ICS Designers & Cinematographers

Wendy Cork

Wendy's passion for theatre and film lead to her career as a costume designer. After graduating from The University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts she continued her design study at East Sydney Technical College. Her many years of experience now include theatre, film, television, opera and the world of gaming.

Wendy's visually accurate costume design expresses the individual within the world of story telling.

Her specialities include period and character driven dramas and both contemporary and period uniforms.

The combination of Wendy's talented design aesthetic and an astute management of budget make her a valuable asset to any team or project she is assigned to.

With a wealth of experience as a costume designer she has produced period costumes spanning many decades as seen in Julien Temples recent film opera The Eternity Man where the brief stretched form 1920's to present day and L.A. Noire, a next generation video game soon to be released by Rockstar Games with its sumptuous recreations of 1940's underworld Los Angeles.

Wendy's work with Australian directors Peter Duncan and Tony Tilse includes the contemporary romantic comedies Valentines Day; Hell Has Harbour Views and Go Big. James Bogle's In the Winter Dark, a psychological thriller starred Brenda Blethyn and Miranda Otto. A host of modern day police dramas include the US action film Counterstrike and the upcoming Sea Patrol 3, East West 101, Dangerous and Blackjack amongst others.

— Download Wendy's CV (PDF, 156kb)

— View Wendy's showreel.

Melinda Doring

Melinda has just concluded production design on The Boys Are Back In Town which was shot on location in Adelaide and London and was directed by Scott Hicks. Other recent work includes the design on the feature Triangle directed by Christopher Smith, the short film Netherland Dwarf directed by David Michod, the animated feature 9.99 directed by Tatia Rosenthal for Sherman Pictures, The Home Song Stories directed by Tony Ayres, for which she won both an AFI award and IF award for Best Production Design in 2007, Suburban Mayhem (costumes) directed by Paul Goldman, The Silence (Production Design) directed by Cate Shortland, Unfolding Florence directed by Gillian Armstrong, Little Fish (costumes), directed by Rowan Woods, Somersault (Production Design) directed by Cate Shortland for which she won an AFI in 2004 for Best Production Design.

— Download Melinda's CV (PDF, 48kb)

— Download Article from Animation World Magazine (PDF, 78kb)

— Download Article from Variety (PDF, 4.1mb)

— View Melinda's showreel.

Simon Chapman

Simon has just completed his first feature The Loved Ones directed by Sean Byrne. Other credits include the project FAME for Tactic, shot in India, The Identities Doco Project for Plus Films, the short film The Ground Beneath for which Simon received Best Australian Achievement in Cinematography at the 2008 Melbourne Film Festival, the series Double the Fist and Great Australian Albums for Mushroom Pictures, Advantage for Plus Films, Katoomba, Solo and The Bet (2nd Unit), The Last Chip (short) director Heng Tang, The Mechanicals (short) Director Leon Ford, Till Death Do us Part / Bush Wedding (doco) director Adrian Willis, Poolside (short) director Armand De Sant Salvy, Running on Sunshine (doco) director Cory Piper, Deck Dogz (Camera Operator) director Steven Pasvolsky.

Awards:

• Australian Cinematographers Society Gold Short Drama Katoomba
• Australian Cinematographers Society Bronze Short Drama Advantage
• Australian Cinematographers Society SILVER Short Drama The Mechanicals
• Camerimage Film Festival Poland NOMINATED Best Cinematography Into the Night
• Australian Cinematographers Society GOLD Documentaries Scar Stories
• Australian Cinematographers Society GOLD Short Drama Swipe
• Australian Cinematographers Society SILVER Short Drama The Terrific Toddler Tricycle Race
• Film Critics Circle of Australia EMERGING TALENT Cinematography Into the Night
• AFTRS Cinematographer of the Year 2002

— Visit Simon's website.

— Download Simon's CV (PDF, 48kb)

Mark Lapwood, ACS

Mark has just returned from living and working in Asia for the past five years where he was predominantly based in Mumbai (Bombay), India.

During that time he gained great experience on large scale productions shooting three feature films, several documentary's for the BBC and Nat Geo plus over 140 commercials, mostly on 35mm film. Most recently Mark was 2nd Unit DP on The Waiting City for director Claire McCarthy in Kolkata (Calcutta) on the RED Camera.

In 2008 he was DP on the National Geographic Documentary Tang Treasure. Other feature credits include The Little Godfather (India 2008), Cages (Singapore 2004) and Maya (India 2001). Mark's debut short film as director/dop Eclipse premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008. The film shot on the streets of Bombay won an AFI Award in 2007 for Outstanding Achievement in Short Film Screen Craft (Cinematography).

Awards:

• Honolulu International Film Festival, Best Short Documentary Eclipse
• Flickerfest International Film Festival, Nat Geo Documentary Award Eclipse
• Rhode Island International Film Festival, Best Experimental Short Eclipse
• AFI Outstanding Achievement in Short Film Screen Craft (Cinematography) Eclipse
• Australian Cinematographers Society Gold Short Film Drama Eclipse
• Australian Cinematographers Society Bronze Feature Film Drama Cages
• Australian Cinematographers Society Highly Commended Evermore 'Running'
• Australian Cinematographers Society Distinction Feature Film Drama Maya
• Australian Cinematographers Society Gold Feature Film Drama Maya
• Australian Cinematographers Society Gold Short Film Drama The Reunion
• Australian Cinematographers Society Gold Short Film Drama Phobia
• Australian Cinematographers Society Silver Short Film Drama Blue Mtn's Of Harry Phillips.

— Visit Mark's website.

— Download Mark's CV (PDF, 48kb)

Allan Collins, ACS

Allan most recently worked in Western Australia as the DOP on Three Acts of Murder for Taylor Media, directed by Rowan Woods, and directed Spirit Stones which featured in the Dendy Awards during The Sydney Film Festival. Other credits include the series, Double Trouble, The Alice, Beneath Clouds, Road, Dust, Wind Tears, Cold Turkey and selected documentaries, Dhakiyarr Vs The King, Moses Family, Long Shadows, Whispering in Our Hearts and Remembering Country.

Allan works throughout Australia on a varied slate of projects, from within his own community, through to mainstream drama, documentary and commercial production. Alan has recently been nominated for the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award: Special Documentary Jury Prize for his documentary Spirit Stones.

— Download Allan's CV (PDF, 464kb)

Helen Dallimore

When she's not performing, Helen has been a key player in the independent theatre scene since 1996, as a founding member – and for several years Artistic Director – of the theatre company Hair of the Dog.

Helen co-wrote and directed Light Particles at The Stables Theatre, and directed The New Inhabitant, Will Eno's Tragedy; a tragedy, and the musical Jumpin' the Q by Dean Bryant and Matthew Frank at the Old Fitzroy Hotel.

For Belvoir Street's BSharp Helen directed Sean Monro's Art of Penetration and Sweet Phoebe by Michael Gow.

Helen also wrote and directed the short film Eternally Yours, selected for Best of the Rest at Tropfest.

Since returning from London recently where she starred as Glinda in the Original West End cast of Wicked, Helen has been focusing on writing television comedy, with her own series Bloom currently in the birthing process.

— Download Helen's CV (PDF, 68kb)

Abe Forsythe

Abe Forsythe is an Australian actor/writer/director. He made his professional debut at the age of ten in the Sydney Theatre Company production of Shadowlands. Most recently his acting work includes Fireflies (nominated best actor 2005 Logie Awards), Mary Bryant (ITV - UK) and the acclaimed John Doyle mini-series Marking Time for which he won best actor at the 2004 Australian Film Institute Awards. In 2006 he starred in the Australian/British co-production Tripping Over.

He won the Tropfest Tropicana Award at the age of sixteen for his film Guided By The Light Of The Lord. Two years later he wrote and directed the cult 50min Computer Boy, which spoofed and was filmed on the same locations as The Matrix. To this day it is still one of the most successful long form movies on the internet, having been downloaded over 500,000 times on ifilm and a number of other sites. In 2003 he wrote, directed and starred in the feature comedy Ned, which was released theatrically in Australia by Icon Entertainment.

He has written a number of feature screenplays and was part of the Tropfest/Fox writers initiative Tropnest in 2001 and is currently finalising financing for the horror film Video 8 for Generator Entertainment UK. He has also written hundreds of sketches for the Channel 9 show Comedy Inc and the upcoming Double Take to be screened on Channel 7.

Most recently his short film Being Carl Williams won 2nd place and best comedy at Tropfest 2009.

— Download Abe's CV (PDF, 60kb)

David Lowe

As a student at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (specialising in scriptwriting), David's two major projects were the short dramas Freestyle and The Two-Wheeled Time Machine, which he wrote and directed. Both films have enjoyed considerable international success.

Film festival appearances include Clermont-Ferrand (twice), Tampere (twice), St Kilda (twice), Hamburg, San Diego, Cork, Forum Cannes (twice) and London Film Festival. Television sales include Germany and France (Arte), UK (Channel 4), Spain and Poland (Canal+), Italy (Telepiu) and Australia (SBS).

Freestyle won the Golden Eve Award for Best Editing at the 1998 Festival dei Festival (Italy), The Patrons' Award for Best Short Film at the 1997 San Diego Film Festival (USA), Most Popular Short Film at the 1997 Australian International Film Festival (Canberra) and Best Short Thriller at the 1998 Noir in Festival (Italy).

The Two-Wheeled Time Machine was selected by Village Roadshow to support Cosi in its 2004 DVD release. It was also chosen by Cinema des Antipodes, in France, to appear as a bonus in the Peter Weir Collector's Edition DVD box set.

Since graduating from AFTRS, David has created numerous projects for film, TV and interactive media, as well as writing history, notably his major biography, Out of the Box: the amazing story of war hero and quiz champion Frank Partridge VC.

In 2004 David attended the AFC's residential script workshop, Spark. Since then he's been developing a number of feature screenplays, including Cloudcatcher (funded for development by the AFC), One in a Million (with Panckhurst Productions), Ash Wednesday (with Wonderland Productions) and Human Race (in development with the NSWFTO).

David is currently collaborating with the producer Helen Panckhurst on various film and television projects, and writing his first novel, Hourglass & Partners.

— Visit David's website.

— Download David's CV (PDF, 80kb)

Judy Morris

Judy Morris is one of Australia's leading artists who works internationally in performing, writing and directing. She has played lead roles in many theatre, film and television productions and is the winner of AFI and Logie Best Actress Awards. A NIDA graduate, Judy also has an extensive musical background being AMEB qualified in music and RAD qualified in dance. Her other numerous credits include writer on Dinotopia (Hallmark USA), writer on Meerkat Manor The Movie (Oxford/Discovery/Animal Planet), writer of BBC film projects including The Hoggs. Director of the feature film Luigi's Ladies which was selected for competition in the American Film Institute Cinetex Comedy Awards and co-writer of Babe, Pig In The City (Universal/Kennedy Miller). Judy also co-wrote and co-directed the feature Happy Feet (Warner Bros/Kennedy Miller). The film Happy Feet won an Academy Award and Bafta award. She has recently completed a screenplay adaptation of Patrick White's Nobel Prize winning novel Eye Of The Storm.

— Download Judy's CV (PDF, 68kb)

Marty Sacks

After thirty years acting in various film and television roles, Martin turned his hand to directing. His directorial debut, in 2003, was a short film he wrote entitled Crushed, which screened as a finalist at the St. Kilda and Los Angeles Short Film Festivals. Martin went on to direct numerous episodes of award winning Australian dramas Blue Heelers and All Saints.

He is currently writing a 13 part drama, set in and around the Australian music industry.

Michelle Fallon

Michelle Fallon is an accomplished Theatre-based Set and Costume designer who has worked for such companies as The Queensland Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare.

Currently Michelle runs a specialised childrensware label Paperwings, with her husband Jason Gibaud.

— Download Michelle's CV (PDF, 88kb)

Adam Gardnir

Since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2003 Adam has designed Interplay / Semele for The Australian Ballet, The Little Sweep and The Beggar's Opera for OzOpera, Saturn's Return for Sydney Theatre Company, Paul (Set only) for Company B at Belvoir St, Don't Say The Words for Griffin Theatre, Spring Awakening for The Hayloft Theatre Project at B-Sharp Theatre, Walking With Dinosaurs (Costumes only) World Tour, A View of Concrete, The Autobiography of Red, The Yellow Wallpaper and Drink Pepsi, Bitch! for Malthouse Theatre, The Eisteddfod (B-Sharp, Malthouse & New York's PS122) and Volcano for Stuck Pigs Squealing, Virgins (Melbourne & New York) for Echeleon, Jet of Blood and Grace for TheatreWorks, Know No Cure (Set only) for Bangsar Actor's Studio (Kuala Lumpur) and TheatreWorks, The Bamboo Flute for Canute Productions, Open Space Hotel (Australian & European Tour) for Ox Dance, Shirley Valentine and the Breath of Life (Australian Tour) for Hit Productions and M2006, the Cultural Festival for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games (Helpmann Winner for Best Special Event). In film, Adam has designed a feature length The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (200IFF '07 Premier) and the short films Ingrid Sits Holding a Knife, Shocked, Dishpig's Lament and The Hollow Men.

Adam has been nominated for Best Design Awards at the Green Room Awards (2005, 2006, 2007) and at the Boh Awards in Kuala Lumpur (2008).

— Download Adam's CV (PDF, 96kb)

— Visit Adam's website.

Gerard Manion

Gerard Manion was born in Southport, Queensland. He has been a stable artist with Barry Stern Gallery in Paddington since 1998 and his work is strongly represented in collections around the world. Recent exhibitions include the 2007 Bodies of Work at Barry Stern Galleries. In recent years Gerard has enjoyed a diverse career, balancing his impressive work for the dance/theatre stage with the ongoing demands of his principal creativity as an artist creating formal artworks and collectible pieces.

In 2007, Gerard completed his fourth set design for Sydney Dance Company with the revitalised new staging of Graeme Murphy's Berlin for seasons in Sydney and Brisbane. This historic occasion marked the last major season produced by Graeme Murphy with the Sydney Dance Company.

It was the creation of the set for Graeme Murphy's Air and Other Invisible Forces in 1999 that marked a turning point in both Gerard Manion's style and his career. Embarking on new design projects in subsequent years, Gerard has further refined his design style, reducing the visual effects to his signature line work. In 2002, he gained rave reviews and a Green Room Award nomination for his set designs for Graeme Murphy's Ellipse for Sydney Dance Company. In 2005, he was invited to design Graeme Murphy's GRAND, reuniting with collaborators Murphy (choreography) and Akira Isogawa (costumes) in what was their third project together. Sydney Dance Company has since taken Air and Other Invisible Forces, GRAND and Ellipse on extensive tours in Australia and to Europe and the United States, where Gerard's work has received high praise. In 2008 Gerard was again commissioned to design the sets for Azsure Bartons first Australian production Sids Waltzing Masquerade.

Grand has now also been commissioned for the Shanghai Ballet and will be on in October 2009.

Gerard is also the director of his own technology company TodayCorp.

— Visit Gerard's website.

— Download Gerard's CV (PDF, 44kb)

Claude Marcos

Since graduating form the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2005 Claude has designed number of productions including, Woyzeck and Honour for Black Swan Theatre Company, The Goat or who is Sylvia?, Loveplay, Glorious! and Speed-the-Plow for Perth Theatre Company, The Goose Chase and Red Shoes for ThinIce, The Million Puppets foyer exhibition, Million Puppets Projects UNIMA Festival 2007, Run Kitty Run and Australia vs South Africa for Barking Gecko theatre company and A Moment on the Lips for Red Ryder Productions.

Awards include a nomination for best design in the 2007 Equity Guild Awards, New Concepts grant to attend the 2007 Prague Quadrennial as a West Australian representative, and the 2008 Young People and the Arts Fellowship to work with British designer Claire Lyth in London.

In 2009 Claude will continue to practice in Melbourne and will work on new commissions for Sydney Theater Company, ThinIce, and The Hayloft Project.

— Visit Claude's website.

— Download Claude's CV (PDF, 132kb)

Renee Mulder

Renee is a set, costume and production designer with a background in interior design. A NIDA design graduate, Renee's achievements include her set design for Shakespeare's Pericles, directed by Gale Edwards (2008), set and costume design for Uncle Vanya, directed by Marcelle Schmitz (2008) and since graduating NIDA in 2008, has also designed for Sydney Young Actor's Studio and Santa Sabina College. Renee is also an Honors graduate in Interior Design from Queensland College of Art, undertaking an Assistant Design Internship position, under Robert Kemp in 2003 for the Queensland Theatre Company production of Racine's Phedra, directed by Michael Gow. Renee is also branching out into film and television, having most recently worked with Production Designer Igor Nay as Art Direction assistant on the short film, The Distance Between, directed by Michael Fahd. Renee's Awards include the William Fletcher Grant, 2008 and Highly Commended achievement in the Design Institute of Australia, Queensland Design Awards, 2004.

— View Renee's Design Portfolio.

— Download Renee's CV (PDF, 40kb)

Richard Roberts

Richard Roberts is a freelance theatre designer and teacher based in Melbourne. His design experience has included designs for drama, dance, film, television and opera.

Along side his design practice, he has considerable experience in teaching. He established the design programme at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and is currently an associate professor and head of postgraduate design studies at the Victorian College of the Arts – one of Australia's premier arts training institutions.

Most recently he has designed My Fair Lady for Opera Australia, The Coronation of Poppea for the Victorian Opera, Frost/Nixon for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Riflemind for the Sydney Theatre Company which is now playing at the Trafalgar Studios in London in the Westend. He is currently designing Don Giovanni for the Victorian Opera, The Man from Mukinupin for Company B at Belvoir St and the Melbourne Theatre Company and the Australian premiere production of the hit musical Avenue Q.

He is the recipient of four Greenroom Awards. He won best design for Drama in 1998 for Stolen (Playbox Theatre Company), and in 2000 for Life After George (Melbourne Theatre Company) and best design in Dance in 2001 for Requiem (The Australian Ballet) and in 2004 for Molto Vivace (The Australian Ballet).

— Visit Richard's website.

— Download Richard's CV (PDF, 412kb)

Leon Salom

Since graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1995, Leon has designed across areas as diverse as theatre, music theatre, dance, opera, cross art-form productions and large-scale events. He has received high acclaim for his contributions including receiving a Design Institute of Australia's award for Best TV/Film/Theatre Set Design (The Fat Boy, Playbox, 2003), and receiving two nominations for Greenroom awards for best design (Like Stars in My Hands, Playbox, 1997 and Hair the Musical , The Production Company, 2003). Other designs include City Life (Oz Opera), Diving for Pearls (Melbourne Theatre Company), Going Home (West Australian Ballet), Comedy of Errors (Deckchair Theatre), The Dogs Play (Playbox), Proof and Live Acts on Stage (Black Swan Theatre Company).

Completing a Graduate Diploma of Graphic Design (RMIT, 2002). Leon has received a number of commissions, particularly in the area of promotional design. A highlight was design of all posters, banners, programs, billboards and logos for the Lygon Street Festa. He constantly uses his graphic design skills when designing for theatre whether it be for projections, scenic elements, props or documentation of his designs.

Leon held the position of Lecturer in Design for Performance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts for four years (2003-2006) and was the design course coordinator for 2005. He has taught extensively across all areas in design. Currently he teaches in the area of design process and thinking skills at Swinburne University which is also the topic of the Master of Education he is completing at Melbourne University.

— Download Leon's CV (PDF, 28kb)

Christina Smith

Christina has worked extensively as a set and costume designer throughout Australia since graduating from WAAPA in 1995. Recent credits include The Year Of Magical Thinking (Black Swan State Theatre Company), Blackbird, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf and Clean House (MTC), Troupers (STC), Female of the Species (QTC), Cosi fan tutte (Victorian Opera) and Black Medea (Malthouse/Company B Belvoir). In 2005 Christina won the Green Room Award for Theatre Design for Honour, Daylight Atheist (MTC) and Julia 3 (Playbox), having been nominated for the same award several times in preceding and following years. Other recent design work includes the recent renovation of the Circa Theatrette installation at the National Museum of Australia, and the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies as part of the design team.

— Visit Christina's website.

— Download Christina's CV (PDF, 28kb)

William Bobbie Stewart

Will has forged an impressive debut onto the stage of Australian design. Growing up in Melbourne, Will was captured by the rapture of the Yellow Brick Road and a cosuming passion for film from an early age. A keen visual artist, he developed an outstanding skill in both figurative and illustrative drawing and a fascination to recreate this world of filmic fantasy. Working in community theatre, Will received The Amatuer Theatre Guild of Victoria's award for Best Design, Set and Costumes in 2005. Will's commitment to the performing arts culminated in his acceptance into NIDA that year.

Will's immediate accomplishment has been enjoyed by NIDA audiences in an array of works including: The Kitchen (Set design – Dir: Tony Knight), Measure for Measure (Costume Design – Dir: Aubrey Mellor), The Servant of Two Masters which will be remounted professionally in 2009 by the same director (Set design – Dir: Darren Gilshenan), The Telling (Set & Costume Design – Dir: Christobelle Sved), Bodyline (Set design – Choreographer: Joshua Constantine) and the NIDA Design Exhibition 2007.

Vision prevailed as Will co-developed the design for the 2007 Prague Quadrennial, Aristophanes' The Birds. This outstanding team presentation was hailed by the judging panel and audience alike at the world's premiere theatre design exposition.

— Visit William's website.

— Download William's CV (PDF, 36kb)

Nathan M. Wright

Nathan has worked extensively in the entertainment industry and is respected as both a performer and a choreographer.

Nathan choreographed the new Australian production of the Broadway smash hit musical Avenue Q directed by Jonathan Biggins. He also choreographed the new Australian musical of Breast Wishes – A Small Musical About Big Issues. Nathan staged the finale in Boeing–Boeing starring Shaun Micallef and kicked off 2009 with Gutenberg! The Musical, which earned hima Helpmann Award nomination for Best Choreography in a Musical at the 2009 Helpmann Awards.

Nathan was the Associate Choreographer on Gale Edwards' production of The Rocky Horror Show and was also the Assisstant Choreographer to John O'Connoll on Gale Edwards' production of Company.

Nathan was the Assistant to the Director of Choreography (Jason Coleman) on The 15th Asian Games – Doha, Qatar for David Atkins Enterprises and worked on The 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai as Quadrant Cattain/Choreographer.

Screen credits include choreography for Slut – The Musical and worked as a Motion Capture Artist on George Miller's Happy Feet and played the Wiked Faced Boy in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge.

Performing credits include The Rocky Horror Show (Phantom), Pippin (Theo), Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon Zealottes), Eurobeat – Almost Eurovision, Mamma Mia! (Pepper), Leader of the Pack (Keith) Sydney & Melbourne Seasons, Oh! What a Night (Geno), Get Happy (Carmen Miranda), Hot Shoe Shuffle (Tap Bros), Shout! – The Story of the Wild One (Young Johnnie) and The King & I (Understudy Louis).

Awards:

• 2009 Helpmann Nomination – Gutenberg the Musical
  Best Choreography in a Musical
• 2006 Green Room Award Nomination – Mamma Mia
  Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

Matthew Marshall

Matt is a graduate of the WA Academy of Performing Arts in 2000. He works as a lighting and video designer across all genres ranging from theatre, events, corporate launches and nightclubs. Matt has lit hundreds of shows around the country and overseas and spent many months on the road traveling with shows. Some of the more unusual things he has lit include a million dollar postage stamp and $900 000 number plate!

— Visit Matthew's website.

— Download Matthew's CV (PDF, 92kb)

Peter Neufeld

Beyond his reputation as a Lighting Designer, Peter is highly regarded for his creativity and experience in corporate production design and technical direction. His vast body of work encompasses a career spanning over 25 years and in addition Peter is an international authority in computer aided design.

— Download Peter's CV (PDF, 48kb)

— Visit Peter's website.

Danny Pettingill

Based in Melbourne, Danny is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Bachelor of Production (2006) and has a Diploma of Small Companies and Community theatre (2003).

Danny has designed for BSharp: Thom Pain (A Play About Nothing). Red Stitch Actors Theatre: Pool (no water) and Red Sky Morning. The Hayloft Project: 3xSisters, Platonov, Tasmania Theatre Company: I am My Own Wife. He has also designed for companies such as, Melbourne Workers Theatre, Union House Theatre, Full Tilt, Terrapin Puppet Theatre, Hobart and LaMama.

His awards include the Orloff Family Trust Scholarship Award in 2006 from VCA Production, the Besen Family Scholarship (Lighting Design) in 2008 with Malthouse theatre. Danny received two Melbourne Greenroom nominations for his work in 2008, receiving the Greenroom award for Most outstanding Lighting Design in Independent Theatre for his work on the Hayloft Projects Platonov.

Danny is working on new commissions in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart for 2010.

— Visit Danny's website.

— Download Danny's CV (PDF, 115kb)

Richard Cottrell

Richard Cottrell was born in Britain, trained as an actor in France and after directing The Revenger's Tragedy for S.T.S.A. and Camino Real for Jane Street, became a resident of Australia in 1984. From 1985-7 he was Director of the Nimrod Theatre Company and received a Sydney Critics Award for his first season in which a permanent company of sixteen actors played a season of classical plays in repertoire. His work at Nimrod included The Winter's Tale, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, All's Well That Ends Well, Wild Honey, The Merchant of Venice and Arms and the Man.

For S.T.C. he has directed Lettice and Lovage and Vita and Virginia, both starring Ruth Cracknell. He has also directed for the NIDA professional season in 1992 his own translation, especially commissioned, of Racine's Britannicus.

For Belvoir Street – When the Wind Blows; and for the Marian Street Theatre Company Benefactors, Prin, Henceforward, Neville's Island and Things We Do for Love. For the Victorian State Opera he directed Andrea Chenier for which he won a Victorian Green room Award for Best Opera Production of the Year, and Tannhauser. For the Opera Theatre of St. Louis he directed The Merry Widow.

He has directed in Canada, in America and in Hong Kong as well as in Britain where recent work includes The Rivals at the Chichester Festival and in the West End, The School for Scandal, Lady Windermere's Fan, also at Chichester and Three Hours After Marriage for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has directed King Lear for the National Theatre of Portugal in Lisbon, The Uneasy Chair for Playwrights' Horizons in New York and Simone de Beauvoir's The Woman Destroyed at E59E, New York.

His most recent productions have been Ying Tong, A Walk with the Goons and Travesties for the Sydney Theatre Company. His book, Looking at Paintings: a Private View will be published by Murdoch Books in October 2009

He has taught and directed at all Australia’s leading theatre schools, at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, at the Hong Kong College of the Performing Arts, at Boston University, the University of California and at the Julliard School, New York.

— Download Richard's CV (PDF, 68kb)

Tom Gutteridge

Tom has more than twenty years experience in the performing arts as a director, actor, dramaturg, composer, musician, devisor and teacher.

As Artistic Director of Black Swan Theatre Company, Perth from 2004 to 2008, he directed 10 plays including the World Premieres of Jandamarra and The Carnivores, a new version of Uncle Vanya by Reg Cribb and an award winning production of The Crucible.

Other directing work includes the World Premieres of Birthrights and Charitable Intent both by David Williamson, The Sound Garden for Oz Opera, Opera Queensland and West Australian Opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream for WAAPA and Company for VCA School of Drama in 2002. Tom was Artistic Associate at Queensland Theatre Company from 1996 – 2001 where he directed for both the mainstage and Education Program. Highlights included The Forest (starring Bille Brown and Geraldine Turner) and Vertigo & The Virginia (World Premiere).

Tom graduated from the VCA as an actor in 1985. He was an original member of the innovative collective Whistling in the Theatre between 1986 and 1992, and was involved in devising, writing, directing, composing, producing, publicising and performing 13 original works including tours of the acclaimed The Country of the Blind, Ship of Fools and A Thousand and One Nights.

Tom also works in the corporate sector with innovative change management organisation, Primed.

— Download Tom's CV (PDF, 212kb)

Jennifer Hagan

Jennifer is a NIDA graduate and has performed throughout Australia, mainly with the Sydney and Melbourne Theatre Companies. She was memorable as Vita Sackville-West in the Sydney Theatre Company's Vita and Virginia with Ruth Cracknell.

In 1991 Jennifer joined NIDA for 6 years as the Acting Tutor. In 2001 she was awarded the Gloria Payten Foundation Fellowship to study theatre in San Francisco and Tel Aviv. For almost twenty years Jennifer has directed many plays, including Salt and Collected Stories for the Sydney Theatre Company and national tours of Last of the Red Hot Lovers (starring Max Gillies), The Shoehorn Sonata, President Wilson in Paris, Educating Rita, Jacki Weaver in The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead and Shirley Valentine.

She now divides her year directing, acting and teaching. In June 2009 she will play in a revival of Steel Magnolias which will open at the Seymour Centre in Sydney.

— Download Jennifer's CV (PDF, 88kb)

George Ogilvie

George Ogilvie's distinguished career began almost five decades ago with the Canberra Rep Theatre as an actor. Since then he has established a prestigious list of credits as one of Australia's most talented and diverse directors, working in all mediums; ballet, opera, theatre, television and film.

In 1965, George returned from training, teaching and acting in England and Europe to take up the position of Associate Director with the Melbourne Theatre Company. He was with the MTC for 6 years where he directed some 23 plays whilst continuing his workshop training for actors. During this time he won the Melbourne Theatre Critics' Award three times for Best Director. Following 4 years (1972-1975) as Artistic Director of the South Australian Theatre Company and 12 years as part of the subsidised theatre network, George became a freelance director working with the Australian Opera, the Australian Ballet Company and various Australian theatre companies. His teaching continued during this period with NIDA, the Eora Centre and other drama schools.

His television credits include The Dismissal, Bodyline, The Shiralee, Princess Kate, The Battlers, The Feds and Blue Heelers.

Film credits include, Mad Max III with George Miller, Short Changed, A Place at the Coast and The Crossing, Russell Crowe's first feature film.

Most recently, George has worked with the graduating students from VCA and with the Australian Ballet on the Sydney revival of his acclaimed production of Coppelia. George worked with the Sydney Theatre Company directing Nick Enright's play The Man With Five Children, starring Steve Bisley and Proof, starring Jacqueline McKenzie and Barry Otto. George directed a stunning version of Norma for Opera Australia in 2005 and was a regular director of the hit television show Blue Heelers for Network Seven.

George has been awarded, among others, the following prizes over his career: a three year Australian Creative Artists Fellowship; the Byron Kennedy Memorial Award from the AFI and three Best Director Awards from the Melbourne Theatre Critics Awards. George regularly teaches and directs at NIDA and the Actors Centre in Sydney where the development of the next generation of theatre performers is a particular passion. Additionally, Currency Press are set to publish George's autobiography in August 2006.

— Download George's CV (PDF, 88kb)

Steven Rassios

Steven graduated from NIDA in Acting (2000) and Directing (2004). Steven has experience in directing theatre, musical theatre and opera. Steven has worked both in Australia and overseas, for the STC, Company B, OA, NIDA and LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore.

— Download Steven's CV (PDF, 68kb)