 Green Room Award nom for his performance in Private Peaceful (Moving Light Productions). This quarantine season he’ll be playing the banjo, learning the harmonica (Sorry neighbours), and looking after his three snails (Binky & the Boys).

She/Her

ACTOR

Shamita Siva is a multi-faceted performer and director who enjoys choreographing and devising new work. Trained in dance from an early age, after over 16 years of multiple dance styles, she developed an interest in forms such as Butoh alongside her acting. After completing her BA Performing Arts, she continued on to Stella Adler Los Angeles, and Film and Television Studios international. Shamita is a keen writer and director, and is popularly consulted for movement direction. She often incorporates intercultural practices and cross disciplinary elements into her work, inspired by everyday experiences, music and sound, and socio-political issues she is fuelled by.

He/Him

ASSOCIATE ARTIST

Cameron Steens is a graduate from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor Degree in Music Theatre.  He appeared in numerous shows, most notably Rent (Tom Collins, dir. Adam Mitchell), The Crucible (Thomas Danforth, dir. Crispin Taylor) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nick Bottom, dir. Trent Baker). He made his professional debut in Black Swan Theatre Company’s Assassins (Leon Czolgosz, dir. Roger Hodgman), his Melbourne debut in James Terry Collective’s Rent (Benny, dir. Mark Taylor) and was most recently seen in the world premiere of Mimma: A Musical of War and Friendship (dir. Adam Mitchell).

She/Her

DRAMATURG & EDITOR

Margaret Thanos is a Sydney-based actress, playwright and dramaturg. Her theatre credits include: St Mary’s Kid (Q Theatre 2020), Spider in My Soup (Shopfront Artslab 2018/2019 and Bondi Feast 2019), My Creatures (Tricky Feet Theatre Company 2018), Intersection: Chrysalis (ATYP/Griffin 2018), No Exit (SUDS), Caligula (SUDS), Grenadine (SUDS) and Kill Climate Deniers (SUDS). Margaret has also directed The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? and Jim Got Shot at the Sydney University Dramatic Society a sold out season. Later this year, Margaret’s debut work Dark Moon will be premiering as part of the KXTPopUpstairs season.

He/Him

ACTOR

Harvey Zielinski is a transgender actor represented by Mollison Keightley Management (Aus) and Grandview (LA). In 2018 Harvey was the Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre graduate ensemble member, won a Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star Award and was a Heath Ledger Scholarship top ten finalist. Most recently Harvey completed filming for the Catherine Hardwicke directed U.S series Don’t Look Deeper. Harvey is a series lead, opposite Don Cheadle, Helena Howard, and Emily Mortimer. Other credits include: Gender Euphoria (Mama Alto/Maude Davey - Midsumma, MIAF, Mardi Gras), My First Summer (FF - Katie Found), Why Are You Like This (ABC), Get Krack!n (ABC) You Can’t Ask That (ABC), and Starting From…Now! (SBS/web).

He/Him

LEAD ARTIST

Vonne is a writer, director, producer and actor working across stage and screen, based in Western Sydney. His credits include Tomgirl (SBS), Halal Gurls (ABC), and The Unusual Suspects (SBS). His first full-length play Obviously!, a queer sitcom performed live, opened to a sold out season at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in 2018. He has completed residencies with Q Theatre, Performance Space, and was part of the inaugural Sydney Theatre Company x CAAP Director's Workshop. He is currently developing his main stage debut in collaboration with Belvoir Theatre.

She/Her

DIRECTOR

Sherri Eden Barber is currently the Resident Director of Hamilton in San Francisco (AndPeggy Company). Recent Directing credits: Tiny Beautiful Things featuring Nia Vardalos (Pasadena Playhouse), To Let Go and Fall (Theatre Latté Da, Minneapolis), good friday (The Flea, NYC), Only You Can Prevent Wildfires, Happily After Ever, Gordy Crashes (Ricochet Collective, NYC). Selected Associate Directing credits: Sweat (Broadway), Tiny Beautiful Things, The Girl from the North Country (The Public), Daphne's Dive (Signature Theatre) and others with directors Thomas Kail, Leigh Silverman, and Kathy Najimy. She has developed new work with Rattlestick, Orchard Project, The Flea, Culture Project, Chautauqua, and The Old Vic.

He/Him

ACTOR

Born in the UK, Keith trained as an actor at the National Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Recent credits: Ching Ho in The Production Company’s Thoroughly Modern Millie and clueless “mathemagician” Oliver Rivers in the off-Broadway hit Puffs. Keith’s theatre credits include Happy Ending for MTC, Title and Deed, national tours of Porcelain and The Yellow Wave, Noises Off!, Sex Diary of an Infidel, and Tim Winton’s Shrine. A series regular in the TV cult hits The Librarians and Ronny Chieng: International Student, his other recent screen credits include Five Bedrooms, Bad Mothers, Bloom, Seven Types of Ambiguity, and True Story with Hamish and Andy.

They/Them

ASSOCIATE ARTIST

Rhys Velasquez graduated from the University of Ballarat, Arts Academy in 2013. Since then, they have worked as a performer, choreographer and in casting throughout Australia and internationally. Rhys was most recently seen in Shrek the Musical (GFO). Other performance credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Production Company); Mad World (DBP); Carrie (Ghost Light); Peppa Pig’s Big Splash and PAW PATROL LIVE world tour (Life Like Touring). Rhys has worked as an associate choreographer for PAW PATROL LIVE, choreographed Titanic and The Full Monty, and was assistant choreographer for Dreamgirls (all with StageArt).

She/Her

DRAMATURG

Theresa Borg is a performer, writer and director. This year she will complete a Master of Theatre (Writing) at VCA. In her founding role at Life Like Touring, Theresa directed and wrote over 20 family musicals for festivals and mainstages around the world. Her direction credits also include acclaimed productions of The Light in the Piazza and Sweeney Todd for the Life Like Company. Her sung roles include Christine, Cosette, Jellylorum/Griddlebone and Fosca for producers including Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company and the LifeLike Company along with numerous roles for Opera Australia and Victorian Opera including Musetta and Angelique.

She/Her

LEAD ARTIST

Ciara is a circus artist, variety performer, children’s entertainer, clown, MC, cabaret luminary and human being. She is a passionate, progressive and creative circus artist based in Melbourne, Australia. An avid art critic in her past life, Ciara has combined her passion for conceptual art with entertainment in an inimitable fusion of variety skill with clowning. Ciara defies expectations, using everyday objects in extraordinary ways, and has a knack for turning the mundane into the astonishing with her unique character work.

He/Him

VIDEOGRAPHER & PHOTOGRAPHER

Chris Bennett is a Melbourne filmmaker who specialises in working with artists within the performing arts.  In 2017 he won a silver award from the Australian Cinematographer Society for the music video “The Clock At The Back Of The Cage,” and in 2018 won the cinematography award for the Melbourne 48 Hour Film Project.  His work has screened internationally at SXSW and The Geneva International Film Festival.  He is Creative Director of Underground Media, where he has worked with hundreds of artists and numerous arts organisations including Circus Oz, NICA, Gasworks, Theatreworks, Gluttony (Adelaide Fringe), Yummy, Yana Alana/Sarah Ward and Trash Test Dummies.

He/Him

DIRECTOR

Mike Finch is a graduate of the Theatre/Media course at Charles Sturt University. He co-founded physical theatre company Circus Monoxide, touring Australia in a double-decker bus. From 1997-2015 he was Artistic Director & co-CEO of Circus Oz, co-devising hundreds of acts that performed to more than 1.7 million people worldwide. Mike helped establish BlakFlip, creating pathways for Indigenous circus performers, and was a central figure in establishing Circus Oz’s home base in Collingwood. Since 2015, he’s worked with White Night Melbourne, Carnival Cinema, Sydney Opera House, Brunswick Picture House, Spaghetti Circus and BIGhART. Recently, he and his partner Amy Cater have repurposed Zoom as a platform for interactive performances.

They/Them

ASSOCIATE ARTIST

Rhys Velasquez graduated from the University of Ballarat, Arts Academy in 2013. Since then, they have worked as a performer, choreographer and in casting throughout Australia and internationally. Rhys was most recently seen in Shrek the Musical (GFO). Other performance credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Production Company); Mad World (DBP); Carrie (Ghost Light); Peppa Pig’s Big Splash and PAW PATROL LIVE world tour (Life Like Touring). Rhys has worked as an associate choreographer for PAW PATROL LIVE, choreographed Titanic and The Full Monty, and was assistant choreographer for Dreamgirls (all with StageArt).

She/Her

LEAD ARTIST

Chloe is a Melbourne-based actor and writer. Chloe originally studied Musical Theatre at APO Arts Academy. Since graduating in 2015, Chloe has performed in a wide array of productions including Twelfth Night (Melbourne Shakespeare Company), Mad World (David Butler Studio) and The Amazing Superhero Show (Wordsworth Productions). Chloe is an avid writer and is currently in the process of staging her first play, a new comedy titled Scary Goats Tour. Chloe is thrilled to be able to explore her next show through the Antipodes Winter Development Retreat.

He/Him

LEAD ARTIST

Nathan is a Melbourne-based actor and writer. Nathan’s recent stage credits include Bright Star (Pursued by Bear), Rent (James Terry Collective) and Spring Awakening (StageArt). Nathan is in the process of making his directorial debut with Scary Goats Tour, a new comedy play which he has co-written with Chloe Towan. Nathan is very excited to be working on this piece because he believes that theatre is a beautiful way to connect with an audience on multiple levels. He is passionate about crafting stories with deep meanings and emotional integrity.

He/Him

ACTOR

Born in the UK, Keith trained as an actor at the National Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Recent credits: Ching Ho in The Production Company’s Thoroughly Modern Millie and clueless “mathemagician” Oliver Rivers in the off-Broadway hit Puffs. Keith’s theatre credits include Happy Ending for MTC, Title and Deed, national tours of Porcelain and The Yellow Wave, Noises Off!, Sex Diary of an Infidel, and Tim Winton’s Shrine. A series regular in the TV cult hits The Librarians and Ronny Chieng: International Student, his other recent screen credits include Five Bedrooms, Bad Mothers, Bloom, Seven Types of Ambiguity, and True Story with Hamish and Andy.

He/Him

MUSICAL CONSULTANT & ASSOCIATE ARTIST

David Butler is a graduate of the VCA (Voice) and a freelance performer, musical director and vocal coach based in Melbourne. He is director of David Butler Studio, liaises with the Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre in rehabilitating damaged voices, and is a casual lecturer in Musical Theatre for VCA. Recent credits include two seasons of Mad World, Woman: It’s a Mother of a Cabaret, From: New York, For: Him, Faure’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle, and Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas and King Arthur. David’s musical direction credits include Falsettos (StageArt, Green Room Award nomination) and Into The Woods (Bottled Snail Productions).

He/Him

ACTOR

Since graduating from MT at the Qld Con in 2014, Anthony has been performing in a big ol’ bunch of stuff. Some credits from the past year are Alice in Wonderland (Rapidfire International), Twelfth Night (Melb. Shakespeare Company), Sunday in the Park with George (Watch This), upcoming feature film Lone Wolf (Jonathan Ogilvie), and Bright Star (Pursued by Bear). He recently got a 2020 Green Room Award nom for his performance in Private Peaceful (Moving Light Productions). This quarantine season he’ll be playing the banjo, learning the harmonica (Sorry neighbours), and looking after his three snails (Binky & the Boys).

He/Him

DIRECTOR

A Masters graduate in Directing from the VCA (Melbourne University), James recently performed in School of Rock (GWB Entertainment). Performance credits: Reefer Madness, California Dreaming (JTM - Aus/NZ Tour), Aida Cruises (featured soloist), The Importance Of Being Earnest (Lady Bracknell, Artefact Theatre).  He assisted director Lonny Price on Carousel (English National Opera).  Directorial credits: Spring Awakening, Floyd Collins, Parade, In The Heights (Aus Premiere) and Titanic (both with StageArt), Sweeney Todd (Federation Uni), The Last Five Years (KWM), Mad World (David Butler). James adds ‘Musical Mugwumps’, ‘The Isola Project’ and ‘Lights Up On The Arts’ (Joshua Robson Productions) to his list of credits since the COVID-19 arts shutdown.

She/Her

DRAMATURG

Melissa David is a Northern California native and graduate of the University of Tennessee, currently ranked 8th in the world among graduate schools with an acting degree. Melissa wrote and performed in the cabaret From: New York, For: Him (Butterfly Club, Adelaide Fringe) and wrote the book for Mad World: An Immersive Experience (DBS). She is a founding member of Antipodes Theatre Company (where she recently appeared in the Australian Premiere of Ghost Quartet) and Artistic Director of Brooklyn Runaways (where she is currently co-hosting Contagious Cabaret with her creative partner, Peppy Smears). www.melissadavid.com

She/Her

ACTOR

Emma Jevons studied at The National Theatre Drama School and has further trained with Patsy Rodenburg and Rowna Balos. Her screen work includes How To Stay Married (Network 10), the short film God Moving (Jeremy Teh), and the upcoming feature Some Happy Day (Christine Hill). Her theatre credits include Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s Taming Of The Shrew, Love's Labours' Lost and Romeo and Juliet. Other theatre credits include Hedda Gabler Gabler Gabler (Papermouth Theatre Company/La Mama), Cracked Smiles (Thatcher's Boy Theatre) and The Adventures Of Yoni 1 And Yoni 2 (Simone French).

She/Her

ACTOR

Kaori Maeda-Judge received a diploma in screen acting (Film and Television Institute) and a BFA in Music theatre (Victorian College of the Arts). Kaori was a series regular on Neighbours and appeared alongside Nazeem Hussain on Orange Is The New Brown, as well as numerous short films. On stage, Kaori was a soloist in a concert of accomplished Broadway composer John Bucchino’s work, and performed alongside Australian icons John Waters, Tim Freedman and Brian Mannix in the cast of PARIS – A Rock Odyssey. Most recently, Kaori was in the original Australian cast of Lazarus playing the role of Maemi (Production Company).

He/Him

ACTOR

Originally from Adelaide, Lachlan moved to Melbourne in 2012 and has been involved with the Australian arts scene since graduating from Federation University, Arts Academy. Lachlan won the Standout Actor of the Year Award at Sydney Fringe for the critically acclaimed Party Snake. He performed in the Australian national tours of The Bodyguard, Georgie Girl and was directed by Baz Luhrmann in the musical adaptation of Strictly Ballroom. Other theatre credits include Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Mindgame, Side Show, A View of Concrete and Festen. Look out for Lachlan in the soon-to-be-released Australian feature film Never Too Late.

She/Her

ACTOR

Shamita Siva is a multi-faceted performer and director who enjoys choreographing and devising new work. Trained in dance from an early age, after over 16 years of multiple dance styles, she developed an interest in forms such as Butoh alongside her acting. After completing her BA Performing Arts, she continued on to Stella Adler Los Angeles, and Film and Television Studios international. Shamita is a keen writer and director, and is popularly consulted for movement direction. She often incorporates intercultural practices and cross disciplinary elements into her work, inspired by everyday experiences, music and sound, and socio-political issues she is fueled by.

He/Him

ACTOR

Harvey Zielinski is a transgender actor represented by Mollison Keightley Management (Aus) and Grandview (LA). In 2018 Harvey was the Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre graduate ensemble member, won a Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star Award and was a Heath Ledger Scholarship top ten finalist. Most recently Harvey completed filming for the Catherine Hardwicke directed U.S series Don’t Look Deeper. Harvey is a series lead, opposite Don Cheadle, Helena Howard, and Emily Mortimer. Other credits include: Gender Euphoria (Mama Alto/Maude Davey - Midsumma, MIAF, Mardi Gras), My First Summer (FF - Katie Found), Why Are You Like This (ABC), Get Krack!n (ABC) You Can’t Ask That (ABC), and Starting From…Now! (SBS/web).