Backstage

Melanie Tait BACKSTAGE

Melanie Tait joins Regina Botros to talk about her life and it's trajectory to the stage.

Melanie Tait is an innovative and prolific theatre-maker, audio storyteller and digital journalist with a proven record in Australia and the UK. Her work and ideas consistently reflect the zeitgeist and she makes those ideas come to life with the help of talented teams.

Returning to Australia after her play The Vegemite Tales won critical and popular acclaim, Melanie trained as a journalist with the ABC. She has worked for the past twelve years creating radio and digital content. 

Now a recognised storyteller and broadcaster, she has created  popular podcasts like A Country Podcast, Now Hear This and Tall Tales and True. Her play The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race premiered at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney in March 2019 and will tour nationally in May-June 2021. Another play, A Broadcast Coup, was set to premiere at Ensemble Theatre in April 2020, but was cancelled due to Covid19. 

Melanie was previously Executive Producer of Podcasts at Mamamia Women's Networks overseeing their two most popular podcasts No Filter and The Quicky.

For ABC TV, she has guest hosted and reported for One Plus One and The Mix.  

Melanie has written many features, op-ed and reportage for local and international mastheads including Guardian UK, Guardian Australia, news.com.au, The Australian.

Shannon Burns BACKSTAGE

Choreographer Shannon Burns talks with Regina about her life as a dancer.

Shannon grew up in the Central Queensland town of Gladstone which is where her love of dance began. At the age of 15 she moved to Brisbane where she studied ballet full time at Queensland Dance School of Excellence before completing a Diploma of Performing Arts at ED5 International in Sydney. She has since obtained a diploma in Professional Pilates Instruction through PITC. With a technical and gymnastic background, Shannon is drawn to strong, athletic, dynamic and stylized movement from a range of genres and styles.

A versatile performer, Shannon has had the privilege of working with many of Australia’s leading choreographers including Kelley Abbey, The Squared Division, William Forsythe, Keith Hawley, Matt Lee, Leanne Cherny, Marko Panzic, Jason Coleman, Sarah Boulter and Stephen Baynes. Stage credits include Fame the Musical (Australian tour), Grease the Musical (Australian tour), previous Opera Australia productions including La Traviata and Carmen on Sydney Harbour, Le Gand Cirque, Ben Veitch’s production of Blood, Swart and Dance and the Shorter, Sweeter Dance tour.

Shannon has had international contracts in Macau (Dance Captain) and with Princess Cruises and has made regular television appearances on The X Factor, The Voice, Australian Idol, Australia’s Next Top Model and more. She has worked with both Australian and International artists including Ricky Martin, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki Lee, Red Foo and Sneaky Sound System. She has also appeared in films and music videos and performed at countless events including the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony.

Since the birth of her two gorgeous children, Shannon has enjoyed the shift in both her personal and professional life. Stepping out of the spotlight and into more creative roles, Shannon was assistant choreographer to Kelley Abbey for Opera Australia’s 2019 production of Salome. She has choreographed for a number of award ceremonies and events including the Netball World Cup Opening Ceremony and has had the pleasure of creating work for Grayboy the Agency, Kermond Creative, Lovegrove Entertainment and ED5 international .

Shannon had a magical experience dancing in the 2012 production of La Traviata on Sydney Harbour.

 

Elizabeth Gadsby BACKSTAGE

Designer Elizabeth Gadsby joins Regina to talk about the art and craft of staging a show.
She has designed multiple Sydney Theatre Company shows as well as other stages around town. She's also designed for Opera, Film and television.

Elizabeth is a set and costume designer, whose background in installation and performance art influences her approach to her design work. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) from National Art School and a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts (Design) from NIDA.

Ian Darling BACKSTAGE

Ian Darling is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, who returns to the stage for the first time in 40 years. His Director credits include The Final Quarter, Paul Kelly — Stories of Me, In the Company of Actors, The Oasis, Suzy & the Simple Man etc.. He received the Byron Kennedy Award, won the AFI/AACTA Award, has twice been a Walkley Awards Finalist and a winner of 2 Film Critics Circle Awards.

Imogen Kelly BACKSTAGE

Imogen joins Regina to delve into how she came to the stage, a little of the history of burlesque and what she's doing now. She is renowned as Australia’s Queen of Burlesque, but also crowned World Queen of Burlesque in 2012 (Burlesque Hall of Fame, Las Vegas). Imogen Kelly is an acclaimed writer, director, producer. Her theatre shows include The Undressing Room (Solo), Herstory (Solo), Mr Monster (Family Variety) and Tarnished (La La Parlour- circus troupe).

Tim McKew

Tim joins Regina to talk theatrics and madness in his life on the stage. As an iconic Melbourne gay performer, he is one of the pioneers of Australian cabaret, performance art and punk. His legendary musical queer art happenings and performance art cabarets with a touch of Dada have been staged at galleries, festivals and venues around the world. Tim is an internationally acclaimed interpreter of Noel Coward.

Priscilla Jackman

Priscilla joins Regina to talk theatre business. For Sydney Theatre Company, she directed the award winning production of White Pearl, by Anchuli Felicia King, she wrote and directed Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story (2018), assistant directed The Father and The Hanging.  She has directed for Ensemble theatre, and is currently working on productions with Opera Australia.

Paige Rattray

Director Paige Rattray talks about her life in the theatre. Currently the Associate Director at Sydney Theatre Company, Paige was previously the Associate Artistic Director at Queensland Theatre and was chosen as Sydney Theatre Company’s Richard Wherrett Fellow for a consecutive two years (2015, 2016). She is a co-founder of award-winning, independent theatre company ARTHUR, and a graduate of NIDA.

Helen Thomson

One of Australia’s finest actors, Helen Thomson, joins Regina in an interview about her life and how she came to be an actor.  Helen is one of the darlings of the theatre scene.  She has stomped the boards since the 90’s and never ceases to amaze with her comic timing, charismatic charm or depth of character on stage.
She shares her early life and the know-how of a skilled craftsperson.

 

Wesley Enoch

Wesley Enoch joins Regina Botros to discuss this moment in theatre history and the sliding doors of choices. Wesley Enoch AM has been the Sydney Festival Director from 2017–2021.  Wesley Enoch, a proud Noonuccal Nuugi man, is a writer and director and was the Artistic Director at Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts; Ilbijerri Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative; Queensland Theatre Company; and the Associate Artistic Director at Belvoir Street Theatre.