Our People

The ATYP team is made up of dedicated arts-workers and artists who believe that the arts make a difference.

We work with passion and drive to ensure that our young people get the best ATYP experience they can.

ATYP Team Board of Directors Teaching Artists Alumni

EXECUTIVE

CORE STAFF

SIMON BURKE

One of Australia’s most accomplished, respected and versatile performers, Simon has has enjoyed great success both in Australia and the UK in film, television, stage, concert appearances and cabaret.

Simon began his career at the age of 13 when he starred in Fred Schepisi’s seminal feature film The Devil’s Playground for which he won the AFI Award for Best Actor. Simon is currently starring in Foxtel’s highly acclaimed new drama series Devil’s Playground in which he will reprise the role of Tom Allen that he created as a boy in 1975 in the original film. He is also an executive producer of the project. Devil’s Playground was awarded both the AACTA and Logie Awards this year for Most Outstanding Telefeature or Mini-Series.

In 2007 Simon travelled to the UK to star as Captain von Trapp opposite Connie Fisher in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium. He went on to appear as Joe in When The Rain Stops Falling at the Almeida Theatre, starred as Georges opposite John Barrowman’s Albin in La Cage Aux Folles at the Playhouse Theatre, London, and in the West End premiere of Holding The Man at the Trafalgar Studios as well as reprising his role in The Sound of Music at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.

Earlier UK theatre credits include Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music at the (Royal National Theatre, Raoul in Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Leonardo in Leonardo – A Portrait of Love (Old Fire Station Oxford) Cliff in Cabaret (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield) Steve in Jeffrey (Greenwich Theatre) and The Life of the World to Come (Almeida Theatre)

Australian musical theatre credits include Marius in the original Australian cast of Les Miserables, Vernon in They’re Playing Our Song, Harry in Company, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Whizzer in Falsettos (nominated Best Musical Performance Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle Awards), Dexter in High Society, Burrs in The Wild Party, George Puttnam in Take Flight and Billy Crocker in Anything Goes for which he received the Green Room Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Simon recently starred as Mr Banks in the Australian and New Zealand seasons Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Mary Poppins for Disney Theatrical and as Georges in La Cage Aux Folles opposite Todd McKenney as Albin for The Production Company.

Sydney Theatre Company productions include Mrs Warren’s Profession, The Wharf Revue 2013, Jonah Jones, The Herbal Bed, She Stoops to Conquer, Mr Kolpert and the world premiere of Up For Grabs. Simon played Mason Marzac in the Australian premiere of Take Me Out for the Melbourne Theatre Company and starred in the world premieres of October and Satango for Griffin Theatre Company. He created the role of Francis Bacon in Stephen Sewell’s acclaimed Three Furies directed by Jim Sharman for 2005 Sydney Festival, 2006 Perth and Adelaide Festivals (nominated Best Actor Sydney Theatre Awards 2006)

Simon’s countless television credits include Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Hustle, Rescue: Special Ops, The Alice, All Saints, Small Claims III, Thank God You’re Here, South Pacific, Brides of Christ, Scales of Justice, Water Rats, Danielle Steele’s The Ring, The One That Got Away, Heroes Mountain, After the Deluge, Grass Roots, Preservation and Postcard Bandit, and his 23-year stint as one of the most popular presenters on ABC TV’s Play School. In 2006 he hosted his own television variety series Studio A With Simon Burke on Australia’s FOXTEL network. Feature films include Passion, Pitch Black, and Travelling Light.

From their inauguration in 2001 until 2006, and again in 2012, Simon hosted and co-wrote the Helpmann Awards – honouring excellence in live performance in Australia.

In January 2009 Simon was thrilled to make his debut at Carnegie Hall, where he hosted and performed in a gala concert Australia Plays Broadway.

His first solo album Something About Always, which he co-produced with Musical Director Daniel Edmonds, was released in 2009.

His solo cabaret show, also titled Something About Always, had its world premiere at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June 2011.

Federal President of Actors Equity 2004-2014. Proud Member since 1974.

Current Vice-President FIA (International Federation of Actors)

KATE CHAMPION – THE DEVISING PROCESS

ATYP is thrilled to have Kate Champion onboard in 2017 to conduct a two day workshop that explores various approaches to creating devised theatre. Using her long history working in this field both as a performer and director, Kate will guide each participant through a series of task-based exercises leading towards the development of a practical and imaginative performance language.

Performers/creators/directors of all persuasions are encouraged to apply.

Champion and her team have given them an opportunity to shine in this provocative, unpredictable and inspiring new work.
Julia Cotton

Champion has brought her broad experience across the arts to this production. It is evident that the frailties of characters have evolved through research, discussion and experimentation, guided throughout by Champion’s hallmarks of tempo, spatial tension and control.
Carol Wimmer

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM HERE

Kate was the founding Artistic Director of Sydney based dance-theatre company Force Majeure. She has also worked variously as director/choreographer/performer for Sydney Theatre Company, DV8, Australian Dance Theatre, Opera Australia, Belvoir, Legs on the Wall, NIDA and The English National Opera.

In 1996, Kate was awarded the Robert Helpmann Scholarship for Choreographic Excellence enabling her to create her first solo work Face Value which was awarded a Green Room and a MO Award.

In 1997 she directed Under the Influence for Legs on the Wall at Belvoir, which premiered in Sydney and toured to Edinburgh and London.

In 2001 she created a new solo show – About Face and in 2002 directed Same, Same But Different for Force Majeure. Both these productions won Helpmann Awards.

Kate choreographed the world premiere of the stage version of Dirty Dancing which opened in Sydney in 2004 and has subsequently toured to Europe, UK and USA.

Since 2005 Kate has directed Already Elsewhere, Tenebrae 1 and 11, The Age I’m In, Not In A Million Years, Never Did Me Any Harm (a co-production with Sydney Theatre Company) and co-directed Food (a co-production with Belvoir).

In 2010 Kate choreographed Opera Australia’s Bliss which also toured to the Edinburgh Festival and Spring Awakening for Sydney Theatre Company.

Kate was the Associate Director of Opera Australia’s 2013 production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. In 2015 Kate directed her final work for Force Majeure, Nothing to Lose which premiered at Sydney Festival and has since toured to Melbourne.

In 2016 Kate directed the play Swallow– the inaugural production of the newly established National Theatre of Parramatta – written by Stef Smith.

She recently worked on the remount of The Ring Cycle for Opera Australia and the regional tour of Never Did Me Any Harm for Force Majeure.

She is currently the director of the new work in development – The Abyssinian Contortionist for Adelaide Festival 2018.

JO TURNER

Jo studied at Melbourne University with Barrie Kosky, Michael Kantor and Tom Wright. He then trained at the physical theatre school Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. He works as an actor, a director, a writer and a dramaturg, but his first love is devising new work. In particular work with loads of visual content. Here’s a list of some of the things he has done recently.

New Creations as Director:

Prison Songs (Darwin Festival); Ruby’s Wish (Belvoir and MAKEbeLIVE); The Grief Parlour (Riverside and Clockfire); Fools Island (STC); The Jinglists (TRS and Critical Stages tour); Cubbyhouse (TRS and MAKEbeLIVE); Darlingwood Tales (Sydney Opera House); The No Chance in Hell Hotel (Darlinghurst and Critical Stages tour); Mademoiselle Fifi (Darlinghurst); Bookends 2007/8 (ATYP and Sydney Writers Festival) Don’t Stare too Much! (Darlinghurst and Critical Stages).

New Creations as Actor/Devisor:

Railway Wonderland (NORPA); The Return (NORPA); The Window (Arts Asia Pacific/Mark Bromilow national and international tour); Dead on the Ground (Hoipolloi and Pleasance, Edinburgh); Brainstorm (InTransit Theater, Bern).

Traditional Plays as Director:

Avenue Q (Enmore Theatre); Deathtrap (Eternity Playhouse); Macbeth Undone (Bell Shakespeare AAW); Who’s Afraid of the Working Class (AIM Dramatic Arts);The Graduate (Kay and McLean); Peter and the Wolf (Sydney Opera House); My First Time (Kay and McLean, Opera House); Stolen (Workshop – STC Ed); Waiting for Godot (Associate Director – Kay and McLean/Theatre Royal Haymarket); House on Fire (ATYP); Crossfire (Ashfield Youth Theatre); Vanity Fair (ACTT); Puntila and His Man Matti (ATYP),

Traditional Plays as Actor: The Incredible Book Eating Boy (CDP and Opera House); The Ugly One (Griffin); Ruby Moon, Thyestes, Howard Katz (STC); The 39 Steps (Kay and McLean); Weather, Somewhere (Q Theatre); Faustus (B Sharp); Closer (Street Theatre); Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (Bareboards); The Imaginary Invalid (Ensemble); Emma’s Nose (La Boite); The Language of One (Australian Theatre of the Deaf); Plainsong (Black Swan);The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Belvoir Street); Le Bus Theatre des Deux Rives.

Television: CAMP, Dr Blake’s Murder Mysteries, Home & Away, All Saints, White Collar Blue, Backberner. Feature Film: Truth, You Can’t Stop the Murders. Shorts: Fear, The Making of the Darlings, A Knight’s Tale, Awake, The Agreement.

Plays as Writer: In a Heart Beat (Playlab 2014), Max Remy – In Search of the Time and Space Machine (ATYP), Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs (ATYP and Riverside).

Other work as Writer: Helpmann Awards 2013.

Jo has also devised many new works with students at The Actors Centre, AIM Dramatic Arts, ACTT and is a regular guest lecturer at NIDA including directing their Graduate Showcase in 2014.

Residencies/Awards:

Grant from Ian Potter Cultural Foundation to study at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq.

Helpmann Award “Best touring production” The 39 Steps

Jo was an artist in residence at the STC in 2012 (writer/director).

GEORGIA ADAMSON

Rosie Fisher, Georgia Adamson and Anna Young in ATYP’s All Stops Out, 1993.
Photo: Tracey Schramm (c)

Georgia Adamson as actor at ATYP:

Twelfth Night, 14 Aug, 1992
All Stops Out, 30 Jul, 1993
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 28 Nov, 1993
Hypothalamania, 23 Nov, 1994 (Hot Young Things: Festival of Young People’s Theatre)
The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, 1 Jan, 1995.

Georgia was a co-winner of the 1999 Lend Lease 2000 Scholarship (ATYP and Lend Lease in partnership to provide opportunities for ATYP participants to take advantage of an international arts exchange program.)

I joined ATYP when I was 15. I was already deeply passionate about theatre and the prospect of being an actor – ATYP gave me a place to start working out what that meant. I had a magnificent time touring plays, developing friendships that still thrive today and throwing myself into the many wonderful and unique opportunities that ATYP had to offer.

I was a recipient of the 2000 Lend Lease Scholarship which had a huge impact on my life; the training I undertook at Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts was exceptional and is still one of my best resources.

I am currently a Resident Artist at Sydney Theatre Company, teaching on their School Drama program. I’ve been working on the program since its pilot in 2009 and have taken immense pleasure in taking the things I know as an actor into primary school classrooms and teaching teachers how to enrich their literacy work. I am also a founding member of Katoomba Theatre Company – we are currently in discussions about a new theatre space in Katoomba and look forward to staging our first work in early 2013.

One of the best things I have seen on stage was The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol by Theatre de Complicite`. It came to Sydney about 15 years ago and still burns brightly in my mind. And August: Osage County, by Steppenwolf, was exceptional theatre.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Take advice. Not from everyone; but pick a few people whose work you admire, who are not too nutty and who are happy to take the time to chat to you, and pick their brains. You know when theatre is for you, but advice from someone who’s been doing it for a while can be the thing that galvanises a hunch that you might have about travel, or writing or whatever it is that might enrich your journey. Take pleasure in what you do and try not to torture yourself. Listen to your instinct but not to all of your doubts. Watch and read and play as much as you possibly can.

Georgia’s theatre credits include Actor on a Box for the Sydney Theatre Company; Wars of the Roses, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Actors At Work and I Own the Racecourse, for the Bell Shakespeare Company; and Diving For Pearls for the Ensemble Theatre Company.

Georgia’s television credits include guest roles in a number of Australian television series including Rescue Special Ops, All Saints, Gangs of Oz, McLeod’s Daughters, A Country Practice and Echo Point.

Georgia’s film credits include the feature Footy Legends, and the short, Catch.

ANTOINETTE BLAXLAND

Timothy Wilson (then GM ATYP), Kristin Williamson (then Chair ATYP Board of Directors) and Antoinette Blaxland (Sampson) (then AD ATYP), at the opening of ATYP Studio 1, The Wharf, and Lend Lease 2000 Awards’ announcement, 7 Feb, 1996.

Antoinette Blaxland (now Sampson) was ATYP Artistic Director from 1992-1996, and then Acting Artistic Director from 1998-1999.

ATYP productions and events directed by Antoinette Blaxland:

Renewal, 1986
Mad Forest, 9 May, 1993
All Stops Out, 30 Jul, 1993
All Stops Out – regional tour, 14 Aug, 1993
Henry V, 18 Jul, 1994
The Five Nations Project, 1 Mar, 1995
Distortions (part of Hot Young Things on the Road), 20 Mar, 1995
People in the Dark (part of Hot Young Things on the Road), 20 Mar, 1995
Romeo and Juliet – a moved reading, 29 Aug, 1995
The Five Nations Project, 1 Nov, 1995
Cool Rebels, 10 May, 1996
The Wizard Party – fundraiser for The Great Leap Forward, 12 Sep, 1998.

ATYP is a fantastic organisation and it was such an honour to be there for many years, firstly as a teacher and then as its Artistic Director. We were able during that time, due to the tenacity and commitment of the board and all the staff to secure the Wharf space, an absolute coup. Kristin Williamson was very influential in helping this along, and Tim Wilson the General Manager at the time was also very instrumental in helping the company to move from George Street, to Argyle Place, and then to The Wharf.

It’s never one person that helps a company to grow, it’s a concerted effort from many, and this is the case with ATYP. All the hundreds and hundreds of young people, teachers, Artistic Directors, Administrators and General Managers, together with so many committed Board Members and sponsors have grown this magnificent organisation.

It was indeed a great time in my life. I look back on it with such fondness and joy. To help young people to be the best that they can be is a gift, and one that will be cherished in my heart forever. We created wild and magnificent theatre, fantastic classes, a safe place for young people to expand their minds and their creativity, a place where they belonged. The staff was dedicated, spectacular, and all round it rocked!!!!

What am I doing now? Spreading peace. I have had to learn that you can’t put peace outside of yourself, it has to be within first. So after many years of training in doing just that, I am now re-launching the Peace Angels Transformational Company, and this year we begin our Global Pilgrimage. We visit Ireland first for Peace One Day, a global celebration, that allows countries where there is war to put down their arms and allow for emergency health and educational needs to be met.

This weekend we have just shot our first Peace Angels video clip with the song, You Are Not Alone. I am also directing my husband Rob’s first one-man show, It’s my Guru and I’ll cry if I want to, which will premiere at Bodhi Festival at Easter in Newcastle. I am also directing the closing ceremony for Bodhi Festival.

I am passionate about consciousness and spend much of my time working in the arena of Sacred performance, Sacred Activism and meditation. It’s an enduring golden strand in my life.

ALEX BROUN

Cast of ATYP’s The Night We Blitzed the Bridge, 1985. We think Alex is in the back row, about 5 from the left…

One of the world’s leading ten-minute playwrights, Alex has had over 70 ten-minute plays produced in over 600 productions all over the world in countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Estonia, France, Hungary, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, UK and the USA. To date his work has been produced in 19 different countries.

His plays have been published in the USA, Australia and Germany and a collection of his short plays was translated into Persian and published in Iran.

His most popular play, 10,000 cigarettes, has had over 100 productions across the globe including being produced in over 30 states of the USA.

His longer plays have also been performed around the world including South Africa, UK, USA and around Australia including at La Mama, the Old Fitzroy, Chapel Off Chapel, the Darlinghurst Theatre, Newtown Theatre, the Brisbane Powerhouse, the Arts Centre in Melbourne and Belvoir Street.

In 2011, his full length play, 10,000 beers, premiered at the Darlinghurst Theatre in Sydney in an acclaimed production, directed by Lee Lewis.

He has had plays workshopped and developed by Sydney Theatre Company, Playwriting Australia and the Australian National Playwright’s Conference, as well as being a former winner of the Sydney Theatre Company Young Playwright’s Award, and Inscription (twice).

He has also twice received funding from the Australian Film Commission as well as recently having numerous short screenplays filmed.

He has been heavily involved in the development and growth of Short+Sweet, the largest ten-minute play festival in the world, that currently plays in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and India.

He has also recently launched a new website – WWW.ALEXBROUN.COM- which is one of the most popular websites for ten-minute plays in the world, and where you can read, download and acquire performance rights for many of his plays free of charge.

Alex was involved extensively at ATYP from 1978 to 1986, back in the days of Jane Westbrook, Morgan Lewis (aka Morganics), Adam Cook, Lisa Hensley, Collette Rayment, Daryl Hilton, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Cordeaux, Lizbeth Kenneally, Anousha Zarkesh, Lucinda Armour, Mark Ferguson, Felix Williamson, Angelo D’Angelo, Billy Hibble, Jane Stephens and Tom Jennings.

As an actor at ATYP, Alex appeared in:

1986: A Shakespeare Collection (ATYP, at The Rocks Theatre, Dir: Adam Cook)

1985: The Night We Blitzed the Bridge (ATYP, for Sydney Festival at The Parade Theatre, directed by Simon Hopkins); Seneca’s Oedipus (ATYP, Myrtle Street Theatre, Chippendale, directed by Egil Kipste)

1984: A Daniel Come to Judgment (ATYP, Myrtle Street Theatre, Chippendale, with Nicole Kidman)

1983: Dead Man’s Alley (ATYP, at Nimrod Upstairs, directed by Jane Westbrook and Daniella Jones)

1982: A Child’s Christmas in Australia (ATYP, at Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, directed by Jane Westbrook)

As a writer, Alex’s first ever plays were produced at ATYP:

1986: Just Once (co-written with his sister, Charlotte), produced by ATYP at The Rocks Theatre, directed by Collette Rayment, with Lisa Hensley, Mark Ferguson, Morgan Lewis (aka Morganics), Felix Williamson, Imogen Banks, Daniel Cordeaux, Larry Turnbull.

1984: Falling Stars (a one-act play), produced by ATYP at The Powerhouse Museum, directed by Jane Westbrook.

1983: The Australia-Go-Round (a one-act play – as Sandy Broun), produced by ATYP at The Nimrod Upstairs, directed by Jane Westbrook.

ROSE BYRNE

Rose, left, as an ATYP-er in the Acting for Camera workshop, 1992, with Assistant Tutor, Aden Young, photo: Tim O’Sullivan

Rose Byrne is one of Australia’s leading film stars, winning acclaim both locally and internationally.

Rose recently completed production on the HBO feature The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks alongside Oprah Winfrey.

In 2016, Rose starred in Bad Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, alongside Seth Rogen and Chloe Grace Moretz, X-Men Apocalypse, reprising her role as Moira MacTaggert, and The Meddler with Susan Sarandon and J.K. Simmons.

In 2015, Rose starred in Spy, alongside Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham, and Adult Beginners, with Nick Kroll; and in 2014, the musical remake, Annie, Shawn Levy’s This is Where I Leave You, alongside Tina Fey and Jason Bateman, and Nicholas Stoller’s Bad Neighbors, with Seth Rogan and Zac Efron.

Her other film credits include Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond The Pines, with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper; Claire McCarthy’s segment of The Turning, based on the collection of short stories by Tim Winton, for which Rose received an AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress; Paul Feig’s breakout comedy hit Bridesmaids, opposite Kristen Wiig; the psychological thriller Insidious, from James Wan; Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class, with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender; Nicholas Stoller’s comedy, Get Him to the Greek, starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill; the romantic dramedy Adam, opposite Hugh Dancy; Alex Proyas’ supernatural thriller Knowing, alongside Nicolas Cage; The Tender Hook, with Hugo Weaving; Danny Boyle’s sci-fi thriller
Sunshine; Juan Carlo Fresnadillo’s 28 Weeks Later; Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette; Karen Moncrief’s critically acclaimed drama The Dead Girl; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; the acclaimed I Capture the Castle, and Wolfgang Petersen’s epic Troy, opposite Brad Pitt.

Rose’s film career began in Australia with her standout role in the gritty crime drama Two Hands, opposite Heath Ledger. She went on to star in Clara Law’s The Goddess of 1967, for which she was awarded Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.

Rose starred as Ellen Parsons in all five seasons of the award winning series Damages, alongside Glenn Close. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2008 and 2010, and an Emmy Award in 2009 and 2010, and received the AFI International Award for Best Actress in 2007 for her work on the series.

Rose made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award nominated play, You Can’t Take It with You, alongside James Earl Jones, and appeared in the Sydney Theatre Company’s La Dispute and Three Sisters, both directed by Benedict Andrews. In late 2016, she returns to Sydney Theatre Company to perform in Andrew Upton’s Speed-the-Plow.

ROB CARLTON

Rob Carlton in the bus on tour with All Stops Out, 1989.

Rob Carlton at ATYP:

Spring Awakening, 6 Apr, 1989
All Stops Out, 20 Jul, 1989
All Stops Out – UK tour, 9 Aug, 1989
All Stops Out – Mel tour, 18 May, 1990
Romeo and Juliet, 24 Aug, 1990.

Rob Carlton has been a professional actor since he was 14 years old. A recognised face in Australia for both comedy and drama, his credits span TV, film and theatre. Recently Rob was seen on Paper Giants – The Birth of Cleo as Kerry Packer. He was nominated for an Australian Academy Award and won a Silver Logie for his performance.

2012 will see Rob as a regular panellist on the new Andrew Denton Panel show Randling, a support lead in the ABC drama Mabo and a support in PJ Hogan’s new film Mental starring Toni Collette and Anthony LaPaglia.

2013 will see Rob reprise his role as Kerry Packer in Paper Giants – Magazine Wars.

In February 2006, Rob won Tropfest with Carmichael & Shane which he wrote, starred in, co-directed and co-produced. He also won best actor that year.

From 2007 to 2009 Rob’s television production company, Shadowfax TV, produced 2 series of the award winning comedy, Chandon Pictures, seen on Movie Extra and the ABC. He co-directed the project and also takes creator, writer and acting credits. Chandon Pictures now plays in over 15 territories around the world, including the USA and UK and was nominated for multiple Logie and AFI awards. As a writer, Rob won an AWGIE award for Chandon Pictures.

His play A-Framed was first produced by his production company in 1998 to critical and box office success. A-Framed has since been produced in Sydney and Melbourne by 2 different theatre companies.

Rob also supports a number of charities including, but not limited to, the Dymocks Childrens’ Charities and Redkite.

Rob has a strong background in debating and theatresports through his time at the University of Sydney where he studied English and Australian Literature.

I joined ATYP classes straight after finishing high school, in my year off before starting university. I got involved in classes first with Mark Gaal and Rosalba Clemente. My first play was Spring Awakening. I then travelled to Scotland and England as understudy with the play All Stops Out. Great fun! I also toured All Stops Out, (as a cast member this time!) down to Melbourne. I think the final production I did was Romeo and Juliet at the Parade Theatre, NIDA.

I loved ATYP and all that it offered me then, and continues to offer now. First up, it was a great chance to meet like-minded young people from all over Sydney, not just the narrow (though lovely) community I grew up in. I still have so many close friends from that time. Many are still working as actors, many more are still involved actively in life, in a variety of ways. And this is one of the great things ATYP taught me. Participation is the key – active engagement in whatever is going on.

Whenever anybody young asks me what they might do to get ahead in the acting business, my first suggestion is ATYP.

I’m still an actor these days, but I’ve diversified to keep things interesting. I write, direct and produce television, through my production company Shadowfax TV. I’m developing a couple of different films at the moment too; one I’m writing and wanting to direct, the other I’m directing.

The best thing I’ve seen on stage? Morgan Lewis (ATYP student, same time as me) and I were there at the National Theatre in London the night Daniel Day Lewis had a ‘situation’ during his performance of Hamlet and had to crawl off stage. That was astounding. We were in London on the back end of an ATYP tour!

Recently the best play I’ve seen was Masterclass by Gareth Davies and Charlie Garber; a self-devised play put on in a performance space in Redfern. Of the major theatre I’ve seen recently, I’d have to say August: Osage County, performed the by the touring Steppenwolf company.

My advice to those who want to take on the theatre world? Be polite and turn up on time. And be brave… by that I mean don’t let fear turn you mean.

LUKE CROSS

Luke Cross (in hat), Mark Gaal and Christopher Tomkinson on ATYP’s All Stops Out UK tour, 1989.

Luke as an actor in ATYP productions:

Multiple Choice, 8 Jan, 1986
In Search of a Plot, 13 Apr, 1986
Arts Open Day, Sydney Opera House, 10 Aug, 1986
Grommitts, 8 Jan, 1987
Grommitts – tour, 5 Mar, 1987
Grommitts – return, 16 Jun, 1987
Burger Brain – the Fast Food Musical, 27 Sep, 1988
Spring Awakening, 6 Apr, 1989
All Stops Out, 20 Jul, 1989
All Stops Out – UK tour, 9 Aug, 1989.

My time at ATYP started in 1984, first as one of fourteen teenagers selected throughout NSW for the Unilever scholarships during Collette Rayment’s time as Artistic Director, and then later through an ATYP scholarship. I spent five years with ATYP , including time as an Assistant Tutor and have to say it was a magnificent experience, both in terms of being part of a youth organisation and as part of my life growing up with positive and wonderful friends and people. ATYP for me wasn’t just somewhere to go but somewhere that opened up the world for me and allowed me to find inside myself the ability to achieve so much later in life.

In my time I performed in In Search of a Plot, Multiple Choice, Grommitts (all performances – from the Sydney Opera House and Sailors’ Home to St Martin’s Theatre, Melbourne), 200 Candles – which became Burger Brain, Spring Awakening and finally All Stops Out (Sydney, as well as the Aberdeen Youth Festival, Cumbernauld, Glasgow, Scotland, and Hammersmith, England). During all this work, as well as in the workshops, events and weekly classes, I have had the privilege of sharing friendships with many ATYP alumni and some ATYP teachers. I enjoy friendships with past Artistic Directors such as Mark Gaal, and professional relationships (and friendships) with others met through ATYP.

It has been over twenty years since my time at ATYP. I have travelled the world and worked on some of the greatest stages with the greatest theatre companies, as a mechanist, and in both Australian and International film, first as an actor and then a technician.

Luke’s career began as a mechanist in the Opera, Ballet and Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, 1987–1990, from where he went on to employment as a mechanist for Cameron Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon and Les Miserables, and Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, 1994-1995.

Stints as Writer, Director and Storyboard Artists on short films Space, 1995, and The Tea Lady, 1996, took him into movies.

Luke was Leading Hand and Senior Technician for the feature films Superman Returns, 2005, Australia, 2006, Wolverine, 2007, Wolverine 2, 2012 and The Great Gatsby, 2011-2.

He worked as Lighting Technician on The Matrix, Matrix 2 and 3, 1997, 2000-1, Mission Impossible II in 1998, Moulin Rouge and Lantana, 1999, Star Wars II and III, 1999 and 2003, Garage Days and The Quiet American, 2002, Stealth (Senior Technician) and Gabriel, 2004 and Tomorrow When the War Began, 2009.

I have enjoyed working side by side with some of the biggest names in film and entertainment and yet I still count my time at ATYP as some of my happiest and most cherished memories.

NICHOLAS DARE

Elizabeth (Claridge) Mackonis, Andrew Mackonis, Jadanne (Heuchan) Dare and Nicholas Dare at The Wharf for the 40th anniversary Big Birthday Bash, 23 Nov, 2003.

Nicholas Dare as Set and Costume Designer of ATYP shows and events:

Sparkleshark, 22 Apr, 2002
Hamlet, 8 Oct, 2002
Sponsors’ Thank You Event, 18 Nov, 2002
atyp Christmas Angels, 28 Nov, 2002
Brokenville, 28 Jun, 2003
Brokenville – tour, 17 Jul, 2003
Eclipse, 12 Jan, 2004
The Musicians, 12 Jan, 2004
17, 23 Apr, 2005;

… as provider of technical support:

Lucky, 19 Jul, 2002
The Crossing, 25 Sep, 2002.

Nicholas graduated from the Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Design at NIDA in 2001, and he has since designed set and costume for a range of theatre productions in the commercial, subsidised and independent sectors.

His design credits include: Smoke & Mirrors (Sydney Festival/Lunar Hare), The Pillowman (Company B), Love Song (MTC), Dealer’s Choice (Albedo Theatre/Critical Stages); Honour Bound (Sydney Opera House); Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Showtune Productions) The Boyce Trilogy by Louis Nowra; The Emperor of Sydney, The Marvellous Boy and The Woman With Dog’s Eyes (Griffin Theatre Company); Mary Stuart, Halpern & Johnson, Trying, They’re Playing Our Song and Losing Louis (Ensemble Theatre); Shakespeare’s R&J, Codgers, King Lear, Stone Sleeper and Birth Of The Cool (Riverside Theatres); Edmond (Albedo Theatre/B-Sharp).

In film, Nicholas has worked in art departments in varying capacities: Ned (2002 – Scenic Artist), Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark (2009 – Set Designer) Me And My Monsters (2010 – Drafting) as well as designing a number of short films including Trapped, Sounds of Shadows, and The Eye of The Beholder. Nicholas also works as an Art Director for a number of TVCs.

As an Associate/Assistant Designer, Nicholas has worked on a number of large projects including King Kong, How To Train Your Dragon (Global Creatures: Designer Peter England); Priscilla, The Musical (Backrow/RUG: Designer Brian Thomson); Boy From Oz (BFO Productions: Designer Brian Thomson) and Dame Edna: Back With A Vengeance (Designer Brian Thomson).

ATYP was one of the first places I designed at after graduating from NIDA. The production was Sparkleshark. I met a whole new group of people, some of who I am still working with to this day. It was great to be able to design freely in a well-structured organisation with open-minded people, away from the pressure-cooker of commercial theatre.

I am currently the Design Associate on the new Global Creatures’ production, King Kong, which opens in June 2013.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? For me it was hard to go past Warhorse in its original production. It seemed to me to be the almost perfect balance between story, performance and technical theatre.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Always say yes.

SOPHIE HENSSER

Sophie Hensser in Silent Disco, 2011, by Lachlan Philpott, produced by ATYP, Griffin Theatre Company and HotHouse Theatre. Photo: Alexandra Vaughan (c)

Sophie played Tamara in ATYP, Griffin Theatre Company and HotHouse Theatre production’s, Silent Disco by Lachlan Philpott, directed by Lee Lewis:

SBW Stables Theatre – 27 April, 2011
Tour – Q Theatre Penrith and The Butter Factory, Albury, 6 Jun, 2011
Tour – Fairfax Studio, Victoria Arts Centre, Melbourne, 3 Aug, 2011.

During my time at high school I became involved with ATYP. I began attending holiday workshops and after school courses, most memorably I took part in the Clowning course which was a phenomenal experience. I would often audition for and attend ATYP plays and felt it was an incomparable introduction for young people into the professional and creative world of theatre. It provided a platform for young people to approach performance, movement, and text from outside a classroom. It was a choice rather than a chore. ATYP opened up a world to me that was beyond my wildest dreams, it made the idea of working in theatre a reality now, rather than some far off ideal.

ATYP treats kids as adults, and guides them through their first experiences of bringing an ensemble performance to life. It was an incredibly inspiring time for me and I always looked forward to whatever workshop or course was coming up in the next season. I would say that ATYP was a strong inspiration for me wanting to become a professional actor, it was a place that really understood how to nurture interest in the arts and young talent.

What am I working on now?

I’ve just been involved in a TV series for Channel 9 and Playmaker Media called Love Child, as the character ‘Viv Maguire’, we will soon begin shooting Season 2.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage was when I was 6 years old. My mother took me to see Hello Dolly, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, which blew my mind. I was instantly hooked on theatre. Most recently I had the pleasure of seeing STC’s Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, directed by Andrew Upton, starring Hugo Weaving, Richard Roxburgh, Phillip Quast and Luke Mullins. That was a truly spectacular night in the theatre, a fascinating production.

My advice to young people who want to take on the (theatre) world is to become involved in drama and theatre as early on and as often as you can. Join your extra-curricular drama class after school, take drama as a subject, attend NIDA Open Programs, take ATYP courses and holiday programs. Write your own plays and put them on with your friends. The more you can begin to create your own work, the faster you will learn the tools necessary to put on a play or to create a performance.

It takes many years of study to become an actor, you must be willing to put in the time and the practice to learning the craft. It takes commitment and passion to realise your dreams, so just be involved in every way you can.

You never know who you might meet who will end up giving you your first job one day.

CATHY HUNT

Cathy Hunt and Deobia Oparei on opening night of Belvoir St Theatre’s Angels in America, pts 1, 2, 2013.

Cathy is a director, dramaturg and performer.

With Bec Allen she formed independent theatre company, The Impending Room.

Cathy’s directing credits include (for The Impending Room) Dangerous Lenses, Oct 2012, Old 505 Theatre; and Judith: A Parting from the Body, Oct 2011, The Bondi Pavilion Theatre. She co-directed Jane Bodie’s Still for Mad March Hare, Mar 2012, Old 505 Theatre. In 2012 she also directed a reading of How to Curse, for ATYP, and a workshop and reading of Jessica Tuckwell’s new play, Tiny Remarkable Bramble.

Cathy completed a dramaturgy internship with Playwriting Australia in 2012. After an honours degree in English Literature and Theatre & Film at the University of New South Wales, Cathy undertook postgraduate studies at the University of York, UK, on a Commonwealth Scholarship.

As a performer she has appeared as Ms Beige Brown (feminist performance poet) for over 10 years, including at the Crack Theatre Festival, Novemberism and Griffringe. Cathy performed in and wrote the screenplay for Beige Brown: Wombless Without Words, winning the Audience Choice Award at the 2005 Reel is Real Film Festival, Wagga Wagga.

She writes for Time Out Sydney, as a freelance arts journalist, and has worked for Belvoir since 2008.

My involvement with ATYP? I took some workshops in 1997 – Stanislavsky with Inga Romantsova, and Movement with De’obia Oparei – both were amazing in different ways. I left Australia for the UK that same year and was gutted that I’d only discovered ATYP just before I left the country. Last year I directed a reading for ATYP Under the Wharf which brought me back into contact with ATYP now. The impact on my life was significant. It was my first introduction to Chekhov and the De’obia Oparei workshop inspired me with his genuine passion for dynamic theatre making. Now, a decade and a half later, I met him again, as he’s performing in Angels in America.

I’ve worked for Belvoir for five years and recently started an independent theatre company, The Impending Room, with Bec Allen. I’ve directed our past two projects – the last, Dangerous Lenses, was the work of an ATYP Fresh Ink playwright, Brooke Robinson. I’m particularly interested in young Australian playwrights – dramaturging their scripts and putting them on. We plan to keep making our own work and have several ideas simmering for this year and next year.

The best thing you have ever seen on stage? Aalst from the National Theatre of Scotland and the Sydney Festival, was utterly gripping and incredible. Zinnie Harris’ play Further Than the Furthest Thing, at the Tricycle Theatre in London in 2001, astounded and made me ache. Neil Armfield’s The Secret River was the most poignant theatre experience, more like watching time than a play – the best thing I’ve ever seen in the Sydney Theatre. Caryl Churchill’s play Far Away completely got me when I saw it at STC, eerieness with extravagant hats. Once and For All We’re Going to Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen, by Ontroerend Goed, apart from having the best title, is definitely a contender – it fizzed and buzzed. Benedict Andrews’ direction of The Marriage of Figaro for Opera Australia was truly sublime – it actually induced bliss to watch it.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Plunge in, do everything, but especially do what you love with people who love it as much as you do. Don’t worry about being perfect, worry about making the audience have an experience, feel something, glimpse something that you saw. Most of all, care about what you’re doing, every scrap of it, not just the surface stuff or the way people see you – more what you make them see and how much you can risk and how much heart you can have. Heart and mind at the same time, that’s what matters in theatre, and fearlessness and precision and a whole lot of contradictory and paradoxical things. Follow the impossibility and you will end up somewhere amazing that you never expected.

TIMOTHY JONES

Timothy Jones and participants at the Injinoo Regional Residency, Cape York, 2008.

Timothy Jones’ career with ATYP:

ATYP Artistic Director – from 2003 to 2008

as Director of productions –
Antigone, 19 Jul, 1999
Antigone Unearthed – tour, 6 Sep, 1999
99% Accurate, 3 May, 2000
Re:Macbeth, 19 Jul, 2001
Lucky, 19 Jul, 2002
Skate, 15 Apr, 2003
Skate – tour, 29 Apr, 2003
Beatrice, 7 Oct, 2003
The Musicians, 13 Jan, 2004
17, 23 Apr, 2005
Boy Overboard, 20 Jul, 2005 (with co-Director, Rebecca Chapman)
Skate – return, 8 Oct, 2005
Skate – Belfast tour, 26 Oct, 2005
Boy Overboard – tour, 14 Mar, 2006 (with co-Director, Rebecca Chapman)
Magda’s Fascination with Waxed Cats, 9 Jul, 2006 (part of 3 Little Fears triple-bill)
Stories in the Dark, 3 May, 2007
The Teenage Alchemist – playreading, 15 Oct, 2008
Anna Robi & The House of Dogs, and
Shouting Fire in a Crowded Theatre – playreadings, 17 Nov, 2008 (part of Fresh Ink National Young Writers’ Program Staged Readings), and

ATYP National Studio, 1 Jul, 2000 (with David Berthold)
The Big Birthday Bash, 23 Nov, 2003 (ATYP 40th Anniversary celebration)
ATYP National Studio, 5 Dec, 2005 (with Rebecca Chapman),

as Artistic Associate – from 1999 to 2003, and

as tutor – from 1994 to 1998.

I never really thought about it while it was happening, but I was actually connected to ATYP for a long time! I began teaching acting classes around 1994, become the full-time Artistic Associate for the Company in 1998 and then Artistic Director in 2003, finally heading out the door in late 2008. – So yes, ATYP had an enormous effect on my life.

My first professional theatre experiences were with St Martin’s Youth Arts in Melbourne so it felt kind of natural to try and work at ATYP after I had gained my NIDA acting degree. At ATYP I became a passionate advocate for the value of the arts in the lives of young people. I regularly saw the enormous benefits that quality, practical artistic experiences can have on individuals as they navigate the challenges of growing up and becoming adults. ATYP was often a place of sanctuary and safety for young people during this process and it was a great privilege to work with them at this important time in their lives. Interestingly many of the core group of people I directed in productions while Artistic Director have remained firm friends with each other, now well into their 30’s. Yes, ATYP is a special place.

I am currently the Artistic Director of the Seymour Centre in Sydney. The Seymour is a large multi-venue arts complex that, like ATYP, has an extensive arts education program.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? Well that’s easy – an ATYP show of course: There was a fantastic collaboration we did with Legs on the Wall called Til Someone Loses an Eye – it played close to Christmas when it was warm, and in the final scene a garden sprinkler was brought on stage and the cast and audience got very wet. The show was a huge hit and extended for a week.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? 1st thing – get involved: ATYP is a great place to meet like-minded friends and work together on an exciting challenge like creating a theatre performance. You may not end up with a career in the arts but these experiences will give you great skills to take into whatever path you choose. If you want to make it your career, get really involved and do as much as you can: workshops, productions, training, etc, but make sure that after a time you ask yourself if the theatre is giving you as much as you are giving it. If it’s a struggle and you’re not enjoying the life, gain some new skills in different areas, nothing will be wasted. Life is great when it is challenging but it is also meant to be enjoyed.

LALLY KATZ

Lally Katz, on the right, at ATYP National Studio, 2000, in Alice Springs.

Lally Katz at ATYP:

Delegate to National Studio, 2000,

Fresh INKubator: 9 writers, 9 scripts, 24 hours, 19/3/2009 (mentor to writers)
Fresh Ink Young Writers’ Camp, 20/7/2009 (mentor to writers)
Fresh Ink Speed Date, 29/11/2009 (mentor to writers).

I went to the ATYP National Studio in Alice Springs in the year 2000. I think it was the very first one! I had the most brilliant experience there. I met my peers from all over Australia and really connected with them and their work. I still know and am in touch with a lot of them all these years later. It not only opened my mind to what was going on in the arts in my age group all around the country, we were also taught and mentored by some of the most amazing artists. This was huge. For my development as an artist and for my confidence as a young artist.

At the moment, I am working on some stories about the various psychics I have been seeing over the past couple of years – one from New York in particular. And also a play about my Dad when he was in a Karate Dojo in New Jersey in his youth.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? There have been so many best things. I honestly can’t say. I have loved so many different shows – of different styles, of plays, dance, spoken word, surrealism, naturalism – I just can’t say! Plus I sort of remember it all now like scenes from different dreams. I see so much theatre and it teaches me so much about my craft, but I don’t think about it that much, it goes and lives in my subconcious.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Work hard. Dedicate yourself to your craft. See as much theatre as you possibly can. Work on as many shows as you possibly can. Always do more than seems reasonable. Listen to your instincts, but be prepared to work on and improve your craft. This is trickier than it sounds! And be both generous and ambitious.

Lally had three world premiere plays programmed in Australia in 2011: A Golem Story, at Malthouse Theatre, Neighbourhood Watch, at Belvoir and Return to Earth, at Melbourne Theatre Company. Starchaser, a new play for children, was commissioned by Arena Theatre and premiered in 2012.

Neighbourhood Watch was nominated for four Sydney Theatre Awards in 2011, including Best New Australian Work, Best Mainstage Production, Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production (Robyn Nevin) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production (Kris McQuade).

Lally wrote an episode of the second series of Spirited, starring Claudia Karvan, for W Channel and Southern Star. She has also written television for The Elephant Princess, a children’s series by Jonathan M Shiff Productions.

Goodbye New York, Goodbye Heart opened in New York in late 2010. The Apocalypse Bear Trilogy played at the Melbourne Theatre Company as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival in 2009. Lally adapted stories from the bible for The Mysteries: Genesis at Sydney Theatre Company. When the Hunter Returns was commissioned and produced by The Gaiety School of Acting in Ireland and had a return season at the Dublin Theatre Festival. Her play Goodbye Vaudeville Charlie Mudd premiered at Malthouse Theatre (co-produced by Arena Theatre) and won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for drama in 2009.

Lally’s adaptation of Frankenstein was directed by Ralph Myers at Sydney Theatre Company in 2008, and was nominated for a Queensland Premier’s Award for Best Drama Script. In 2007, Lally co-wrote Criminology, with Tom Wright, which was produced by Malthouse Theatre and Arena Theatre, and two short plays, Waikiki Palace and Hip Hip Hooray, formed a double-bill premiering at Sydney Theatre Company that same year.

Stuck Pigs Squealing Theatre has produced a series of Lally’s plays, The Black Swan of Trespass, which played at Malthouse, Belvoir and the New York International Fringe Festival, where it won the Producer’s Choice Award, after winning several Green Room Awards in Melbourne. The Eisteddfod premiered in Melbourne at the Storeroom Theatre, and transferred to Malthouse, Belvoir and PS 122 and Richard Foreman’s Ontological Hysteric Theatre in New York City. This production won the 2004 Best Independent Production Green Room Award.

Lally participated in the attachment programme at the Studio at the National Theatre in London in 2009 and a British Council Realise Your Dreams grant for 2010. Lally was a Churchill fellow in 2010, and was appointed a Writer-In-Residence at Melbourne University in 2011. In 2012, Lally won InStyle Magazine’s Women of Style Award in the arts category.

HTTP://WWW.THEYELLOWAGENCY.COM/INDEX.PHP/LALLY-KATZ

DANIEL KRASS

In the cast ‘n crew shot of ATYP’s Brokenville, 2003, Daniel Krass is third from the right at the back.

Daniel Krass’s career at ATYP:

as an actor –
Romeo and Juliet – a moved reading, Acts 1-3, 20 Oct, 1995
Cool Rebels, 10 May, 1996

as Sound Designer –
Bubble, 4 Apr, 2002
Skate, 15 Apr, 2003
Skate – tour, 29 Apr, 2003
Brokenville, 28 Jun, 2003
Brokenville – tour, 17 Jul, 2003
Beatrice, 7 Oct, 2003
The Musicians, 13 Jan, 2004
17, 23 Apr, 2005
Skate – return, 8 Oct, 2005
Skate – Belfast tour, 26 Oct, 2005.

I attended ATYP from the age of 13, beginning with an acting class with Adam Kronenberg. I performed in the production Cool Rebels in 1996 (I think). Later I came back to ATYP as a Sound Designer and worked on shows including Bubble, Skate, Brokenville, Beatrice, The Musicians.

I suppose ATYP gave me my first introduction to professional theatre practice. Had I not been offered opportunities as both a student and a professional, I doubt that I would be involved professionally in theatre today. ATYP has ended up being as important to me in terms of training and experience as the rest of my schooling and tertiary education.

I am about to start work on a development of a show about food and supermarkets with a company called A Moment’s Peace, based in Glasgow. I have two shows just beginning their London 2012 tours: Mikey & Addie and Skewered Snails. Later in the month I will be assisting in the remount of two shows for the Edinburgh Fringe: The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk, which toured to Australia last year, and The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean, which was created in October last year.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? I still struggle to find anything surpassing a couple of Barrie Kosky shows I saw many years ago: Tartuffe and Seneca’s Oedipus. I was blown away by The Author by Tim Crouch, at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2010.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Try to be open, curious, and prepared to be wrong a lot of the time.

Danny began working as a composer and sound designer with ATYP in 2001.

He has been living and working in Scotland since 2007, and now resides in Glasgow.

2012 credits:

Sound Designer: The Infamous Brothers Davenport, for Vox Motus / Edinburgh Lyceum; Ruben Guthrie for Ironbark.

Composer/Sound Designer: Mikey & Addie for Macrobert / Andy Manley / Rob Evans, London; Skewered Snails for Iron Oxide, London; I Could Eat a Horse for A Moment’s Peace; Peter Pan for Sherman Cymru; White and The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk for Catherine Wheels; and The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean for Shona Reppe Puppets.

Other theatrical credits include My House (Starcatchers), Hannah & Hanna and Kes (Catherine Wheels), Littlest Christmas Tree and Rudolf & Mr Snow (macrobert), 1000 Paper Cranes (Lu Kemp & Abi Docherty) and Allotment 4 (NTS).

This year The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk, and The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean will make return appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe. The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk will also tour to the New Victory Theatre on Broadway. In 2012 White will have toured Australia, Britain, France, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau.

TESSA LIND

Tessa Lind and Dominic Witkop in one of the Bookends adaptations, 2007, photo: T Casu (c)

Tessa Lind at ATYP:

This Territory, 8 Mar, 2007
Candyfloss / Just Annoying / The Boy in the Striped Pajamas / Just in Case, Bookends Project, Sydney Writers’ Festival, 28 May, 2007
Gossip, 14 Jul, 2007
Kaleidoscope, 2 Oct, 2007.

Tell us about your involvement with ATYP– what did you do? What effect did atyp have on your life?

I took part in various master classes and productions over the years and found ATYP to be an imperative part of my training. ATYP always offered a spectrum of classes and productions, so I always felt challenged to explore different forms of performance such as clowning and dance.

What are you up to these days? Do you still have any involvement in the arts industry or have you moved into other areas?

I have just graduated from the full-time Acting course at NIDA and am currently preparing for a workshop with Larry Moss and a piece for the Tamarama Rock Surfers’, Bondi Feast: Pigeon by Jess Bellamy.

What is the best thing you have ever seen on stage?

It’s a tie – two productions by the Berlin-based Schaubühne Theatre Company – Hamlet and Hedda Gabler. Two extraordinary, provocative and visceral pieces of theatre which made my heart pound out of my chest the entire time – with my eyes like dinner plates!

What would your advice be to young people who want to take on the theatre world?

Have pleasure and your audience will have pleasure 😉

Tessa graduated from NIDA in 2011, and has since enjoyed working on Eugene O’Neill’s Thirst directed by Dominic Mercer, Richard’s Rampage master class with Kevin Spacey and recently with Larry Moss in 16th Street’s master class in Sydney.

Whilst at NIDA, Tessa’s acting credits include Lucy in Pains of Youth directed by Tom Wright, Louise Maske in The Underpants directed by Craig Ilott, Satin in Nana directed by Jennifer Hagen, Marya Konstantinova & Nikolayevna in Flight directed by Sergei Tcherkasski, Phoebe in As You Like It directed by Ros Horin, Jess in Lyrebird directed by Jemma Gurney, Sycorax and Issabella in Lots In Space directed by Peter King and Holly in Griffringe: A Very Crappy Christmas at Griffin Theatre, directed by Kip Williams and Stephen Nicolazzo.

Before drama school Tessa studied Clowning with Philippe Gaulier at Ecole de Philippe Gaulier in Paris and at the Australian Theatre for Young People she performed in Meryl Tankard’s Gossip, Noëlle Janaczewska’s This Territory directed by Becky Chapman, a number of short plays in the Bookends Project, directed by Jo Turner, for The Sydney Writers’ Festival and Kaleidoscope directed by Gavin Robins for Cirque du Soleil and Oxfam International Youth Partnerships.

JULIAN LOUIS

Kirk Page (left), and Julian Louis (right), co-Directors of Out of Sight, 2001, created with ATYP Walgett Regional Residency participants.

Julian is a theatre director and devisor/collaborator. Julian is currently Artistic Director of NORPA, the Northern Rivers Performing Arts Inc (2007 – present). For the company Julian has directed Not Like Beckett and The Bloody Bride and is currently developing new theatre works as part of NORPA’s Generator Program. He has extensive experience as a theatre maker working also in opera, circus and physical theatre.

Julian has devised and directed Wilde Tales for B Sharp and Critical Stages – extensive tour of NSW and Five Stories High as part of the 2003 Sydney Festival for State of Play, which he co-founded in 2001. Some credits from the last few years include: Director Monkey Shines for Loose Canon /Sydney Opera House; Director Sea’s Rising Southern Edge Arts (WA, Albany); Director, the Menotti Opera The Telephone and the Shakespearean Opera Project The Falling for The Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Associate Director The Underpants, Company B Belvoir’s national tour.

Director Performix and Contact for ATYP and Movement Director/ Associate Director on Spurboard by Nick Enright for atyp and STC. Julian was Assistant Director on Henry V directed by Antoinette Blaxland and The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other directed by by Michael Gow. Also for ATYP and The Australia Day Council, Julian conceived and directed Standing Room Only which was performed by over 50 performers throughout Sydney linked by 15 red double-decker buses, culminating in a 30-minute circus performance work at Circular Quay. It rained!

Julian has worked widely in youth theatre, creating original works in regional communities and throughout Australia. Julian is a Board member of Kultour, Arts on Tour and Spaghetti Circus and is creatively involved in the newly launched Splendid Arts Labs held annually in Lismore.

An influential aspect to Julian’s career has been creating community projects in regional areas, directing works in remote areas for ATYP including Broken Hill, Walgett and the Pilbara (International Perth Arts Festival). Also youth projects for Liverpool Council/ The Australia Council, Shopfront Theatre, Casula Powerhouse, Company B and Big hArt.

Julian holds a BA in Theatre and Media from Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, is a graduate of NIDA’s director’s course, and has trained with Philippe Gaulier (London) after being awarded the Lend Lease Scholarship by ATYP.

ATYP has been a major influence on my theatre practice and career.

1 Sep, 2009

JANE MISKOVIC

Rachel Moorhead (atyp Adminstrator, 2000) and Jane Miskovic at the opening night celebrations of atyp’s Birds, 2000.

I was a tutor at atyp from 1999 to 2005. The areas I tutored were music theatre, cabaret, dance, movement and physical theatre. I tutored 8-25 year olds, beginners to advanced, holiday workshops and term programs. I also was the choreographer/movement director for Birds, 23 Aug, 2000 (Olympic Arts Festival) and Operation Marlowe, Mar, 2001, directed the atyp Christmas Angels, who appeared at the City of Sydney’s Free Children’s Christmas Concerts, City of Sydney lighting of the Christmas Tree celebrations, and at two of the Lord Mayor’s Christmas receptions; and created and directed performances for a number of atyp events, including:

Young Australian of the Year Awards, NSW, 2001, and National, 2002, for which atyp provided an ensemble,
Sony Foundation Ball, for which fundraising event for atyp’s principal regional sponsor atyp provided a 40-strong choir and the atyp Christmas Angels,
Under Construction – cabaret, 20 Jul,2004, 2-night showing of cabaret shows devised during 12-week Cabaret workshop at atyp,
Cabaret Collective – cabaret, 27 Jul, 2005, co-directed by Jane Miskovic and Andrew Davidson, an evening of 12 short cabaret shows written, rehearsed and performed by atyp students, participants in a cabaret workshop held over 10 weeks in Term2, with entry by audition.

I very much enjoyed my time working with atyp. I was only 23 when I started tutoring, young enough to still be a student, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity atyp offered me to continue to grow as a director, choreographer and tutor. It is an infectious space. I was very inspired by the creativity, bravery and energy of the company and felt very supported to bring my own ideas and projects to the group. Many of the staff, tutors and students I worked with I continue to work with today and many, I am happy to say, are also friends.

I work in international events, including four Olympic Games and 17 international events in total, and my main role is direction of the Parade of Athletes and large-scale choreography. I work a lot in music theatre and cabaret, and choreographed for NIDA’s singer dancer actor course for a decade. I am the co-director of The Project – Schools Industry Arts, a new initiative linking students and teachers with the performing arts industry.

I am also a clinical psychologist and my current clinical research focus is the treatment of adolescent eating disorders.

What is the best thing I have ever seen on stage? This is way too hard a question to answer. I regard every opportunity to see a performer generously share their passion, dedication and insight as a blessing.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Get involved! I started by choreographing my school musical in year 9 when the only teacher in the school who had a dance background went on maternity leave. That was the first step in a career that has so far spanned 20 years and 14 countries. The best advice I can give anyone is to find something you love to do and give it all you’ve got.

STEPHEN MULTARI

Stephen Multari in rehearsals for atyp’s VX18504, devised and directed by Meryl Tankard. Photo: Regis Lansac (c)

Stephen is a founding member of MopHead Productions. MopHead recently staged 4000 Miles for atyp Under the Wharf.

Stephen has been fortunate enough to work consistently on some fantastic projects. Recently, he finished shooting the soon-to-be released feature, Circle of Lies, where he played ‘Denholm’: a teenager with a whole lot of attitude. He’s appeared in shows like Home & Away and All Saints.

In the past, he starred in A Better Tomorrow, which went all the way to the Cannes Film Festival. He also played lead role ‘Billy’ in the popular children’s group The Moogies. With numerous live performances under their belt, the group also recorded and released an album. He has shot a tele-series for Channel 7; 52 episodes as the host of the program Kid Detectives.

For ABC, he played the role of ‘Tim’ in Dance Academy. Stephen has been busy these past few years performing in numerous theatre productions. For atyp, he was a principal in Meryl Tankard’s physical theatre piece, VX18504, the lead in Bison at Belvoir Street Theatre and the male lead ‘Benito’in References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, for Griffin Theatre Company.

His experience with voice-over work has been plentiful. He has voiced roles for film (in many accents), television series and recorded numerous character voices for kids’ CDs.

My first show with atyp was Meryl Tankard’s physical theatre piece, VX18504. What an incredible way to be welcomed into the atyp family! My experience during this time is without a doubt one of the highlights of my life to date. Working with the sublime Meryl Tankard was a true gift.

As the creative director of MopHead Productions, we are busy working on our next theatrical venture. As far as acting is concerned, I’ll be working with Sarah Goodes on a staged reading of The Laramie Project for the STC (a play that I first saw performed at atyp). Next year I’ll be playing Trip Wyeth in the Ensemble Theatre’s Other Desert Cities.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? This is ridiculously tough! August: Osage County. iOTA and Paul Capsis doing their thang. Edie Falco in The House of Blue Leaves. Frances McDormand in Good People.

My advice to young people who want to take on the (theatre) world? Just do it! (Nike stole this from me). If you are truly passionate about telling a story and are in it for the right reasons, then theatre is what you should be doing!

BRONWYN PURVIS

Bronwyn Purvis and the Craving, 2006, cast and crew, shooting a promotional clip, photo: Giselle Haber (c)

Bronwyn Purvis, at atyp:

as actor –
Ritual, 22 Jun, 1999
Contact, 8 Apr, 2000
Birds, 23 Aug, 2000;

… as recipient of atyp LendLease Scholarship 2000, in 2001;

… as tutor –
Dads with a Difference, community event, 17 Mar, 2002;

…as Director –
Craving, 10 May, 2006.

When Bronwyn was at Grafton High School, she used take the 10-hour train to Sydney during the school holidays to attend atyp workshops. She moved to Sydney at 18 and became a regular workshop participant. She performed in the atyp productions Ritual (1999), Contact (2000) and Birds (2000). In 2002 she recieved the atyp Lend Lease Scholarship to travel to the UK to do director internships with Improbable Theatre, Volcano Theatre Company and the David Glass Ensemble. While in the UK, she worked as a video artist for Volcano Theatre Company’s Talk Sex Show (Edinburgh Fringe Festival & Germany Tour) and puppet maker/performer for Improbable Theatre’s Sticky show (Belfast Festival at Queens & London Thames Festival).

Upon returning to Australia Bronwyn worked as a film and theatre director; often working in partnership with marginalised communities to create work. In 2006 Bronwyn returned to atyp to direct the devised, multimedia show, Craving, 2006, with performers with and without disabilties. She continued to work in partnership with atyp as the Artistic Director of Outback Theatre for Young People in 2007, where she worked with over 100 young people in outback NSW to create a multi-media theatre production, Ties That Bind. In 2010 she was awarded the Kirk Robson Young Leaders’ award from the Australia Council for the Arts, in recognition of her exensive work in community cultural development.

Bronwyn’s other credits include: co-Director/Producer Drive (ABC TV, Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival), co-Director/Producer Drive In Holiday (Ten Days on the Island Festival), co-Director Love Zombies (Big hART), co-Director/Producer Radio Holiday (Melbourne International Arts Festival), Associate Director Stickybricks (Sydney Festival), Radio Holiday (Ten Days on the Island Arts Festival), Director Sleep Well (Big hART), Episode Director Knot@Home (SBS TV), Director Pop’s Dream (Screen NSW: Winner, Bondi Film Festival, Winner, St Kilda Film Festival), Associate Director Knot@Home (Melbourne International Arts Festival), Producer PZ1749-28 documentary (ABC Radio National), Director/Producer The Honeyeaters (Triple J Frame Breaks/Moonlight Cinema), Producer Up, Up & Away documentary (Down Syndrome NSW).

Bronwyn is now an award-winning film and theatre director whose work has been shown at national and international arts and film festivals. For the past 2 years Bronwyn has worked as a producer for the ABC, and is currently completing her Master’s by research, at the Australian Film and Television School.

CHLOE SCHWANK

Daniel Knight and Chloe Schwank in atyp’s Beatrice, 2003, photo: Phil Sheather.

Chloe Schwank as an actor at atyp:

The Crossing, 25 Sep, 2002
Beatrice, 7 Oct, 2003
The Big Birthday Bash, (atyp 40th Anniversary party), part of the Beatrice ensemble, 23 Nov, 2003
The Windows Project – New Australian Music Theatre, 21 Sep, 2004,

… as a Dramaturgical Assistant:
The Crossing, 25 Sep, 2002

… and as a translator:
Threesome Without Simone, by Kristo Sagor, 17 Apr, 2004.

Chloë graduated from the Actors College of Theatre & Television (ACTT) in 2007.

Her theatre experience includes Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Luciana in The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare by the Sea), Julius Caesar (Anthony Skuse), W;t and Cosi (New Theatre), Mongrels and Roberto Zucco (ACTT), Beatrice (atyp) and roles in short plays for Word Travels, Dinner with A View Inc. and the Short + Sweet Festival.

Her screen work includes roles in online sketch horror series Watch With Mother (The Glue Society), several short films including Taser (Chesterfilm), Sarah Sloane: The Rash (Curl Co Productions), Painful Poetry (Santa Shorts Productions) and Boss Assassins (AFTRS) as well as TV drama Out of the Blue.

Chloë’s writing includes a short play Playing Dirty, performed at Short + Sweet 2005, and English translations of German plays, Threesome Without Simone by Kristo Sagor, performed at atyp and I’m Sorry Dad But I Have To, by Laura Naumann, which was published in Europe in 2011.

Chloe is a proud member of Equity.

I joined atyp when I first arrived in Australia in 2002. I participated in many workshops from clowning to musical theatre to audition preparation workshops and also acted in the following productions: Beatrice by Louis Nowra, The Windows Project, directed by Jason Langley and The Crossing, directed by Melissa Bruce.

I translated Threesome Without Simone by Kristo Sagor, from German into English, for performance at atyp.

I found atyp extremely useful and fun. It provided me with a group of friends in a new city, helped me develop my acting and performance skills and inspired me by taking young people’s theatre, and therefore also my fledgling acting career, seriously. In fact many of my friends and my husband all cherish their time at atyp as being formative in their careers and lives. In Europe, I had never experienced a forum where young people can learn directly from industry professionals in quite a demanding and professional environment, and I loved it.

I’m still an actor. I graduated from Actors College of Theatre & Television in 2007, and have been acting in theatre, short films and a tiny bit of TV, since. I’m also currently training in voiceover, and translated another German play which was published in Europe last year.

The best thing I have EVER seen on stage was in 1996 or 1997 at the Vienna Festival, and it was a Robert Lepage / deus ex machina production called Hiroshima – The Seven Streams of the River Ota. It was a seven-hour-long play (with 3 intervals), with each scene lasting an hour and acted in a different acting style (i.e. naturalistic, butoh, melodrama, French farce), or with different performance elements (dance, opera, video, live jazz). The lives of the large cast of characters in the separate scenes were intertwined in many surprising ways and some of the same props and costumes were used in separate scenes in different ways so they were imbued with multiple meanings. When the actors came out on stage for the curtain call I was surprised by how small a cast had convincingly peopled the stage with so many distinct characters. One of the actors, Marie Brassard, convincingly played a young Jewish girl (speaking in German), an old Japanese woman (speaking in Japanese) and a young French woman (speaking in French). I still have the program for that play – it was pure theatre magic!

My advice is to try every aspect of theatre. As it’s a collaborative art I think it’s best to experience every role so you have an understanding of each element of a performance. Also the additional skills are often useful when one is involved in independent theatre. I have worked as a stage manager, translated plays, written a short play, operated lights and sound – including a follow spot (much more difficult than it looks) – played in a band for a musical, designed costumes and flyers, and painted and built sets. Try everything and enjoy yourself!

MATTHEW WHITTET

Matthew Whittet’s career at ATYP, as actor:

Frankenstein’s Children, 6 Sep, 1991
Unforgiven, 10 Dec, 1991 (4 New Plays)
Dark Clouds and Chameleons, 10 Dec, 1991 (4 New Plays)
White Paper Flowers – the story of Tiananmen Square, 22 May, 1992
ID, 24 Nov, 1992
Mad Forest, 9 May, 1993
Anna Livia is a Whore, 23 Nov, 1994 (Hot Young things, Festival of Young People’s Theatre)
The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, 1 Jan, 1995, and

as ATYP Fresh Ink mentor:

Fresh INKubator: 9 writers, 9 scripts, 24 hours, 19 Mar, 2009
Fresh Ink Young Writers’ Camp, 20 Jul, 2009
Fresh Ink Speed Date, 29 Nov, 2009.

I was involved with ATYP from 1990 to 1994. The first workshop I did was in early 1990 at the Old Sailors’ Home in George St, in The Rocks, which is now Sailors Thai. Back then it was an old abandoned theatre, taken over by a bunch of 14-year olds for two weeks.

At ATY I performed in seven shows… I think. Frankenstein’s Children, Group Devised Projects in Wharf 2, White Paper Flowers, I.D., Mad Forest, Hot Young Things (1994) and The Hour We Knew Nothing Of Each Other. It was a completely formative time for me. Not only did I learn about acting, but I learned about the possibilities of self-expression. I met people at ATYP when I was 14, who I am still working with in one way or another today.

At the moment I am working on a few projects. I’m currently in rehearsals for Old Man, a play I have written, at Belvoir. This is especially exciting as there are young performers in our cast who have come through ATYP.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage was a show in the 1998 Adelaide Festival. It was called La Tristeza Complice and it was by Les Ballets C de la B. They were from Ghent in Belgium, and used contemporary dance, street performers and 20 accordion players playing The Fairy Queen by Purcell.

My advice to young players wanting to take on the theatre world would be… educate yourself. See as many films and shows and read as many books as possible. You need to find out what you really like (not what you think you should). And most importantly, enjoy yourself. Working as an actor and theatre maker is hard work, and you have to apply yourself every day. But if you can find the balance between hard work and having fun, then it can be incredibly rewarding.

Since graduating from NIDA in 1997, Matthew has made his mark in his hometown of Sydney with performances in the Sydney Theatre Company productions of The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Metamorphosis, This Little Piggy, These People, Endgame, Fireface, Attempts on Her Life and Seneca’ Oedipus; for Company B: The Underpants, The Threepenny Opera, King Ubu, As You Like It and The Book of Everything; for Bell Shakespeare Company: Hamlet and King Lear. He has also worked with the Malthouse Theatre in Moving Target, Journal of the Plague Year / The Ham Funeral; for the State Theatre Company of South Australia in The Department ; and for Adelaide the Windmill Theatre.

Matthew is an accomplished writer and he recently wrote and starred in School Dance for Windmill Theatre and the Adelaide Festival. He also wrote and performed in his one-man show Silver, which had a successful run as part of Company B’s B Sharp season. And he wrote Fugitive, inspired by the stories of Robin Hood, which was commissioned and produced in 2010 by Windmill Theatre Company, Adelaide.

Matthew has appeared on television in Sea Princess, Sea Patrol, All Saints, Blue Heelers, White Collar Blue, Bad Cop Bad Cop, Changi, Backberner, Wildside and Water Rats.

His film credits include Moulin Rouge!, You Can’t Stop the Murders, Australia and The Great Gatsby. Matthew recently adapted a play he wrote for Windmill Theatre in Adelaide, Girl Asleep, to the screen, which has won 5 international and 3 Australian film awards.

JESSICA BELLAMY

Jessica Bellamy and Joanna Erskine at the launch of The Voices Project, 2012: Short Films, Bat Eyes and Boot, at the Palace Cinema, Norton Street, Leichhardt, 27 March, 2012.

Jess Bellamy at ATYP:

Delegate at ATYP National Studio, 2010.

The Voices Project, 2011: Tell It Like It Isn’t – Little Love by Jessica Bellamy, 3 Feb, 2011 – monologue performed.

Voices Project, The 2012: Bat Eyes short film, March, 2012 – adapted by Jessica Bellamy from her original monologue, Little Love, and made into a short film, directed by Damien Power, and produced by Bec Cubitt .

The Voices Project, 2012: Bat Eyes and Boot Short Films Launch; Announcement of Rose Byrne as new ATYP Ambassador, 27 Mar, 2012 – Q&A during the launch.

I joined ATYP as a Literary Intern for 6 months in 2010, while completing a Grad Dip in Playwriting at NIDA. I was able to work with Lachlan Philpott on teaching 14-17 year old students of the Fresh Ink ensemble, and also helped with organising aspects of the National Studio at Bundanon. I was lucky enough to get a spot at National Studio, where I wrote a monologue, Little Love, that was included in the show Tell It Like It Isn’t. From there, this monologue was developed into a film with director Damien Power, through the Voices Project, and is currently vying for a Top 10 place in the YouTube Your Film Competition. You can even vote to get it there by going to WWW.BATEYESANDBOOT.COM/VOTEBATEYES.

My short but concentrated time at ATYP has been really exciting, and it has improved my skill set immensely. I gained confidence in writing monologues, was given the opportunity to write a screenplay, and also learnt more about tutoring playwriting to young people. This helped me to teach writing in other guises, such as through Riverside Theatre’s Workshops in the Arts for People with Disabilities program. I still await the results of the YouTube competition, but my life could be even more dramatically affected by winning a trip to Venice to showcase my film on a global stage!

I am about to finish a year-long attachment at Griffin Theatre Company as an Associate Playwriting Australia Playwright- in-Residence, which has been a fantastic learning experience and allowed me the chance to write for the Griffin show Lovely Ugly. I have a short play coming up in mid-July at Bondi Pavilion as part of their Bondi Feast festival, and am under commission from Canberra Youth Theatre. I am shortlisted for the ATYP Foundation Commission, and am awaiting results with fingers crossed. I will be undergoing a residency with Arena Theatre Company in October (with director Stephen Nicolazzo) for a new play called Hook Up.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? It’s so hard to narrow this down. I see a lot of theatre, and I am always ready to give the production my open mind and heart, and hope that it will grab me emotionally. I love theatre that cares, and that wants to leave you with a strong feeling at the end, whatever that feeling is. In my early theatre-going I was blown away by Kate Gaul’s production of Svetlana in Slingbacks. Neil Armfield’s production of Waiting for Godot in the early-00s brought me such a full understanding of the text. I still can’t forget a touring production of Metamorphosis at Sydney Theatre Company, and the final few moments of beautiful lighting and sound design. I remember kicking and punching the air around me in excitement after Bryony Lavery’s Kursk, and don’t get me started on the use of language in Terminus. I am also inspired by my friends Lachlan Philpott (Truck Stop, Silent Disco) and Jane Bodie (This Year’s Ashes).

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world is to see lots of theatre, good and bad. Try to write all the time (even if what you’re writing feels like it’s going to be crap), and get good people to read it for you. Try to talk to other people in your situation, or a few years above you in the industry, to see what sort of things they worked on. Make friends, genuine friends, in the industry, so that opening nights don’t feel like you’re being publicly crucified. Work on productions in whatever capacity is available, if you want to learn more about theatre. (My time producing and stage managing was so important in helping me realise the nitty-gritty ways in which theatre actually happens). And find ways of nurturing your soul separate to all of this – dogs, the outdoors, pilates, whatever.

Jessica Bellamy is an award-winning playwright and a Griffin Theatre Playwriting Australia Associate Playwright for 2011-12. She holds a Graduate Diploma of Dramatic Art in Playwriting (NIDA) and Bachelor of Arts (Hons)(UNSW). In 2012 she worked as a writer and member of the core artistic team creating Lovely Ugly (Griffin Theatre). In 2011 she premiered Sprout at the Old Fitzroy Theatre (winner of the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights’ Award 2011). She was commissioned to write A Fourth of Nature (a play for 18 young performers) for the ACT Department of Education’s School Spectacular (nominated for 2011 Canberra Area Theatre award), wrote and performed Celebrity Healing for Canberra’s You Are Here Festival and Griffin Theatre’s Griffringe, wrote short plays for NIDA Open Programme, and had a monologue included in ATYP’s Tell It Like It Isn’t called Little Love. This monologue was adapted into a short film, Bat Eyes, directed by Damien Power, and has been chosen as a Vimeo Staff Pick, Short of the Week, and Top 50 finalist of YouTube Your Film competition.

She is currently working on a commission for Canberra Youth Theatre and undertaking a development with Arena Theatre Company in October.

Jessica has tutored playwriting for ‘Workshops in the Arts for People with a Disability’ through Riverside Theatres, and for ATYP. Other work includes Fast Kill and Bill (Griffin Theatre Playoffs 2009/10), and short screenplay Hirsute (Melbourne Underground Film Festival 2010), as well as collaborating on a writer-led Griffringe project, A Very Crappy Christmas.

DAVID BERTHOLD

ATYP staff in 2002: (back, l-r) David Berthold (AD ATYP), Timothy Jones, Michael Huxley, Aaron Beach, Jessica Read-Brain; (front, l-r) Jessica Symes and Jessica Machin.

David Berthold’s career as ATYP Artistic Director, required master class tutoring, presenting at National Studios, and directing productions, including:

Spurboard, 6 Nov, 1999 (ATYP, in assoc. with STC Education Programme)
The Dance of Jeremiah, 3 May, 2000
National Studio, 1 Jul, 2000 (First National Studio, at Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs)
Birds, 23 Aug, 2000 (ATYP, in assoc. with Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival)
Spurboard – tour, 11 Oct, 2000
Edward 2, 8 Mar, 2001
The Massacre at Paris, 15 Mar, 2001
Kinderspiel – Out of Bounds, 05 Jan, 2002 (ATYPin collaboration with Theater an der Parkaue, Berlin, and Sydney Festival)
Sparkleshark, 22 Apr, 2002
National Studio, 18 Jul, 2002 (Glen Helen, NT)
Hamlet, 8 Oct, 2002
atyp Foundation Launch, 15 Feb, 2003
Brokenville, 28 Jun, 2003
Brokenville – UK tour, 17 Jul, 2003 (ATYP’s contribution to the National Theatre’s Shell Connections festival. First Australian company, and the only company from outside the UK and Eire, to be invited to perform at the culminating celebration.)

David Berthold is the Artistic Director and CEO of La Boite Theatre Company in Brisbane, Australia. He took up the position in November 2008.

He is one of Australia’s most prominent theatre directors and has directed for most of Australia’s major theatres companies, as well as internationally. He was Artistic Director of Sydney’s Griffin Theatre Company (2003-2006), transforming it into Australia’s leading new writing theatre and one of the nation’s most visible and successful arts companies; Artistic Director of the Australian Theatre for Young People (1999-2003), building the company into Australia’s flagship theatre for young people – and the world’s largest – with many national and international collaborations; Associate Director of Sydney Theatre Company (1994-99), Australia’s premier theatre company; and Artistic Associate of the Queensland Theatre Company (1991-94). He was the Festival Director of World Interplay 2007, the world’s largest festival of young playwrights.

David has kindly agreed to ATYP re-printing his Carving in the Snow blog post of Sunday, March 10, 2013: Nicole Kidman and my knee.

Nicole Kidman placed her hand on my knee. I blushed. She said to relax and not to worry. We were in her trailer at Fox Studios during filming of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, just shortly before Christmas 1999. Kim Williams, then head of Fox Studios, was also there, along with Angela Bowne SC. Who knew what would happen? Nicole then put her money on the table, and asked Kim to match it. Kim immediately did, but then to his continuing credit offered to call David Leckie, then head of the Nine Network, asking that Nine match it too. Kim was true to his word, as ever, David happily agreed, and then a few days later the Australian Theatre for Young People had close to half a million dollars over three years.

I recalled this moment at the 50th Anniversary gathering of ATYP at The Wharf in Sydney on 23 February. It was a moment that enabled transformation. I had been appointed Artistic Director of ATYP earlier that year and knew of the challenges facing a company that needed, and was inviting, change.

The Board had asked me to look into a particular possibility: that the company live up to the promise of national reach inherent in its name. It’s difficult to make anything in Australia national – geography is tyrannous – but ATYP has had that promise embedded in its very identifier since 1963.

We went about meeting the challenge in a few ways. Why don’t we ask 30 youth arts companies from right across the nation, from small regional towns to capital cities, to each send a young artist to something we’d call the National Studio? There they’d meet and work with some of the best professional artists we could muster. Where better to hold the event than in the middle of the country?

It was a bold idea, but sometimes bold is best. In the first year, we grouped in Alice Springs, and then in the few years after that we met at Glen Helen Gorge, about 130 kilometres from Alice Springs, in the western reaches of the West MacDonnell Ranges on the banks of the Finke, the world’s oldest river. Nick Enright, Meryl Tankard, Deborah Cheetham, Kate Champion, Benedict Andrews, Gideon Obarzanek and many other artists of the highest calibre joined us for ten days of free and creative collaboration in the Australian desert. Thanks to Qantas and Coca Cola Amatil, we were able to make the event free. For many of these young people, and for one or two of the artists, it was the first experience of the ineffable wonder of Central Australia.

To be national in Australia also means to be regional. So we created a raft of long-term creative residencies in the Pilbara in WA, in the Northern Territory, in Walgett in Far West NSW, in the Upper Hunter of NSW, and in Tasmania. For sometimes months on end, and returning annually, resident artists encouraged communities to better understand and enjoy the connections between the arts and living.

To be national also means to be international. So we made a production with Theater an der Parkaue in Berlin – ermany’s largest theatre for young people – which resulted in a fascinating event at the Sydney Opera House as part of Sydney Festival. We forged a close relationship with the National Theatre’s International Connections project in London. This saw an ATYP production invited to London’s NT, and then an NT Young Company production head to the SOH.

These were remarkable days. About 6,000 young people aged between three and 26 engaged in our work every year – that’s not audiences, that’s young people doing things. My own memories though, which I shared on that anniversary weekend, are tied up with people, not projects. That’s often so in life. I remember, in particular, three extraordinarily driven women – Carolyn Fletcher, Popsy Albert and Angela Bowne – who encouraged me to believe. I remember the friends I made, bright young people, now into their 30s, who remain some of my very closest, and still bright, companions in life and art.

Long may ATYP prosper.

JAMES BROWNE

ATYP’s Lucky, 2002; Set and Costume Design by James Browne, photo: Phil Sheather.

I was the set and costume designer for Toby Schmitz’s Lucky in 2002, directed by Tim Jones. It was my first show in Sydney after I graduated from WAAPA in design in 2001. ATYP gave me an opportunity to show my work to the Sydney industry and make friends with industry professionals. WAAPA is so far away that no one from over East gets to see your work live, so it was a great experience and opened some great doors.

I am currently working on the Certified Male national tour with Glynn Nicholas, and Trevor Ashley’s next production, TrAnnie, at the Opera House.

Inspirations: Royal De Luxe street theatre performance Parfum D’Amnesie was life-changing for me as a child. A Matter of Life and Death at London’s National Theatre was achingly brilliant and the design for Love Never Dies blew my hair back.

To young people who want to take on the theatre world: Find what you love and what you are good at. Chances are there will be an audience for you. Don’t give up and keep pushing forward no matter what.

James graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2001 with a degree in Set and Costume Design, before attending the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Art Direction.

He has designed in all facets of the field in theatre, film and events. James designed the sets for the Love Cooking Festival in London as well as Jamie Oliver’s live stadium show in Melbourne and Rick Stein’s show in New Zealand. Event designs include the Prague Castle for the Visa Board Dinner, the Australian Jockey Club in 2007 and various floats in the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. James has worked on television shows such as Survivor, All Saints and Australian Idol.

James designed a development production of Faust for the Sydney Theatre Company and costumes for New Breed for the Sydney Dance Company. Other theatre design credits include Love Bites, Fat Swan, Side by Side, Ordinary Days, The Last 5 Years, the Singapore Theatre Practice, Iota, NIDA, the Human Nature Motown National Tour, and Just for Laughs at the Sydney Opera House starring John Cleese. James was Associate Designer on Graeme Murphy’s Aida for Opera Australia and Stuart Maunder’s SHOUT! James’ set for Reg Livermore’s Turns (national tour) was nominated for the 2012 Greenroom Awards.

James has been the resident designer at the Australian Institute of Music for five years working with music theatre students on their major productions, as well as mentoring and teaching students and teachers in design.

James has recently designed for David Campbell’s Let’s Go national 2012 tour. Currently James is working on Glynn Nicolas’ remount of Certified Male, which will tour nationally, a development production of Faust with Performing Lines and a new ballet work with the Australian Ballet.

Later in the year James will be working on Trevor Ashley’s next production, TrAnnie, at the Opera House.

A portfolio of James’ design work can be viewed at his website, WWW.JAMESBROWNEPRESENTS.COM

MITCHELL BUTEL

Michela Noonan, Juliet, and Mitchell Butel, as Friar Lawrence, in ATYP’s Romeo and Juliet, 1990, proof sheet photo: Robert McFarlane

As an actor, Mitchell Butel’s productions at ATYP are:
Burger Brain, the Fast Food Musical, 1988,
Romeo & Juliet, 1990,
and he appeared as a performer at Behind the Red Curtain fundraiser for Baz Luhrmann’s investiture as ATYP Ambassador in 2005.

Mitchell’s theatre credits include Meow Meow’s Little Match Girl (Malthouse/Sydney Festival); A Life in Three Acts (Sydney Festival); Summer Rain, Harbour, The Republic of Myopia, Mourning Becomes Electra, Tartuffe, Two Weeks with the Queen, Dead White Males, The Café Latte Kid, Summer of the Aliens, Six Degrees of Separation (Sydney Theatre Company); The Grenade, The Madwoman of Chaillot, Tomfoolery, Urinetown, Piaf (Melbourne Theatre Company); Stones in his Pockets, The Venetian Twins (Queensland Theatre Company); Othello (Bell Shakespeare); The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, The Laramie Project, A View from the Bridge, Dead Heart (Company B Belvoir); Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love (State Theatre Company SA); Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Ensemble Theatre); Mad, Bad and Spooky (Theatre of Image); Blue Remembered Hills (O’Punsksky’s); Boeing Boeing (Dainty/New Theatricals) and Woyzeck (Malthouse).

Music theatre credits include the roles of Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q (Arts Asia Pacific); Assassins (Silo Theatre, NZ); Kismet, Sugar, Little Me, Oklahoma, Hair (The Production Company); Dusty (Dusty Productions); Man of La Mancha (Gordon Frost/SEL); Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Little Shop of Horrors (David Atkins Enterprises); Elegies (The NIDA Company); The Beggar’s Opera and Dunstan and the Devil (Opera Australia); The Fantasticks (Newtown Actors Group); Follies and Bernadette Peters in Concert (Sydney Opera House).

Mitchell has appeared in three solo cabaret shows, Mitchell Butel’s Excellent Adventure, And Now for the Weather and Killing Time for the 2010 Adelaide Cabaret Festival (which is available on CD), and is the voice of the Playschool theme song.

Feature film credits include Gettin’ Square, The Bank, Strange Fits of Passion, Dark City, Virtual Nightmare and Two Hands.

TV credits include Stephen King’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes, MDA, Grass Roots, Wildside, Murder Call, All Saints, Twisted Tales, Close Ups, Bordertown, GP and he fixed the Big Red Car in The Wiggles’ Toot Toot.

Mitchell received Helpmann Awards for Best Actor in a Musical for The Venetian Twins and Avenue Q, Helpmann nominations for Little Me, Summer Rain and The Republic of Myopia, Green Room Awards for Hair and Piaf, Green Room nominations for Avenue Q, Little Me and Oklahoma, and AFI nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film for Gettin’ Square and Strange Fits of Passion.

Last year, Mitchell appeared as Ko-Ko in Opera Australia’s The Mikado which is now available on DVD and CD.

ARIANE CAMPBELL

Ariane Campbell (left) and Aaron Ellis in ATYP’s Standing Room Only, 1997. Photo: Alan Lovell (c)

Ariane performed in the street-theatre production, Standing Room Only, directed by Julian Louis, which opened 26 Jan, 1997, in Circular Quay, and played there and in various CBD locations.

I began studying acting at ATYP with Julian Louis, Felix Williamson and David Berthold when I was 15 years old. I took a job at the cinemas on George Street to pay for my classes and to make real my dream of being an actor on screen. I remember being captivated and somewhat mesmerized by the studios and location – they are wonderful. ATYP gave me quality training, great stage experience, a strong introduction to working on camera and provided me the opportunity to work with excellent teachers, actors, Network Television and the Griffin Theatre Company. My ATYP training has held me in good stead for all the work I have done and am doing in New York. Thank you, ATYP!!!

Ariane Campbell is a conservatory-trained actor and thrice-produced playwright from Sydney, Australia, who now resides in New York. She will be featured in an upcoming episode of Veep for HBO, where she worked alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Sarah Sutherland. This spring, Campbell is a featured model in Maybelline New York’s Modern Modern Mod and Rebel Chic campaigns, shot by Seth Hagenstein, and produced by Iced Media, where she worked with Dani Seitz.

An outstanding and versatile chameleon, Campbell graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York City, where she was granted a full merit scholarship based on her exceptional audition for the legendary American Acting Teacher and Director, Jackie Bartone. Her roles at the Academy under the mentorship of Bartone include Electra in Euripides’ Electra, Raina in Arms and the Man by GB Shaw and Jane Banbury in Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels.

Campbell’s work in Australia includes Master Classes with Director, Kate Gaul, a lead role in Standing Room Only alongside Abbie Cornish, at the Australian Theatre for Young People, a featured role in Witness: the Murder of Leigh Leigh for the Channel 7 Network, and Intensive Study in Shakespeare, Stage and Screen, with Jennifer Hagan, Peter Mochrie and Timothy Elston at NIDA.

Campbell has written and produced three plays: Deep in It (Manhattan Repertory Theatre, NYC), Defences (Awarded an Australian Writers’ Guild Mentorship Award; Manhattan Repertory Theatre, NYC, The Griffin Theatre, Sydney, The Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney) and Welcome to Centrelink Hell (Newtown Theatre, Sydney)

A rock ‘n roll front-woman of note, Campbell is also a songwriter, singer and guitarist who is producing her first album with Koritni and Mastering Engineer, Ryan Smith (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, AC/DC) at Sterling Sound in New York.

SALVATORE COCO

Australian-born Salvatore Coco has been an actor, singer, voice artist, master of ceremonies and entertainer for over 20yrs. Internationally recognised, Salvatore made his illustrious debut on Australian Television in 1993 as the witty wiseguy, schoolyard entrepreneur, Con Bordino, in the successful production of the television series Heartbreak High, and thereafter starring as the notorious enforcer of the Golden Mile, Harry “Hammer” Hamoud, brother and guardian to Sydney night club owner, John Ibrahim, in the winner of the 2011 TV Week Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Tele-movie Underbelly III – The Golden Mile. 2RN ABC National Breakfast Radio THIS WEEK ON YOUR TV critic, Sue Turnbull, in 2010 describeses Salvatore as “…a quite extraordinary actor of a standout performance – the Sean Penn of Australia”, for delivering a star performance in the Kings Cross-set drama series, Underbelly III – The Golden Mile.

From the early age of nine, Salvatore joined a theatrical institute where he was trained in acting, singing, dance and musical theatre, developing into one of Australia’s foremost performing artists.

Since his early years with ATYP, Salvatore sought to broaden his theatrical schooling by studying the realistic techniques of Konstantin Stanislavski, Sanford Meisner, David Mamet and Practical Aesthetics. With a solid education in acting, his ability to diversify and deliver a versatile performance style is a testament to his acting credentials to date.

His feature film credits prior to his debut lead role as the well-meaning if deluded Joey Grasso in Shirley Barrett’s Walk the Talk, included roles in Melina Marchetta’s Looking for Alibrandi, Dein Perry’s Bootmen and Gregor Jordon’s award winning Two Hands. With the release of Walk the Talk, critics raved about this Australian comedy set on the Queensland Gold Coast, that focused on the character, Joey Grasso,, a wide-eyed optimistic talent agent fueled entirely by self-help manuals.

“….thanks to Coco’s delicious performance, as a wonderful character, the type that Walter Matthau might once have portrayed.”

David Stratton, Weekly Variety

“….Coco, in a splendid performance – all wide eyes, relentless jabbering and repressed tension – is a great example of the importance of playing even the most sarcastic comedy perfectly straight.”

Adrian Martin, The Age

“Salvatore offers just the right combination to create a complex character.”

Andrew L.Urban, Urban.cinefile.com

2012 – Salvatore performed at the 11th Short+Sweet theatre festival in the pond by Con Nats. Salvatore with co-star Ro Dempsey delivered a series of magnificent performances which swayed the judges to make the pond their top pick of Week 6 of the festival which will see the pond at the Gala Night of Short+Sweet March 30th & 31st, 2012 at the Seymour Centre, Sydney. Not only did it win the judges’ vote it ran 3rd in the Popular vote by the audience.

FREYA DESMARAIS

Assistant Director, Jessica Tuckwell, Janet Diane and Freya (Madelaine) Desmarais in ATYP’s Craving, 2006, photo: Giselle Haber.

I moved to Sydney from New Zealand in 2004 and was keen on acting so I got involved in after-school classes. These taught me so much – I was at a real advantage. I learned the fundamental principles of drama, improvisation and story-telling that still help me today.

In 2006, in my final year of high school, I was in the production Craving in the Richard Wherrett Studio, Sydney Theatre, directed by Bronwyn Purvis and assistant-directed by Jessica Tuckwell. Again, here, I learned so much and had so much fun in the process as well. It was a wonderful production and I’m still really proud to have been a part of it.

Not only did I learn a lot and have fun through these experiences but I was utterly inspired by my interactions with ATYP, and have no doubt that it sowed the seeds for my life-long love and passion for theatre.

I moved back to New Zealand at the end of my HSC to study Film, Theatre and Gender and Women’s Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. During my theatre degree I became interested in writing and directing, and wrote and directed my first show, There’s So Much To Live For, at BATS Theatre in Wellington for the 2011 Fringe Festival.

In August 2011 I produced and wrote the segment The Girls for 6 Little Plays 4 Christchurch, an initiative I organised, where heaps of people in the New Zealand theatre community came together to write, direct and perform new New Zealand work, with all of the proceeds going towards the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal for Christchurch. I’m pretty sure I was influenced by the atyp 3 Little Fears in the naming of that one!

That same month I was also Assistant Director on Hearts Encoded, a part of the Young and Hungry Festival of New Writing.

In addition, I directed an excerpt from Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom at Studio 77 in Wellington that year.

This year I am writing, co-directing and performing my new one woman show, Home / The Hilarious Comedy of How I Nearly Killed Myself / A Play About How I Nearly Died But Didn’t Then Learned A Lot About Life Afterward, touring the Auckland and New Zealand Fringe Festivals. I intend to move to Auckland once this is finished and start to focus on comedy writing and performing, hopefully moving into some television and more theatre work.

I wouldn’t have been able to achieve any of these things to such a standard without the learning from ATYP that grounds all of my theatrical endeavours. In fact, my theatre company, Hungry Mile Theatre, that produces all of my work, is named after the very place where my love of theatre began – The Wharf and Hickson Road!

WWW.HUNGRYMILETHEATRE.WEEBLY.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/HUNGRYMILETHEATRE

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? That’s a really hard one. I really clearly remember seeing 17 at ATYP and being really inspired by it. Request Programme at STC a couple of years after really floored me in a completely different way.

In New Zealand I’ve seen some really great work as well, but I wouldn’t be able to name a favourite. The Intricate Art of Actually Caring is a great show by a Wellington collective. I have favourite theatre companies though – my accomplice and Binge Culture Collective in Wellington are awesome, as is Trick of the Light.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world is the sooner you learn that theatre is a collaborative art, the better.

It’s okay to be confident but don’t be arrogant, you’ll only make a fool of yourself. The difference between them is confidence, where you think you’re great and others are great. When you’re arrogant there’s no room for anyone else. You’ll end up a bit of a nigel, no mates in the end, if you subscribe to that.

Help each other out. Give each other a hand. Share your learning and experiences in a generous and kind way. Realise the power that theatre can have and embrace it. Love what you do.

TOBHIYAH FELLER

Hannah Pollard in ATYP’s Desiree Din and the Red Forest, 2010, set designed by Tobhiyah Feller,
photo: Alex Vaughan.

Tobhiyah as Set Designer (and Costume Designer) for ATYP productions:

This Territory, 8 Mar, 2007
Battlegrounds, 5 Feb, 2008
Bustown, 25 Sep, 2009 (also Costume Designer)
The Laramie Project, 11 Mar, 2010
Desiree Din and the Red Forest, 18 Nov, 2010 (also Costume Designer), and

– as Design Assistant:
Stories in the Dark, 5 May, 2007.

‘…HAUNTING AND SEAMLESS…’ ‘…INVENTIVE…’ ‘…ATMOSPHERIC AND STRONG…’

Tobhiyah is a Sydney based designer specialising in Set and Costume Design for live performance.

My contemporary approach to Design is informed by a background in Sculpture and Installation Art, which I studied at CoFA, UNSW, prior to graduating from the NIDA design course in 2005.

I approach my design work with thorough attention to text analysis and research. I delve into the real and the metaphoric territory of a production to make informed and imaginative design choices. During my career to date I have developed strong working relationships with: Australian Theatre for Young People, Dept. Education and Training and Australian Academy of Dramatic Art, and have collaborated with directors: Iain Sinclair, Lee Lewis, Kate Gaul, Paul Viles and Fraser Corfield.

Professional design credits include; Anna Robi and The House of Dogs (Old Fitz./Brisbane Festival), Desiree Din and The Red Forest, Bustown, The Laramie Project (ATYP), This Territory (ATYP/PYT), Blood Wedding (AADA), The Grandfathers, Bassett, Fugee, Totally Over You, The Elephant Man (NSW Public Schools’ Drama Company), My Name is SUD (Blacktown Arts Centre), Human Resources (Siren Theatre Co.), Les Miserables (Alexander Productions), Wild Tales (State of Play), The Messenger (Canberra Youth Theatre), The Magic Pudding, Cinderella (Marian St Theatre) and A View of Concrete (BSharp). She has recently begun a design collaboration Stukel Stone with DANIEL BEASLY ARCHITECTURE and together they designed the interior refurbishment for the Fig Tree Theatre, UNSW.

ATYP was where I cut my teeth as a recent graduate from NIDA. Significant experiences include: the opportunity to collaborate with a professional creative team on This Territory PYT/ATYP 2006; meeting what I hope will be a life-long friend, performer and photographer Alex Vaughan; the artistic liberation I experienced in my collaboration with director Amy Hardingham on the 2009 production of Lachlan Philpott’s Bustown; the joy of working alongside Fraser Corfield on The Laramie Project, with projection design by Gabe Clark; and the honour of bringing to life costume/character designs by children’s book illustrator and cartoonist Rod Clement on Max Mellor’s commissioned play Desiree Din and the Red Forest. Although Studio 1, The Wharf, poses many problems including site lines (those darn columns!), limited rigging points, no wings or fly tower… this space is a hot-bed for creativity tempered only by the deep cool of the harbour beneath.

WWW.TOBHIYAHFELLER.COM

ANTHONY GEE

Anthony Mackey, Anthony Gee and Philippa Smith in ATYP’s Hamlet, 2002. Photo: Phil Sheather (c)

Anthony Gee’s career at ATYP:

Re:Macbeth, 17 Jul, 2001, directed by Timothy Jones.
Kinderspiel – Out of Bounds, 5 Jan, 2002, directed by David Berthold and Manuel Schobel.
Hamlet, 5 Oct, 2002, David Berthold.
Brokenville, 30 Jun, 2003, directed by David Berthold.
Brokenville, 17 Jul, 2003 (UK tour to the National Theatre’s Shell Connections’ Big Youth festival)
Beatrice, 7 Oct, 2003, directed by Timothy Jones.
The Big Birthday Bash – Beatrice Ensemble, 23 Nov, 2003.

Acting Life began for me, as I assume it does for a lot of Sydney actors, with an audition at ATYP.

A mate and I caught the train from Campbelltown to Circular Quay, no small deal back then, and made that windy walk from the station to the Wharf where I auditioned for David Berthold and Tim Jones – two friendly, if slightly odd gents who I vaguely understood at the time to be ‘directors’ (“theatre people”, my mate scoffed).

The audition was for one of those brilliant but now defunct Lend Lease Scholarships that allowed a few lucky boys/girls to attend classes at ATYP for free, for a whole year.

I was neither hopeful nor nervous – it was my first audition and besides having no frame of reference for what that actually meant, I absolutely didn’t think I had a chance in hell of getting a scholarship to “some fancy city acting shit”, so – why get nervous? I just needed ‘the experience’.

But after a couple of rushed goes of Doug from Cosi (I was kindly corrected on the pronunciation of ‘Oedipal’ after my 2nd crack)… I was miraculously given one of the damn things.

It changed my life.

ATYP was good for me in lots of ways. I completely attribute my being an actor to having gotten that scholarship and working on those shows. They were great opportunities. I arguably learnt more during that time than I did at drama school and met some incredible people along the way. I loved every minute I spent there.

Best Things? There’s been heaps but here’s a couple:

Liev Schreiber playing Eddie in A View From The Bridge (Cort Theatre, Boradway, maybe the best performance I’ve ever witnessed.
Benedict Andrews’ STC production of Endgame was the first proper challenge I ever had in the theatre.
Iain Sinclair’s Hurly Burly for Stalemates (Griffin), independent Theatre at its best: sexy and dangerous.
…and of course, Berthold’s take on Marlowe’s The Massacre At Paris, for ATYP! It was the first play I ever saw, and it single handedly obliterated the stuffy/boring misconception I had of “Theatre”. I remember going back to school the next day and telling my mates, “theatre is mad! There were heaps of nuns pashing and naked dudes stabbing each other, and…”

Advice? Read heaps of plays. Watch heaps of plays. Make sure it’s fun. Keep going to ATYP.

CREDITS

Theatre: Empire – Terror on the High Seas (TRS), Alphabet of Arousal (STC Rough Drafts), The Boys (Griffin), ROPE (TRS), The Distance From Here (Griffin Independent), Strangers In-Between (Griffin), Capture The Flag (TRS).

TV: Crownies, Underbelly: Razor, Packed To The Rafters, Rescue: Special Ops, The Strip, All Saints, Home & Away.

Film: Around The Block, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Shorts: Black & White, Boundless, Shot Open, Awful (& Other Tricks).

Training: NIDA.

NEIL GOODING

Letitia Davy and Neil Gooding in ATYP’s Songforce, 2001, photo: Wendy McDougall

Neil was a member of the cast of ATYP’s Songforce, 7 Jul, 2001.

Neil most recently produced and directed Oliver at Riverside Theatres. In 2009, he produced and directed Sing On Through Tomorrow – The Music Of Matthew Robinson, as well as a tour of Love Letters starring Ian Stenlake and Rachael Beck. He was also one of the producers of the hit Australian play Holding The Man in the West End, starring Jane Turner and Simon Burke, as well as producing and directing LOVEBiTES by Peter Rutherford and James Millar for a season in Perth.

Neil is one of the producers of Breast Wishes – a new Australian musical which premiered and toured in 2009, and just completed a six-month regional tour in 2011. Neil also recently directed and produced the Australian premiere of Gutenberg! The Musical!

In 2008, Neil produced (with WhiteBox) the World Premiere of The Hatpin starring Caroline O’Connor, Peter Cousens, Barry Crocker AM and Melle Stewart, which then went on to perform at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in September 2008. Neil also served as the Assistant Director on both of these productions.

Neil recently established In The Pipeline – a not-for-profit organisation which has been set up to develop new Australian theatrical works and writers. The first workshops for In The Pipeline will be held in 2011.

For several years, Neil was employed by Jacobsen Entertainment, where he responsible for the financial administration of the Arena Productions of The Man From Snowy River Arena Spectacular, the Long Way To The Top concert series, De La Guarda and Dirty Dancing, as well as being the tour accountant on the road with Ja Rule & Ashanti in 2003.

In 2005, Neil spent several months contracting to Jacobsen Entertainment exploring the potential of overseas productions of Dirty Dancing. Neil also worked for Delta Goodrem and toured Australia as her Tour Accountant on her Visualise Tour.

As a director, Neil has been nominated for a 2009 Helpmann Award as well as a 2009 Green Room Award for his direction of Gutenberg! The Musical.

He has worked on many projects including LOVEBiTES, Yarn (for AIM) Diciasette (for Mark Vincent), Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Little Touch Of Chaos (New Musicals Australia), Back To The 80’s, The Road To Bethlehem for Short, Sweet+Song (which was awarded the Best Australian work), the Kookaburra workshop of The Silver Donkey, Keeping Annabelle for Short+Sweet 2007, Listen To My Heart, and the two workshops of new Australian musical The Hatpin.

Neil was Assistant Director / Ensemble Director for the launch concert of Kookaburra Music Theatre Company, directed by Gale Edwards, and also directed Building A Wing – a 10-minute musical for the inaugural Short, Sweet+Song competition. This piece was voted by the judges as the Winner of the Best Musical. Neil has also recently directed Nick Christo’s cabaret show The Fabulous Frances Faye. The show was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Critics Award, and was presented in New York in 2010 at Don’t Tell Mammas. This year, Neil will be directing Side By Side By Sondheim in Sydney, as well as a national tour of Love Letters starring Ian Stenlake and Rachael Beck.

Neil is the author of Back To The 80’s which is now produced hundreds of times around the world every year. He produced and directed a production of Back To The 80’s starring Bruce Samazan in 2004. He established Fast & Fresh, the under-18 short play competition which is the offshoot of Short+Sweet – the largest short play festival in the world. 2011 will mark the 6th year of this successful competition.

Neil has been awarded a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Law, both from the University of Queensland.

FELICITY JURD

Felicity Jurd at ATYP Performance Day, 11 Dec, 2005.

ATYP, for me, is a place where anything is possible; performing both new and classical plays, cool guest teachers, performances in all genres, making fantastic lifelong friendships and the chance to perform in professional-level shows at great theatres. I had so much fun whilst receiving topnotch training in stage, camera, voice and movement at ATYP. It gave me a real understanding of the dedication and hard work involved, to work professionally in Australia and overseas.

Felicity Jurd started out with holiday workshops and then took classes in acting, improvisation and camera. At 17, Felicity auditioned for and won the ATYP 12-month scholarship using Edmund’s speech from King Lear, and so began her total immersion in classes of all styles most days of each week.

Her first play with ATYP was Henry V directed by Antoinette Blaxland which had real horses and real battlefields! Just incredible! She then played 20 different small characters in The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, directed by Michael Gow for ATYP and the Sydney Festival. Michael Gow asked her to choreograph the dance sequences when he saw her rehearsing her own choreography side stage.

At 21, Felicity went to train at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York. On her return, she was invited to teach workshops at ATYP and commenced devising theatre shows for young people including for the opening of the Bowraville Theatre in Northern NSW. Awards: Golden Coat Hanger for Best Acting Tutor at ATYP in 2002, and Best Staff Member at ATYP in 2003!

During this time, she also worked full-time as Acting Artistic Associate and then later as part-time Workshop Co-ordinator, before landing a job working on The Lion King (Aust), full-time, as an acting and dance coach to the young Simbas and Nalas.

Credits include: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (UK), Playing with Fire (UK), Green Means Stop (UK), Souvenir, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Chambres, I May Fly (New York, Sydney and London), The Vegemite Tales (West End, London), Land of Hope, Home and Away, A Country Practice. TV commercials include: Samsung Galaxy, Little Angels (UK), Richmond Mini Meatballs (UK), Fanta Sours, eHarmony (Aust), Nurofen (Aust) and AMI Insurance (NZ), Channel 5 Launch of Wentworth, Mediawatch on ABC TV and a 5-part ALDI Liquor commercial campaign.

Felicity is currently teaching voice and acting at International Screen Academy, Actors Centre Australia and NIDA, and has recently been a vocal coach assisting the actors on three plays, for directors such as Kate Gaul, Joseph Uchitel and Priscilla Jackman.

LELAND KEAN

Scene from ATYP’s Henry V, 1994, photo: Skeet.

Leland’s ATYP career, as actor:

Stars, 23 Nov, 1994 (Festival of Young People’s Theatre – Hot Young Things)
Henry V, 18 Jul, 1994
The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, 1 Jan, 1995,

as co-Playwright, with Francesca Smith, and Assistant Director:

Suicide Blonde, 30 Aug, 1996 (Festival of Young People’s Theatre – Hot Young Things)

as guest presenter on a panel:

Get Your Show On – Forum, 1 Sep, 2005.

ATYP was an integral part of my development as a theatre artist. It provided me with a group of like-minded individuals and tutors with passion and vision for the craft. It gave me a wonderful platform to launch a career as a young independent artist and a community to support and create with. It’s a community I still work and connect with today, 18 years on.

Leland has over fifteen years directing, dramaturgy, design, producing and venue management experience which includes nine years with Tamarama Rock Surfers and the Old Fitzroy theatre, six of these as Artistic Director.

Since graduating from the NIDA directors’ course in 1997, his career has been dedicated to the development and production of new Australian writing and contemporary performance practice.

Under his tenure as Artistic Director, Leland has been responsible for the programming and presentation of over 40 main stage productions and five annual programs, 2005 A Season of Heaven, 2006 Blow it Up, 2007 Season of Rock, 2008 A Wave of Words and 2009 Fragments from the Fringe.

In 2010, Leland established the Rock Surfers’ second venue at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre. His directing credits include Rock, Paper, Scissors by John Ad Fraser, THRALL by Sue Smith, Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset by Stephen Carlton, This Blasted Earth – A Christmas Miracle with music by Toby Schmitz and music by Tim Minchin, Cu*t Pi by Toby Schmitz, Harrys’ Christmas by Steven Berkoff (TRS), Woyzeck (0ne Man Prod.), ATM (Sydney Festival 2002), Happy New and Men by Brendan Cowell (Rogue Star Prod. 2000-01) Where the Wild Things Are (Naked Eye Prod.), Blasted by Sarah Kane (NIDA) and How to Act Around Cops by Logan Brown(Shaman Prod.).

He was Associate Director on Cross Sections by Suzie Miller (TRS) in 2004, and for the return season at the Sydney Opera House in 2005.

He is a regular dramaturge with key organization, Playwriting Australia, a committee member of the Critical Stages touring program and a tutor of the NIDA Directors’ Course.

HANNAH LIDDY

Lisa Kowalski, Hannah Liddy and Elisha Oliver in ATYP’s 17, by Michael Gow, 2005, photo: Giselle Haber

Hannah Liddy’s career at ATYP, as actor:

ATYP Foundation Launch, 15 Feb, 2003
A Touch of Cabaret, 23 Jul, 2003
Beatrice, 7 Oct, 2003
The Big Birthday Bash, (ATYP 40th Anniversary party), part of the Beatrice ensemble, 23 Nov, 2003
17, 23 Apr, 2005
Boy Overboard – tour, 14 Mar, 2006
3 Little Fears: The Chicken or the Egg, 9 Jul, 2006;

… as ATYP representative or creative for the Community Programme:

Clown Around at Westmead Hospital, 25 Feb, 2004 (co-Director, with Vanessa O’Neill)
ATYP Christmas Angels, 2002-2009 (participant then Director)
Ed Expo, 23 Jun, 2007;

…and as ATYP tutor, 2003-2009.

Hannah is a graduate of both the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne. She has a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts, Acting (VCA). Hannah also completed a dance internship at Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in NYC.

As a performer Hannah has performed nationally and internationally and has appeared in Australian premieres of works by Kate Champion, Louis Nowra, Michael Gow, Patricia Cornelius and Tanya Gerstle.

She has worked as a Director, Choreographer and Theatre Maker with companies such as The Australian Theatre for Young People, The City of Sydney, The Sydney Dance Company, The Sony Foundation, The Australian Girls’ Choir, The National Institute of Youth Performing Arts and is a National Production Judge for the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge.

Hannah is the current Associate Director of St Martin’s Youth Arts Centre in Melbourne, and Associate Artist in the acclaimed Melbourne Performance Ensemble ‘Optic Nerve’.

My involvement with ATYP, and its effect on my life? Productions: Beatrice (2003), 17 (2005), Boy Overboard (2006) – Adelaide Tour. Events: Foundation Launch, Fox Studios Fundraiser, Sony Foundation, 40th Birthday Bash. Workshop Tutor: 2003-2009. Director – ATYP Angels: 2007-2009.

ATYP was so full of gorgeous, wild, genuine, GOOD people. It taught me to always choose joy in life, and my work in the theatre. At ATYP, everyone with a warm heart, and a generous spirit just belonged. It was too fabulous for words.

After graduating VCA (Acting) 2009, I became Associate Director of St Martin’s Youth Arts Centre, and I work as a performer in Melbourne Performance Ensemble, ‘Optic Nerve’.

The best thing I have ever seen on stage? Un Peu de Tendresse Bordel de Merde (A little tenderness for crying out loud) – Dave St Pierre & Company.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Find marvellous people to play with…

DANIELLE LONNON

Danielle Lonnon, as the Press Gallery Sky Lark, in the suit, left of the bird in Post-it Notes,
in ATYP’s Birds, 2000, photo: Gael le Boulicault (c).

I started taking acting and voice classes at ATYP from about the age of 17. I was known as a musician at school (playing the saxophone and other instruments) however I wanted to have a real go at acting rather than being the token musician who could do a bit of acting. So I thought I would try some classes at ATYP.

I didn’t think I was the best essay writer at school. I was much better at vocalising my thoughts. Acting is about vocalising a thought process, and the acting classes gave me greater experience in this process, which in turn helped my essay writing. For that alone I’m very grateful to ATYP.

Early 2000, I was asked to meet with the then Artistic Director and General Manager David Berthold and Tim Jones. I wanted to work in the theatre but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a stage manager. I assisted Tim on a play where I think I became a mixture of the Assistant Director/Dramaturge, and in a light bulb-moment, Company Manager. It was then and there that I decided a Company Manager is what I wanted to be.

Also at this time the ATYP was about to start auditions and rehearsals for the production of Birds which was to be performed at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival. David Berthold asked me to audition – and I thought he was crazy. I thought: I’m a backstage person, but then I thought, why not? So I auditioned on my saxophone and with a Shakespeare monologue. Happy to say I was given a part as a Press Gallery Sky Lark.

I have also been lucky enough to be employed by ATYP. Albeit very briefly, I worked in the administration office, and helped with school holidays workshops and I was a tutor for some musical theatre workshops.

ATYP was the start of my theatre career and for that I hold a big place in my heart for the company.

I now work for Opera Australia. I have been here for two years. The first year I worked in Company Office as one of two Assistant Company Managers. I now work as the Special Projects Co-Ordinator, which allows me to work on small projects for different departments. Each project is different but normally consists of the same formula: a little planning, a medium amount of co-ordination and a lot of excel spreadsheets. Who would have thought that year 9 maths, accounting and business would come in so handy?

The best thing I have seen on stage? This has been a really hard question and I have thought long and hard for my answer. In third place, was Starlight Express Sydney Showground, 1988. Theatre and music combined. Right there and then, I thought, “Right! This is what I want to do.”

Second place is The Royal Family, Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 2001. Judi Dench is my hero, and I so desperately wanted to see her on stage. She was amazing, breathtaking and worth every penny. The show’s cast and crew list was a who’s who of British theatre. Directed by Peter Hall and staring just to name a few: Judi Dench, Harriet Walter, Julia McKenzie, Toby Stephens, Peter Bowles, Peter Blythe and Emily Blunt .

First place is Private Lives by Noel Coward, Albery Theatre, London, 2001. It starred Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan, The Noel Coward wit and the timing of the actors were in such unison, that it made a very enjoyable night at the theatre. It also may have helped that a week before, I had met Mr Rickman at a RADA event at the Old Vic. After talking to him, and via his Company Manager, we were given house seats to see the show.

My advice to young people who want to take on the theatre world? Like anything in life, working in the theatre takes time and patience, and I won’t lie, there are many disappointments. However if you do take on the challenge, learn from your disappointments and then become successful in your chosen field, the reward of knowing that “you did it” is worth its weight in gold. I wouldn’t have my life any other way.

Having studied at ATYP, Danielle also studied Film and Television Production at North Sydney TAFE. She has also taken courses and classes and NIDA (Sydney) and Central School of Speech and Drama (London) in technical theatre and arts administration.

Since then Danielle has worked both here and in the UK in various production and administrative roles.

Selected career highlights are working with the Royal Shakespeare Company,1999, The Entertainment Team London, 2001, Arts Theatre London – Closer to Heaven and The Vagina Monologues, 2002, Cats UK Tour, 2004, Dirty Dancing, 2005, Christchurch Arts Festival, 2006, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 2007, Assembly @ The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2009, and Opera Australia, 2010.

ALYSSA MCCLELLAND

Alyssa McClelland in atyp’s Outpatients, 2001, photo: Wendy McDougall

Alyssa was a cast member of the following atyp productions:
The Don Juan Project, 24 Sep, 1997
Junks, 3 Dec, 1997
Contact, 8 Apr, 2000
Birds, 23 Aug, 2000
Spurboard, 11 Oct, 2000
Re:Macbeth, 17 Jul, 2001
Outpatients, 10 Oct, 2001

Alyssa McClelland is an actress and filmmaker. She studied acting at the Australian Theatre for Young People and in 2002 she received a scholarship from atyp and Lend Lease, to undertake acting training at the prestigious Atlantic Theater Company in New York.

After returning to Australia, Alyssa continued to work professionally as an actor, with lead roles across theatre, film and television, including films such as A Man’s Gotta Do, Deck Dogz, Knowing and Surviving Georgia; television series Water Rats, All Saints, Home And Away, East West 101 and Canal Road, and stage productions with the Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company and Belvoir St Theatre… among many others.

Alyssa also studied filmmaking, completing the competitive Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree in Media Arts and Production at the University of Technology Sydney in 2005. The course fed her passion for film and provided her with a strong foundation in writing and directing.

Her first short film Emilia Eckle was directed, written, co-produced and production-designed by Alyssa, and gained great critical success on the international film festival circuit, playing opening night at the Palm Springs International Shortfest 2009, opening night at the Dungog Film Festival NSW 2009, Opening Night at the Women of the World Festival in Sydney 2011, Los Angeles Shortsfest 2009, BendFilm Festival 2009, The Austin International Film Festival 2009, the San Diego + Newport International Film Festival 2009, Shortfest Adelaide 2009, St Kilda Film Festival 2010 and The Reel Shorts Film Festival 2010 in Alberta Canada, where it was voted in the Top 5 Best Short Films, and for which Alyssa was flown over by the festival co-ordinators as international guest. Qantas also purchased Emilia Eckle for in-flight entertainment.

At the end of 2009 / beginning of 2010, Alyssa directed and produced the short comedy Nic and Shauna, which was chosen to be a finalist for Tropfest 2010. She was one of only two female filmmakers chosen to be one of the sixteen finalists for the competition. The film stars Ryan Johnson and Pia Miranda as a brother/ sister performing duet, planning an exciting path to showbiz stardom when a YouTube video from their childhood goes viral.

Most recently, Alyssa directed an 11-episode web series titled One Step Closer to Home (WWW.ONESTEPCLOSERTOHOME.TV), which was written and produced by herself, with actor Ryan Johnson. The series was released online in December 2011 to critical acclaim. It has notched up an outstanding 98% Funny rating on Funny-or-Die and was recently selected for LA’s 2012 WebFest.

Alyssa is currently developing, with the Cordell-Jigsaw Group, a television series that she created with Pia Miranda. In October 2011 she directed her first music video for Indie band, Belle Roscoe, in Paris.

ZOE NAYLOR

I participated in many of atyp’s workshops while in high school. It felt so stimulating sharing such a creative environment with so many other young creative souls. It was a place where I really felt at home. I remember doing classes with fellow budding thespian, Alyssa McClelland, and thinking, ‘Wow you’re something special.’. I always loved her work. Felix Williamson was one of my teachers and now he is a good friend – how funny! atyp was such a great foundation for my career in the Arts.

Upon graduating from Loreto College, Normanhurst, where she was School Captain, Zoe had early aspirations to be a 60 Minutes journalist. Perhaps because she thought she ought to pursue a ‘serious’ profession. She was awarded the prestigious Channel 7 Communication’s Scholarship to attend Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst.

Zoe then hosted her own radio show, and over the past decade has worked as a producer, journalist and presenter across a wide range of Australia’s best known television programs, some of which include Channel 9 News, A Current Affair, MTV Australia, Escape with ET, RA, The NRL Footy Show, Sportscafe (NZ), Gladiators and most recently, Qantas in-flight Entertainment.

During this time, however, the acting bug returned and she furthered her studies in 2002 with a Masters in Drama from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and quickly made her mark in the theatre community for her work in The Removalists (La Boite) and Song of the Yellow Bittern directed by the acclaimed Maeliosa Stafford. During this time she also trained at the renowned Philippe Gaulier Drama School in London. While working in theatre she received the Critics’ Choice Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her role in They Shoot Horses Don’t They?

Zoe recently starred in Andrew Traucki’s Australian thriller The Reef and had the title role in the exhilarating US sci-fi thriller Robotropolis – due for release later this year.

As an actress, she has appeared in countless productions including: as Regan McLeod, in McLeod’s Daughters, and Jane Durant, in the critically acclaimed New Zealand drama Orange Roughies; along with the American productions Evil Never Dies, Fearless, Virtual Nightmare and Australian feature film, The Book of Revelation.

She is a sought-after MC and Keynote Speaker and often turns her voice to radio and television ads.

Zoe has recently become an opinion leader for Tourism Australia, a regular contributor for Australian Traveller and Road Rider magazines, as well as an ambassador for Ducati motorcycles, riding her very own Monster 696.

For more information visit
WWW.ZOENAYLOR.COM
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ZOENAYLOROFFICIAL
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NAYLORZOE

GEORGE SHEVTSOV

For atyp, George Shevtsov appeared as the Baron in Old Queen Cole, 26 Aug, 1972.

Performing in the atyp production of Old Queen Cole was my first professional gig. My second professional gig lasted 4 years – what a gift.

This is November, 2012 – I am in Sydney playing in Tim Winton’s extraordinary play Signs Of Life – perhaps one of the most important plays for Australia and Australians in this new century. It’s a Black Swan (Perth) and Sydney Theatre Company co-production, at the Sydney Opera House Drama theatre.

The best theatre I have ever seen? I can’t stop thinking about Peter Brook’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute – theatre pared down to its essence. Simple. Clear. Beautiful. Deeply moving. Profoundly human, honest and truthful.

My advice to young people would be that theatre is about humanity. It’s more important now than ever before in a world that is hell-bent on destruction. Put an end to war. Save this abused, glorious planet we live on.

Theatre: Black Swan: Signs of Life, Honour, Life x 3, The Crucible, Proof, Uncle Vanya, Diary of a Madman, Waiting For Godot, Dead Heart, To Whom It May Concern, Closer, Cosi, Ruby’s Last Dollar, Blackrock, The Year of Living Dangerously, Sister Girl, Miss Bosnia, Tourmaline, Midnite. Other Theatre: State Theatre Company of South Australia: The Department, Three Cuckolds, Certified Marriage, Bride of Gospel Place, Major Barbara, Coriolanus. Nimrod: Henry IV (parts I and II), Makassar Reef, Steven Berkoff’s Metamorphosis, Curse of the Starving Class, Slice. Sydney Theatre Company: The Cherry Orchard, Cyrano De Bergerac. Hole in the Wall Theatre: The Christian Brothers, Serious Money, As You Like It, Too Young for Ghosts. Deckchair Theatre: Grace, Citizen X, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors. ThinIce/Malthouse Theatre: Die Winterreise. Yirra Yaakin: Honey Spot. ThinIce: Red Shoes. Darwin Theatre Company: Cloudstreet. Effie Crump Theatre: Redemption. Perth Theatre Company: Gasping.

TV: Stormworld, Shark Net, WildKat, Sweat, Big Sky, Peter and Pompey.

Film: Crawl, Love Serenade, Esoterica, No Through Road, Japanese Story, Ike Countdown to D-Day, Dead Calm, Let’s Get Skase, Mr Reliable, Love In Limbo, Mushrooms, Third Person Plural.

Radio: Gull in a Green Storm/Francis Webb: Poems and Letters, Stormy Weather (Book Reading), ABC Poetica (various).

As Director: An Unsuccessful Show, 4H Club, Icarus’ Mother, Marat/Sade, The Golden Valley, Chicago Chicago, The Golden Age, Three One Act Operas: Mavra, The Human Voice, Mozart and Salieri.

Positions: Lecturer/tutor at Total Theatre, Theatre Arts at ECU , Aboriginal Theatre at WAAPA .

Awards: 1990 Swan Gold Actor of the Year award.

Training: Studied under Brian Syron.

JESSICA TUCKWELL

Jessica at atyp National Studio, 2006 (Then atyp Artistic Director, Tim Jones, right, obscured,)

Jessica is a writer, director, script editor and storyteller. She has has worked for various theatre companies and festivals including Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Griffin Theatre, Darwin Festival, La Mama, Melbourne Fringe Festival, YouAreHere Festival Canberra, Bondi Feast and and Adelaide Fringe Festival, where her production of Words They Make With Their Mouths won the People’s Choice Award in 2010. Her play Tiny Remarkable Bramble was programmed in the inaugural Invisible Circus season at the Kings Cross Theatre in 2016, after an initial script development in as part of a JUMP Mentorship through the Australia Council and Carriageworks, under the mentorship of Sam Strong. In 2015 she directed Brendan Cowell’s MEN produced by Red Line Productions at the Old Fitzroy Theatre.
Jessica has read her short stories at Story Club at Giant Dwarf, Fabulous Monster, Cut and Paste and Variety Fair and was featured on the ABC’s Tall Tales and True season 2 podcast. She won the Moth StorySLAM in February 2016 and competed in the inaugural Moth Sydney GrandSLAM at the The Metro Theatre. In 2013-14, she co-hosted and produced 2SER’s The Vultures’ Nest, I Can’t Believe it’s Not News and co-hosted the Saturday Breakfast show. In 2017 Jessica wrote and directed short film Smorbeth.
Jessica completed a Master of Creative Writing at the University of Sydney in 2015 and before that studied screenwriting at AFTRS and directing at NIDA. She completed a B. Arts (Philosophy) in 2004 at the University of Sydney.
Jessica was involved with atyp from 2002-2006, through acting workshops and master classes, assistant-tutoring, working in the office, script development and a number of productions. She appeared in the premiere of Debra Oswald’s Skate in 2003, touring South-West NSW, and returned for the Belfast Festival season of Skate in 2005. In 2006 she was the assistant director on Craving, a devised project performed in the Richard Wherrett Studio, Sydney Theatre, and she wrote Marmite and directed Bird for rehearsed readings at the Old Fitzroy Theatre. She performed in Hilary Bell’s Light Years, directed by Lucy Bell, and the atyp 40th Birthday celebration, The Big Bash. She was involved in the development of Debra Oswald’s Stories In the Dark, Noelle Janaczewska’s This Territory, and performed in a reading of Shedding for the Fresh Ink National Young Writers’ Program in 2008. Jessica represented atyp at the 2006 National Studio (the previous version), working with Lindy Davies and Gavin Robbins and meeting current atyp Artistic Director, Fraser Cornfield! Jessica returned to atyp in 2010 for a limited season of the award winning Words They Make With Their Mouths and again in 2012 to direct a reading of Melissa Bubnic’s Emoticon for the Under The Wharf script reading series.

FELIX WILLIAMSON

Felix Williamson’s career at atyp:

… as an actor:
A Child’s Christmas in Australia, 16 Dec, 1982
The Rainbow Show, 21 Mar, 1983; 8 Apr, 1983
Australia-Go-Round, 25 Jul, 1983
Spring Awakening, 1 Jun, 1984
The Night We Blitzed the Bridge, 11 Jan, 1985
Just Once, 17 Jul, 1986
The Tempest, 21 Apr, 1988
The Wilderness of Mirrors, 13 Dec, 1999
Shedding, Fresh Ink National Young Writers’ Program Staged Readings, 17 Nov, 2008;

… as Tutor, 1997-2009;

… and as Director: The Actor’s Nightmare and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All for You, 13/1/1999, for studio one, an initiative in partnership with Liz Fell. It was a collaboration aimed at promoting young adult (18-25) actors, writers, directors, designers and technicians, by producing in-house works for public performance.

I went to atyp from about age 13 to 17. I did lots and lots of classes. It meant the world to me. I worked with friends who ended up in my year at NIDA, like Grant Bowler and Emily Nevin Crook. And one who didn’t – Nicole Kidman – I think she works in a shop now, or something…

I was involved in lots of productions, The Rainbow Show (which played at the Art Gallery of NSW), Spring Awakening (before the musical – the original play), and I had a brilliant time working on The Tempest back in 1988, directed by Mark Gaal. We played at the Old Sailors’ Home theatre, a brilliant intimate space, with an excellent ensemble of actors. The funny thing is, I run into lots and lots of people I met at atyp; it seems like the ultimate training ground for people in the business. When I finished NIDA I started a theatre company (Naked Theatre Company) and we put on our first plays at the current atyp space. I have also had the privilege to work as a teacher at atyp. It is a great institution.

My theatre credits include: The Virgin Mim, Mr Kolpert, Up for Grabs, Pygmalion, Six Degrees of Separation, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (STC), The Merchant of Venice (Bell Shakespeare Co), Elegies, Bouncers (Threshold), Sanctuary (Playbox), Sun Kisses (Railway). The Heartbreak Kid (Ensemble).

For film: Happy Feet, Ned, The Rage in Placid Lake, Dirty Deeds, Willfull, Mr Accident, Me Myself I, Strange Planet, Babe II, The Thin Red Line, Welcome to Woop Woop, Thank God He Met Lizzie, The Wannabes, Bust Off The Wings, The Great Gatsby, Red Inc.

For TV: Lost, R.A.N, Go Big, Farscape, The Road From Coorain, My Brother Jack, A Difficult Women, Wildside, Hawke, Mabo, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.

Q. What would be your advice to young people wanting a career in theatre?

Don’t do it if you just want to be famous. Become a white-collar criminal and sell the film rights to your story once you get out of gaol, or go on Reality TV. If you want to be an actor you need LOTS of strings to your bow. You need to be able to sing, play a musical instrument, dance, juggle, speak another language, write, direct, do any number of accents and most of all have a sense of humour. It is a tough business and life, but if you don’t take yourself too seriously, you’ll enjoy it!

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