Crowne Plaza Coogee Arts Festival 2008

The Players

			Douglas Hansell Duke Orsino/Second Officer Douglas is a 2003 graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Acting). His theatre credits include An Italian Straw Hat (East Coast Theatre Co.), Elizabeth Rex (Theatre 3, Canberra), Christmas In November (Company B), The Cold Child (Griffin Stablemates), Actors At Work (Bell Shakespeare Co.). Favourite roles at WAAPA were Vershinin (Three Sisters) and Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Television and film work includes semi-regular work on All Saints and various commercials, The Chocolate Cake (Project Greenlight finalist), Scheyville (AFTRS major work) and a number of short films. Douglas has also worked as a musician appearing in festivals, events and cabaret around Australia and overseas. Having played in Much Ado, Macbeth, Merchant of Venice and Perciles, Doug is delighted to be making his Twelfth Night debut, as Orsino, no less!

			Leof Kingsford-Smith Antonio/Valentine Leof has performed extensively in Australia and the U.K. He initially graduated from the Independent Theatre, with further training at The Sydney Theatre School and The Actors Studio. Theatre credits include King Lear (King Lear) at Seymour Centre (Sydney); Roberto Zucco (Father/Old Gentleman/Superintendent), The Black Dog (Stripes) at Figtree Theatre (Sydney); Charley’s Aunt (Charley), Bitter Sanctuary (Stefan), Play it Again Sam (Dick), The Day after the Fair (Charles) at Sutton Arts Theatre (Birmingham, UK); The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin (Voices off) at Mayfair Theatre (London West End); MacBeth the Opera (Witch/Soldier) at Opera House (Sydney); The Corn is Green (Morgan Evans), Don’s Party (Mack) at New Theatre (Sydney); Absurd Person Singular, Sidney, A Touch of Silk (Dave), Saturday Sunday Monday (Roberto), Measure For Measure (Claudio) Much Ado About Nothing (Benedict), Zoo Story, (Gerry), The Glass Slipper (Father) at Independent Theatre (Sydney). Other productions include: Seasons Greeting (Bernard), The Sky Is Overcast (Best Actor) and Julius Caesar (Best Actor). Film roles include Trapped (Max - Best Actor, runner up), Move: (The man - Lead) and The Lamp God: (Sven – Lead). To save asking the question, Leof is the grand nephew of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith!

			John McNeill Sir Toby Belch Recent stage work includes Sue Smith's 'Thrall ' ( directed by Leland Kean ) and 'The Last Great Roadhouse in Paradise', both for Tamarama Rock Surfers, 'Away' ( Sydney Theatre Company ) 'Blue Eyes and Heels' ( Whoosh Productions ) and 'Noir' ( Cabin Crew, Tamara Cook directing ). He has also performed in 'Bouncers', 'The Tempest', 'The Glory of Living', ' Fool For Love', ' The Merchant of Venice', 'Gary's House ', 'King Lear', 'Turnstiler', 'Look Back in Anger', ' Anything Goes', "Ophelia Thinks Harder' 'Two Way Mirror' and many others. Feature Films include ' Kangaroo Jack ', 'Dirty Deeds', 'Candy' and the soon to be released film 'The View From Greenhaven Drive' TV work includes, ' Blue Murder', ' McLeod's Daughters', 'All Saints', 'Double The Fist', ' White Collar Blue', ' Young Lions',' Water Rats', ' Heartbreak High', ' Home and Away', ' Headstart' ' Backburner' and a wide variety of short films and TVCs. John's full length play 'Pikers' has been produced at The Stables and Downstairs Belvoir and again last year in Berry. His short plays ' Big Dougie Draws Stumps', ' Jesus of Marrickville ' and ' Slapping Leonard Cohen' have also been produced in Sydney with some success.

			Lucy Miller Olivia Lucy trained in London after receiving a full 3 year scholarship to the ‘Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.’ She spent 2 years working at The Bloomsbury Theatre, Riverside Studios, Avondale Theatre and The Landor Theatre in London on productions such as Vinegar Tom, Schnitzlers Anatol and Blithe Spirit. In Australia she has worked with Night Sky Productions at Coogee as Olivia in Twelfth Night, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Adriana in Comedy of Errors. She has performed in Young Australia Workshops Shakespeare On Trial for 3 consecutive years taking the Bards plays and performing all the Women into schools around Australia, directed by Chris Canute. Other productions include The Bridesmaid Must Die at Parramatta Riverside studios, Chris Canute’s National tour of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Film/TV include All Saints and the part of Isabel Macdonagh in Rebecca Barry’s documentary/drama The Macdonagh Sisters. She has worked with Timothy Daly as a resident actor at the Australian National playwrights Centre. She is also a part of the ensemble of actors at Parnassus Den. Lucy has also directed for Marian Street Theatre. In 2006, Lucy toured Australia with Shakespeare On Trial and played Titania in our Coogee & Centennial Park seasons of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2007, Lucy toured in a national tour of The Bamboo Flute and performed in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! at Sorlies Cabaret Restaurant, Glen Street Theatre.

			Benjamin O’Donnell Sebastian/Curio Ben’s most recent stage appearances include Ice (in) Love and War at Newtown Theatre, Sexual Peversity in Chicago for Pandora’s Box Productions and Grave Intentions at the Figtree Theatre. Having trained at The Actor’s Centre and On Camera Connections, Ben’s other stage roles have included W.A. Mozart in Amadeus and the thoroughly dislikeable Roy Cohn in Angels in America. Since graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1998, Ben has divided his time between a career in music education, acting and film production. He is now co-director of Audience Productions specializing in custom films, as well as developing personal film and television projects as writer, producer and director. He has appeared in and produced numerous short films and in 2007 received the Audience Choice Award at Shorts Around Sydney for the film Hey Stranger.

			Jerome Pride Feste/Sailor Jerome graduated from VCA with a Bachelor of Drama in 1994. His Feature Film credits include The Dinner Party, Three Dollars, The Zone, Mr Nice Guy. Television credits include Blue Heelers, The Alice, McLeods Daughters, White Collar Blue, Mercury, RawFM, State Coroner, Good Guys Bad Guys, Backberner. Jerome’s theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bell Shakespeare), Macbeth (MTC Explorations), Chilling and Killing My Annabel Lee (Griffin), Footprints on Water (Griffin & La Mama), Bird’s Eye View (The Old Fitz), The Soldiers Tale (Melbourne Festival), Self Trapped (Adelaide Festival), Hideous Portraits, Mary Shelley and The Monsters, The Large Breast (La Mama), The Room (Ranters Theatre), Alice in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows (Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne). Jerome has received Green Room Awards for his performances in Footprints on Water and The Room. Jerome also has extensive ABC radio play credits and has narrated over 30 audio books. Most recently, Jerome has become very noticeable as the character of Gary in the “No, Gary, No” Nicorette TV Commercial campaign.

			Berynn Schwerdt Malvolio/Captain/First Officer/Priest Berynn has worked in the theatre industry for twenty years as an actor, director and choreographer performing in The Crucible and Much ado about Nothing (STC), in the highly regarded Actors at Work False Face/False Heart program (Bell Shakespeare Co.), Bloody Poetry (Crossroads Theatre), The Imaginary Invalid and Macbeth (NIDA Co.), Kim Carpenter’s Hansel and Gretel, Strictly Cinders and Snow White and the Seventh Dwarf (Tilbury Hotel), The New Rocky Horror Show (subbing for Frankenfurter), Certified Male with Glynn Nicholas, Five Stories High for State of Play, the one-man show Homage by Tobsha Learner, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Pork Chop), Cargo (Riverina Theatre Co.), Terminus (East Coast Theatre Co.), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) touring Australia and abroad and many other theatre productions. He has appeared in numerous short films and features including Dead Heart by Nick Parsons and in television shows such as A Difficult Woman, Wild Side, Denton, Twisted Tales, A Country Practice, Comedy Inc and Young Lions. He played, directed and taught Theatresports (Belvoir St.), in schools and abroad for fifteen years and currently freelance teaches at the Actors’ Centre. In 2006 Berynn toured Australia with Shakespeare On Trial and performed in Night Sky Production’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2007, Berynn returned to Night Sky Production to perform for the Centennial Park season of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

			Olivia Simone Viola/Cesario Olivia graduated from NIDA in 2006 and before her acceptance, did The Journey at Actors Centre Australia and was awarded a scholarship with the St. Martins Youth Scholarship Program. She also just finished working with Scott Williams, director Of Impulse Theatre London, for the Theatre Lab inscription Workshops. Olivia has travelled extensively, including time spent in Los Angeles and New York where she undertook various training for film and TV. Olivia received a Lyrebird Award for Best Actress in a Drama for her interpretation of Dulcie in Louis Nowra’s Summer of the Alien, and has performed in many productions including Pisanio, ‘Cymbeline’ (nida), Eugenia, ‘The London Cuckolds’, (nida) Mary Mahoney in Michael Gows ‘The fortunes of Richard Mahoney’ (nida), Marina in Chekovs ‘Uncle Vanya’ (nida) Michelle in Gordon Grahams ‘The Boys’, (Nida) Florina in Caryl Churchill’s ‘Mad Forest’, Leonie in Michael Gow’s ‘Away’, Olivia also played Raya in ‘Love my Way’ and has just finished filming Australian Feature “Hobby Farm” which should be released late 2008.

			Patrick Trumper Sir Andrew Agucheek Patrick Trumper graduated from Theatre Nepean in 1988. His most recent appearances have been as Orsino and Fabian in Twelfth Night (Shakespeare on the Green) and as Patrick in the national tour of It’s a Dad Thing (TML Productions). His numerous other stage performances include Kent in King Lear and Polonius in Hamlet (Harlos Productions), Oberon and Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hunter Valley), Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Pilgrim Theatre), the title role in Amadeus (Enmore Theatre), Farmer Hoggett in Babe the Sheep Pig (Marian St) and Roland Maule in Present Laughter (Blue Mountains Theatre Co.) On television, he has had guest roles in All Saints, Wildside, Police Rescue, Farscape and The Escape of the Artful Dodger, amongst others. Patrick has produced a number of original shows for children’s and adult audiences at the Adelaide Festival Fringe, the Powerhouse Museum, Darling Harbour, the Clarendon Hotel, Katoomba and the Comedy Hotel, Harold Park. He recently directed The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Tale of the Turnip, which played in conjunction with Puss in Boots, for Marian Street Theatre for Young People. Patrick aims, in the years to come, to become more involved in film and television and to develop his skills as a theatre director.

			Emily Weare Maria A graduate of WAAPA (B.A. / Theatre) Emily has worked extensively in theatre as an actor, director and teacher. Most recently she has been seen onstage in; REDHEADS by Noelle Janaczewska, (Old Fitzroy), THE UNSCRUPULOUS MURDERER by Henning Mankell, THE FRAIL MAN, FIT TO BE TIED (Darlinghurst Theatre), LIVE ACTS ON STAGE (Griffin Theatre Co.), FALLEN ANGELS (Belvoir Downstairs) and THE GRADUATE (Really Useful Co.). Other theatre credits include A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (HVTC and Aust. Shakespeare Co.), TWELFTH NIGHT, ON THE VERGE (Hole-in-the-Wall, WA), COX 4, A WOMAN IN MIND, NOEL & GERTIE (Perth Theatre Co.). Her TV credits include, YOUNG LIONS, ALL SAINTS, GP, AFTER THE BEEP, FLYING DOCTORS and CODY. Behind the scenes as a director; PICK UPS (East Village Hotel), IT’S MY PARTY AND I’LL DIE IF I WANT TO (Darlinghurst Theatre), HEAVEN WILL PROTECT AN HONEST GIRL, TENTH ELEVENTH TWELFTH (Short and Sweet) and AN ANARCHIST AT DINNER (Shorter and Sweeter). She teaches Drama and acting and is also a regular tutor for Darlo Drama. While it’s her first gig with Night Sky Productions, it’s a chance to revisit one of her favourite Shakespeare comedies.

			Jay Yip Musical Director/Musician (original music composed to lyrics by William Shakespeare) Classically trained, Jay has a penchant for jazz and blues and music from the 1920/30’s era as it is reflective of the contradictory spirit from convention in the freedom of expression and interpretation. Jay has been involved as musical director with numerous theatre productions for Spectrum Theatre including Dinkum Assorted, Cabaret, Oliver, and My Fair Lady. He also provides accompaniment for singers and bands. This is Jay’s first foray into combining the timeless words of Shakespeare and Jay’s own passion for the era of music in which the world of Twelfth Night is set. What a treat it is to be delving into one of the Bard’s most musical plays under the Night’s Sky at Coogee.

			Keith Agius Director Keith graduated from NIDA in 1986. Since then he has worked extensively here and abroad as an actor, director and producer. Keith started directing in 1997 and productions include: The Golden Age (GPAC); the highly successful international tour to Dublin, London and NYC of Often I find that I am Naked, which he also starred in and co-produced; Pancake Tuesday (Short & Sweet 2004); A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the 2006 Coogee Arts Festival and subsequent remounts at Centennial Park in 2006 & 2007 (Night Sky) and The Comedy of Errors for the 2007 Coogee Arts Festival (Night Sky). Theatre credits as an actor include: Hamlet (Q Theatre); Woman In Mind (STC); Noel Coward in Two Keys and A Small Family Business (Marian St); Wogs Out Of Work (Australian tour); Romeo and Juliet (Performers Independent); The Adman and Heroic Measures (Playbox); Because You Are Mine (Red Shed); A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet (Theatre UpNorth); Sleuth (GPAC); Often I find that I am Naked (Savage Wit); Alive At Williamstown Pier (Griffin); Much Ado About Nothing and most recently playing Theseus/Oberon in the 2006 & 2007 season of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Centennial Park (Night Sky). Film/T.V credits include A Country Practice, Phoenix 2, Blue Heelers, State Coroner, White Collar Blue, All Saints, Fireflies and The Surgeon.

			James Browne Set/Costume Designer James graduated from the WAAPA design course in 2001 before attending AFTRS in Art Direction. James numerous stage design credits include the 600 costumes for Somewhere, the opening of the new Q Theatre in Penrith and The Secret Souk for TTRP in Singapore. James has worked extensively on events such as the 2007 Easter Carnival at Randwick and the Visa Board Dinner at the Prague Castle in the Czech Republic. T.V credits include All Saints, White Collar Blue and Australian Idol as well as numerous T.V and print commercials. In 2007, James designed sets and costumes for the successful Love’s Triumph at Darlinghurst Theatre before working as design assistant to Nigel Hook at London’s Covent Garden. Shortly after, James was costumier for the Human Nature National Tour. Recently James has been associate designer for the musical Shout! in Melbourne and Graeme Murphy’s AIDA for Opera Australia.

			Barry Watterson Producer You may ask, what’s a man in a chicken suit got to do with producing Shakespeare under the Stars? It’s time to reveal the mask of a humble fireman who 5 years ago decided to bring together two of his great loves – arts and the Coogee community. Realising that he had no creative talents of his own, he gathered the talented people around him to simply throw on a show for his friends. With no real idea of how the first show would capture the heart’s and mind’s of all who came, Barry Watterson stumbled into the role of Producer. Now in its fifth season, Barry returns the festival to its origins with a new look of Shakepeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’.

			Saskia Vromans Production Manager From her early work with community theatre groups, Saskia made her professional debut with the Coogee Arts Festival as Stage Manager for the 2006 Night Sky Production (NSP) of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Since that time, Saskia has worked behind the scenes for both Theatre and Short Film in a number of roles including: Stage Manager, Production Manager, Production Coordinator, First AD and Production Assistant. Her most recent credits include: Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (NSP 2007), An Italian Straw Hat (East Coast Theatre Co. 2007), Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors (NSP 2007), and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (NSP 2006). Saskia is delighted to be back again with Shakespeare under the Stars.

			Liam Fraser Technical Manager

			Kate Williams Stage Manager Kate has recently graduated from Charles Sturt University with a degree in Design for Theatre and Television, majoring in Stage Management. There she stage managed He Died With A Falafel In His Hand (Riverina Theatre Company), Stage Door (RTC) and assistant stage managed The House of Bernarda Alba (RTC). Since then she has stage managed Love’s Triumph (Darlinghurst Theatre Company), Tender (B-Sharp), The Naked MC with Sista She (Tamarama Rock Surfers), Dinner With Friends (Darlinghurst Theatre Company), The House of the Holy Bootay (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Honey (Parramatta Riverside Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Night Sky Productions).

			Berynn Schwerdt Fight Choreographer

			Daniel Jongen Technical Operator

			Nikki Sundstrum Assistant Stage Manager