Backstage

Dalisa Pigram

Dalisa joins Regina to talk about Cut the Sky, Marrugeku's latest show. She is an award winning practitioner, co-artistic director of Marrugeku and one of the people behind the concept, as well as a co-divisor, performer and choreographer on this work.

Marrugeku is a leading Indigenous intercultural dance theatre company.

And this work CUT THE SKY is set in the north of Western Australia, the story follows climate refugees, traditional owners, miners, and more as they navigate a near-future world.

A stunning production on at the Carriageworks.

 

Don't miss it!

 

Lizzie Schebesta

Lizzie joins Regina Botros to talk about Shakespeare and in particular King Lear a Bell Shakespeare production. She plays Goneril and has been performing and directing the bard's work since graduating from WAAPA.

Lizzie Schebesta has worked extensively in Film, Television and Theatre as an actor, director, choreographer. 

 

Ode to Isaiah Walsh with Ben Chapple and Austin Hayden

Writer and Director Ben Chapple and Director Austin Hayden join Regina to talk abou this new Australian work, on at the Old Fitz Theatre.

A dead body has been found in the penthouse of SINGER, an aging pop star in the vein of David Bowie. SINGER’s management team hustle to clean up the mess, but the tragedy has convinced SINGER that he must make drastic changes – to reclaim his lost artistic voice.

SINGER must confront the trade-offs made in pursuit of celebrity and purpose. His past haunts him, while his future becomes increasingly uncertain.

Joseph Twist

Joseph Twist joins Regina Botros to talk about  Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan for Opera Australia.

Joseph is a composer and musician and straddles film music and concert music arenas, crosses genres from ancient vocal music, opera, contemporary orchestral music, jazz, music theatre and cabaret. 

He has a long list of awards working with Moby, on Bluey, in Hollywood as well as his own music. It's such a treat to talk with him about his music and his art.

 

Emma Diaz

Actor Emma Diaz joins Regina to talk about her role in Never Closer on at Belvoir Theatre.

Emma Diaz is an actor and producer based in Sydney. A graduate of WAAPA Acting, her theatre credits include Blessed Union (Belvoir), The Great Divide (Ensemble), On The Beach (Sydney Theatre Company), The Crucible (Sport for Jove), Hamlet (Bell Shakespeare), and so many more

She is in Belvoir's production of NEVER CLoser set during the conflict in Northern Ireland in the late 80’s - a return after its first rendition in 2022.

Emma Whitehead

Emma joins Regina Botros to talk about the Australian premier of SHOOK.

Emma is a director, creative producer, and performer from London, UK, grateful to be living and creating work on unceded Bidjigal land. She is the founder and artistic director of experimental company Lost Thought.

Shook is playing at the Substation at Qtopia in Darlinghurst.
Locked up in a dangerous youth offenders’ institution, teenagers Riyad and Cain trade insults, barter for sweets, and dream of their imminent fatherhood. When they meet conspicuously quiet new inmate Jonjo at a parenting skills course, they speculate what kind of crime brought him inside.  

 

Thomas ES Kelly

Thomas ES Kelly joins Regina Botros to dig into his work SILENCE  playing at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Unwrapped season, dedicated to uncovering extraordinary creatives.  

SILENCE pulls the Treaty conversation out from under the rug and slams it back on the table. Funny, irreverent and reverberating with power, this is contemporary dance as you haven’t seen it before. This is one not to miss!

Thomas E.S. Kelly is a proud Minjungbal-Yugambeh, Wiradjuri and Ni-Vanuatu man. He studied at NAISDA Dance College and graduated in 2012. Thomas is an artist that works with multiple art forms which include choreography, dance, theatre, music composition, puppetry and teaching.

Sarah Giles

Sarah joins Regina to talk about how she has paved her way in as a director and the things that interest her. As well as her latert production No Pay? No Way! on at Sydney Theatre Company. 

 

 

Sarah Giles is an award-winning opera and theatre director. Described by Limelight Magazine as one of Australia’s most thoughtful theatre-makers, she has a passion for comedy and opera and has directed over 25 productions for companies including Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, State Theatre of South Australia, Malthouse Theatre, Griffin Theatre, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Chamber Opera, Opera Queensland, State Opera of South Australia and West Australian Opera. 

Sarah is a freelance artist, who works as a director, dramaturg and adaptor. She works across Australia and is based in Naarm / Melbourne where she lives with her family.

Sarah received Helpmann Award and Green Room Award nominations for Best Direction of an Opera for her world premiere Victorian Opera production of Lorelei which won Best New Australian work and Best Design at the Green Room Awards where it was nominated in five categories.

Manuel Stark Santos

Manuel Stark Santos from West Side Story joins Regina Backstage to talk about growing up dancing in the US to making it big on Broadway in New York to landing in Sydney to dance on the Handa Opera Stage.  What a treat!

Opera Australia's production opens on the 22nd March, 2024.

 

 

Van Badham

Van Badham joins Regina Backstage to talk about A Fool In Love for Sydney Theatre Company.

Badham said, “The greatest Australian virtue is our readiness to laugh at ourselves. What an honour it is to let loose the local sense of humour on a classic farce like Lope de Vega’s La dama boba, in which an aspirational scheme to marry off an heiress comes so spectacularly undone.

Van Badham is a writer, critic, trade unionist, feminist, activist and occasional broadcaster, an internationally award-winning theatremaker and one of Australia’s most controversial social commentators.