People
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DOUG WRIGHT
WRITER -
BEN GERRARD
CHARLOTTE VON MAHLSDORF -
ELISE McCANN
PRODUCER - ORIEL GROUP -
SHAUN RENNIE
DIRECTOR -
ELLEN SIMPSON
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR -
LENORE ROBERTSON
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER -
HUGH HAMILTON
LIGHTING DESIGNER -
NATE EDMONDSON
COMPOSER / SOUND DESIGNER -
CAROLINE COMINO
SET DESIGNER -
BROOKE ALMOND
STAGE MANAGER -
MEGHAN O'SHEA
MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
DOUG WRIGHT
WRITER
Doug Wright earned the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for his play I Am My Own Wife. Other stage works include Grey Gardens (Tony Nomination), The Little Mermaid, Hands on a Hardbody, and War Paint.
Film: Quills, based on his Obie-winning play, nominated for three Academy Awards. Television: Tony Bennett: An American Classic directed by Rob Marshall.
Honors: Benjamin Dank Prize, the American Academy of Arts and Letters; Tolerance Prize, Kulturforum Europa; Paul Selvin Award, Writers Guild of America. Professional affiliations: President of the Dramatists Guild; member, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, board of the New York Theatre Workshop. Wright is married to singer/songwriter David Clement.
×BEN GERRARD
CHARLOTTE VON MAHLSDORF
Ben Gerrard graduated from NIDA in 2006.
He most recently appeared in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Hayes Theatre). Other recent theatre credits include several seasons of the acclaimed Songs For The Fallen (Sydney Festival, Brisbane Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival), as well as the Sydney season of I Am My Own Wife at the Old Fitz (Oriel Group). Ben was nominated for Best Actor (Independent production) at the Sydney Theatre Awards for this performance.
He is also well known for his television work having starred in Molly, Open Slather, Outland as well as the feature film Wolf Creek 2. Other television appearances include Deep Water, A Place To Call Home, Jack Irish: Dead Point, The Power of Ten: Gallipoli, Chandon Pictures, and All Saints. He was a recipient of the Mike Walsh Fellowship in 2014 and most recently was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama in the 2016 AACTA awards for his portrayal of Caroline in Molly (Seven Network).
×ELISE McCANN
PRODUCER - ORIEL GROUP
Elise McCann is the Executive Producer of Carmen, Live or Dead and the creator and owner of Oriel Entertainment Group.
Oriel Group is an emerging independent production house for Theatre and Film, established in 2014 to facilitate opportunities for Australian artists and creatives to bring to life their passion projects.
Elise was a co-creator in association with Luckiest Productions on Everybody Loves Lucy, which premiered in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in 2014, following which it embarked on an 8 week national tour in 2015 and a 3 month regional tour in 2017.
Oriel Group’s first independent venture was the critically acclaimed one man play I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright, directed by Shaun Rennie and starring theatre and television star Ben Gerrard. I Am My Own Wife ran a sell out season at the Old Fitz Theatre in Sydney in November/December of 2015 through which Ben was nominated in the 2015 Sydney Theatre Awards for Most Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play for his performance as Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf. I Am My Own Wife then went on to appear at fortyfivedownstairs as a Premier Production in the 2017 Midsumma Festival, receiving unanimous critical acclaim and box office success. It most recently toured to the Brisbane Powerhouse for a strictly limited sell out season in April 2017 and will be embarking on a return Queensland season at the QUT Gardens Theatre in October 2018.
In April of 2017 Oriel produced the development of Carmen, Live or Dead, written by New York writer Craig Harwood for one of Australia’s most diverse and exciting theatre and cabaret actors – Natalie Gamsu, directed by Shaun Rennie with original music composed by iOTA.
Carmen, Live or Dead underwent a two week development and a 6 show performance run at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne throughout April 2017 after which it underwent a second stage development in New York with writer Craig Harwood and dramturge Natasha Singha. It had its official world premiere production in Sydney at the Hayes Theatre in April/May 2018, after which it transferred to the prestigious Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June 2018.
Elise most recently developed the world premiere concert/cabaret Dahlesque which premiered at the 2017 Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June 2017 featuring music from adaptations of Roald Dahl stories all played with a 9 piece orchestra. Dahlesque was then re-orchestrated for a 40 piece orchestra ahead of its Melbourne premiere at the Malthouse Theatre with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in April 2018. Dahlesque was released as an album of music with ABC Music/Universal Music in June 2017.
×SHAUN RENNIE
DIRECTOR
Shaun made his directorial debut at Hayes Theatre Co in 2015 with RENT (Highway Run Productions). RENT returned to the Hayes in April this year due to popular demand, with both seasons selling out prior to opening night.
In the past 12 months Shaun has also directed; I Am My Own Wife (Oriel Group/Redline Productions) at Old Fitz Theatre, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Hayes Theatre Company) and Wicked (Freerain Theatre Company, Canberra). Other directing credits include; A Christmas Carol (Co-Director, London), Once We Lived Here (Resident Director, London), The Phantom of the Opera (Assistant Director, Riverside Theatre).
In 2005 Shaun conceived and created Light the Night, an annual benefit concert for leukaemia research. Shaun produced and directed Light the Night for 10 years, raising over half a million dollars for leukaemia research.
Shaun is also an accomplished musical theatre performer and theatre technician. Acting credits include; CATS (Australia/Asia Pacific Tours), Mary Poppins (Freerain Theatre Company, Canberra), Lovebites (Hayes Theatre Co), Grease (Ljubljana Festival, Slovenia), Once We Lived Here (UK premier), The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Australia/Asia Pacific Tour), The Lunch Hour (Darlinghurst Theatre), Doris Day – So Much More Than The Girl Next Door (Sydney Opera House), Fiddler on the Roof (Australian Tour), Mamma Mia! (Original Australian Cast).
He is thrilled that his critically acclaimed production of I Am My Own Wife will tour Australia in 2017 as part of both the Midsummer Festival in Melbourne and Melt Festival in Brisbane.
×ELLEN SIMPSON
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
The daughter of actors, Ellen had little chance of escaping the vice like grip of the industry (those jazz hands are deceptively strong), so toddled off to begin her professional theatre career as Zenobiah in an original production for the NZ International Arts Festival titled The Underwatermelon Man. This role won her a nomination for Most Promising Female Newcomer at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards in 2002. The rest is a history filled with Wicked Witches and Phantoms whose Love Never Dies… short stints on the small screen ranging from suspicious Doctor Blake nurse to Renee Geyer, the greatly revered title of Musical Shapes Maker (choreographer doesn’t sound as cool) and a quick jolly jaunt back to EnZed to accuse people of dancing with the devil as Abigail in the Auckland Theatre Company’s production of The Crucible.
Ellen’s knack for the written word was apparent at a young age and, over the years, has enabled her to script her own sketch comedy and bless the inter-universe with yet another humour-veiled opinion blog. She has begun writing her own series … and would very much like to finish it so keep the noise down.
Ellen has been directing the Cousin’s Christmas Carols for over two decades now and, although she appreciates the loyalty of her audience (cheers Aunty), she feels ready to explore different material and bigger venues. The end. Most recent choreography credits include Love Bites at The Hayes and Miss Siagon for The Arts Centre Gold Coast, which she also assistant directed. Ellen was assistant director on I Am My Own Wife at The Old Fitz (Oriel Group), as the Resident Director/Choreographer and Understudy on Little Shop of Horrors (Luckiest Productions) and is currently Resident Director/Choreographer on the World Premiere production of Dream Lover, The Bobby Darin Musical.
×LENORE ROBERTSON
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Lenore is presently a board member of Griffin Theatre Company and Milk Crate Theatre Company. The former Artistic Director of Epicentre Theatre Company, Lenore has directed multiple pieces for the company including Daylight Saving, Harbour, Money and Friends and Midnite. For Nautanki Theatre, she directed the premiere of Indian Embrace as well as Last Dance at Dum Dum. Originally a singer, she has performed over the years with numerous companies including Willoughby Theatre Company, Chatswood Musical Society, the Dougherty Entertainers and Soulfood. She has also been the Festival Director of Short +Sweet Voices.
×HUGH HAMILTON
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Hugh Hamilton has designed, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Hayes), One Billion Beats (CAC), Ladies Day (Griffin), I am My Own Wife (Oriel/ Old Fitz), Miracle City (Luckiest Productions), Eora Crossing, On the Case (Legs On the Wall), HMS Pinafore (Bel Rosa Opera Company), Freefall (Sydney Dance Company, Del Del (Sydney Theatre Company), Madama Butterfly (Opera Hunter) and Ursula (Brink Productions). He has also been Associate Lighting Designer on Wicked (Korean Language), The King and I, The Addams Family Musical, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Rock of Ages and Guys and Dolls.
Also extensively in Asia as the Assistant Lighting Designer and Programmer on Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia 10th Anniversary tour, Phantom of the Opera and CATS. He has also worked internationally being, Production Electrician on Wicked, Lighting Programmer on Les Misérables, Kinky Boots, and the original Lighting Programmer on Priscilla: Queen of the Desert the Musical and Love Never Dies.
×NATE EDMONDSON
COMPOSER / SOUND DESIGNER
Nate is an international, multi-award winning Composer and Sound Designer for advertising, film, television and stage. Based in Sydney, Australia, Nate’s credits include the following:
For STC: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo And Juliet. For STC / Force Majeure: Never Did Me Any Harm (Associate Sound Designer). For Belvoir: Seventeen, Kill The Messenger (Associate Sound Designer), Angels In America: Part 1 & 2 (Assistant Sound Designer), This Heaven. For Belvoir /
STCSA: Mortido. For Sydney Dance Company: Once We Were. For Bell Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Romeo And Juliet, As You Like It (Associate Sound Designer), Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale. For Griffin: MinusOneSister, Caress/Ache, The Witches, Music, Jump For Jordan, The
Floating World (Associate Sound Designer), Rust And Bone, This Year’s Ashes. For Malthouse Helium: Salomé, Lord Of The Flies. For Darlinghurst Theatre: Remembering Pirates, Savages, Good Works, Daylight Saving, All My Sons, Torch Song Trilogy, The Greening Of Grace, The Seafarer, The Paris Letter,
The Coming World. For ATYP: Fireface, The Hiding Place. For Sport For Jove: Of Mice And Men. For Riverside Theatres: Shellshock. For New Theatre: When The Rain Stops Falling, The Temperamentals, Julius Caesar. For Rock Surfers: Jack Kerouac’s Essentials Of Spontaneous Prose, Lenny Bruce: 13 Daze Un-Dug In Sydney, Psycho Beach Party, Fallout, Wrecking, The Highway Crossing, Lyrebird,
Pictures Of Bright Lights, Flightfall. For Ken Unsworth / Australian Dance Artists: Departures. For Street Theatre: All My Sons (UK). For Red Line Productions: A Girl With Sun In Her Eyes, Freak Winds. For Old 505: Decay, River. For Siren Theatre Company: Good With Maps, Misterman. For Rockefeller Productions: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (US, UK & AU). For Unhappen / Fat Boy Dancing: The Light Box. For Little Ones Theatre: Two By Two. For KXT: Leaves, Straight. For Tooth And Sinew: Scenes From An Execution, King Lear, Measure For Measure. For Les Currie Presentations: Every Single Saturday. For Wildie Creative Enterprises: Today We’re Alive. For Red Rabbit Theatre: Fefu And Her Friends. For Ashfeld Youth Theatre: Punk Rock. For AIM Dramatic Arts: The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Elektra, Medea, Phaedra. For Kambala School: Beautiful Words, Away, Living With Lady Macbeth, If Only The Lonely Were Home. For NIDA Independent: The Clinic Of Unhappiness & Negative Therapy, The Ugly One. For NIDA Open Program: Alice In Wonderland. For NIDA: Much Ado About Nothing (Guest Sound Designer), NIDA Gala (2010 & 2012). Television Work: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (International), Disturbing Bodies (ABC Fresh Blood). Short Film Work: Ten Little Rubber Ducks (International), I Am Not A Work Of Art, The Light Box, Pretty, Gibney’s Island, Kaleidoscope.
Nate also lectures in theatre production, technical audio and sound design, and has taught, supervised and mentored students at NIDA, AIM Dramatic Arts, ACTT and Wesley Institute.
×CAROLINE COMINO
SET DESIGNER
Caroline Comino is a cross disciplinary designer – interested in all aspects of scenography, be it within the theatre or the streets of Sydney. She is a practicing Architect as well as an Installation and Set Designer. She studied at the University of Sydney and the Royal Institute of Design in Copenhagen.
Caroline also collaborates with artists to facilitate their visions at large urban scales. Through all of her work Caroline aims to encourage delight and adventure through design.
Design credits include I Am My Own Wife at The Old Fitz Sydney (Oriel Group), for the Joan Sutherland Theatre in Penrith Hamlet (2013) and The Shoe Horn Sonata (2012 & 2015), and I Love Todd Sampson (Living Room Theatre) at Pier 2/3.
She has collaborated on a number of large scale public art installations both temporary and permanent including Always was Always Will Be at Taylor Square as part of the City of Sydney Streetware Program 2012, Saturated Landscapes at Railway Parade in Sydenham and We See Saw an interactive illuminated see-saw for the Vivid Festival in 2012.
×BROOKE ALMOND
STAGE MANAGER
Brooke has had extensive experience across all aspects of theatre. She graduated from the Australian Institute of Music with a BMus. (MTh), however Brooke’s talents also extend to back stage and production roles. Some of her most recent works as stage management include the National Tour of Little Shop Of Horrors (Tinderbox Productions & Luckiest Productions), I Am my Own Wife (Oriel Group), High Society and Marina Prior – A Prior Engagement (Hayes Theatre Co), 13 A new Musical!, Keating & Hot Shoe Shuffle for Birdie productions, The Australian Tenors 2015 Tour (AGE), Mark Vincent 2015 Tour (AGE) and the Our House 2014 workshop.
×MEGHAN O'SHEA
MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
In 2009 Meghan graduated from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre, and more recently graduated from QUT Business School with a graduate certificate in Marketing and Communications.
As a musical theatre performer Meghan has appeared in Oklahoma! (IAJ International), Dumped! The Musical We’ve All Been Through (Theatre Tours Australia), Breast Wishes (Bien Etre Productions), The Rocky Horror Show (TML, GFO, ATG), A Chorus Line (TML) and Singin’ in the Rain (Dainty Group).
Most recently Meghan worked in the marketing department of Crown Resorts in Melbourne. Meghan is keen to continue to grow Australia’s entertainment industry by inspiring people to attend live theatre, as well as promoting the incredible wealth of talent present in our country.
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