top of page
Directing
My journey as a director started in 2017 when, through Union House Theatre at The Univerisity of Melbourne, I participated in a directing mentorship with Petra Kalive (Artistic Director and Co-CEO of State Theatre Company South Australia). At the time I was directing my first production, an all-female staging of Euripides’ Medea, through Shakespearean Jeans Theatre. Petra was an invaluable source of advice and support during this production and beyond. I went on to gain further directing experience through workshops, reading, observing other directors at work, assistant directing and most importantly, directing a few more productions myself.
In 2020 I gained work as Andrew Blackman's Assistant Director at Complete Works Theatre Company. This involved five plays taken on by two groups of actors. With the first group we worked on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Extinction by Hannie Rayson. These productions then hit the road, touring to schools around Victoria, while back in the rehearsal room we began work on Shakespeare's Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and an Australian Poetry performance.
Photography by Sarah Clarke
In 2019 I was awarded the Robert MacDonald Memorial Award by Union House Theatre. The award recognises an individual's potential to pursue a career in theatre and offers them a professional development opportunity. I was fortunate enough to participate in a volunteer observer attachment on SLAP. BANG. KISS. by Dan Giovannoni as part of the Families and Education season at Melbourne Theatre Company. This was an opportunity to attend rehearsals during the script development period and observe director, Prue Clark, at work.
Photography by Justin Ridler
Much of my work as a director has been through the aforementioned company Shakespearean Jeans. This was an independent theatre company of which I was the Co-Artistic Director, with Nicola Dobinson. Between 2017 and 2020 we staged five shows.
Our aim was to create innovative and thought-provoking productions of both classic and modern texts, with the involvement of a like-minded community of creatives. As we were interested in tackling many different genres and styles of performances, our programming was purely driven by the types of stories we wanedt to tell, themes we found compelling and the voices we thought needed to be heard.
Her Hour Upon The Stage
In November 2019 I directed a feminist exploration of Shakespeare's Macbeth, entitled Her Hour Upon The Stage at The Butterfly Club. It was my first time directing a full length play of which I was the playwright. The production was very well received, earning a 5 star review. You can read more about what inspired the writing process under the Writing section of this website.
Prior to the 60 minute version of Her Hour Upon The Stage I had the opportunity to direct a 20 minute rehearsed reading as part of Union House Theatre's Play-reading Mini Fest. in 2018 as I was still developing the script.
Photography by Shane Woods
Early Works
In 2018 Nicola Dobinson and I co-directed our company's first contemporary production: Speaking In Tongues by Andrew Bovell. Speaking In Tongues saw us return to Kew Court House where we had staged our first production, Medea; but where Medea allowed us to establish a physical score, engaging with techniques of Greek Chorus to match the rich text, Speaking In Tongues gave us an opportunity to sink our teeth into an Australian Drama. In maintaining a fairly minimalist stage design, we were able to place emphasis on the witty and rhythmic dialogue and the complex relationships we were exploring on stage.
Photography by Yufan Jo Chen
Collaborations
In 2019 I worked on Ashleigh Morris' production M E D U S A as the Movement Director. This show was devised and performed by an ensemble of five women for Mudfest - the largest student-run arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere produced by the UMSU (University of Melbourne Student Union) Creative Arts Department.
I enjoyed working with the ensemble as they explored five unique interpretations of the mythological figure Medusa. I sought to bring in physical expression and choreograph movement to work in conjunction with text and enrich the narrative they were developing.
Photography by Lucy Seale
Every Second
Photography: Sarah Clarke. Graphic design: Ashley Tardy
Riley Nottingham & Madeleine Magee Carr
Photography by Jack Dixon Gunn
Riley Nottingham & Madeleine Magee Carr.
Photography by Jack Dixon Gunn
Every Second
Photography: Sarah Clarke. Graphic design: Ashley Tardy
1/9
In 2021 I worked as the Assistant Director to Emma Drysdale on Every Second, a darkly comedic play by Australian writer Vanessa Bates. This production was produced by Wit Incorporated and staged at Bluestone Church Arts Space.
The play was staged in traverse, which was a first for me. It was ultimately beneficial to work as a directing team, placing ourselves on different sides of the rehearsal room to consider the many audience sight-lines when blocking the play. I greatly enjoyed working within a very friendly and professional creative team, especially learning from Emma.
Image by Wit Incorporated
In 2022 I was asked by queer comedy group The Titwitchez to direct their production Business Boyz. This show combined drag, physical comedy, burlesque, theatre. As the three performers had already written the script and were choreographing the dance numbers themselves, as a director I was tasked with weaving everything together, helping to craft three distinct characters who also complimented each other as an ensemble, heightening comedic moments, ensuring dramaturgical sense throughout the narrative and finding stylistic cohesion while working across a number of artistic forms.
Image by The Titwitchez
Also in 2022 I directed Annabelle Mitchell’s play Grass. This was an Independent show presented at The Butterfly Club. Annabelle and I worked just the two of us in the rehearsal room until our lighting and sound designer / operator Oliver Ross joined in the latter part of the rehearsal process. This was an intimate collaborative experience wherein Annabelle, as the writer and performer of the piece, and myself, shaped the world of the play together and fine-tuned the dark yet comedic narrative.
Image by Annabelle Mitchell
bottom of page