Creative Team

Creative Team
Bankstown Arts Centre in collaboration with Sydney Festival presents the world premiere of Black Drop Effect, a new theatrical event by Nardi Simpson. Creative Team Bankstown Arts Centre in collaboration with Sydney Festival presents the world premiere of Black Drop Effect, a new theatrical event by Nardi Simpson. Arts Centre; Arts and Culture

​​CAST

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William McPherson as Binno

Billy is a proud Murri man from the Kamillaroi Tribe, South West Qld had first started in the arts industry in 1988 with Streets Arts Community Theatre Company, West End, Brisbane. Performer, Writer, Director & Didgeridoo player has performed in scores of community & professional production's including recently 2012 ABCTV Redfern Now  mini- series. Billy first theatre performance at Belvoir in 1993, was Gunjies.

 

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Marlene Cummins as Beenie

Born in the southwest town of Cunnamulla, Marlene's traditional people on her Father's side are Guguyelandji, and Woppaburra on her Mother's side. Growing up amidst the Aboriginal Protection Act of the 1950s, Marlene was raised with a very political 'grassroots' upbringing. Marlene Cummins is Australia's foremost Indigenous female blues writer and performer. Marlene knows the blues from an Aboriginal woman's perspective in this country and her story is one of vulnerability, strength and survival. Marlene refined her skills as a blues saxophonist and songwriter at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the mid-90s. She continues to busk a few times a week as she finds this helps her to maintain and develop her feel as a musician. In addition to her musical talent, Marlene has been regular broadcaster on Koori Radio for years with her renowned blues show, 'Marloo's Blues', Marlene won Broadcaster of the Year at the Deadly Awards in 2009. In 2014 Marlene released her first full-length album, Koori Woman Blues  to coincide with the premiere of her film Black Panther Woman

 

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Jane Phegan as Pip

 Jane has toured nationally and internationally, voiced radio plays for ABC Radio National, Eastside Radio and worked on several new scripts with Playwriting Australia. She has directed productions at University of Wollongong, University of Newcastle, Sydney Theatre School and Excelsia College. Jane graduated from University of Western Sydney - Theatre Nepean (Acting) and University of Sydney (Fine Art, Film and Performance) and is a proud member of Equity. Recent theatre credits include Small Mouth Sounds (Darlinghurst), Letters to Lindy (Merrigong, National Tour) Lost Boys (Merrigong), Good With Maps (Edinburgh for Siren), Ham Funeral (Siren/Griffin), The Trouble With Harry (Siren/Seymour Centre), Good People (Ensemble Theatre), Beautiful One Day (Belvoir/Ilbijerri/version1.0), Rupert (Theatre Royal), Honchos Meeting in Cowra (Rinkogun, Tokyo), Small Hard Things (TRS/Bondi Feast), New Electric Ballroom (Griffin/Siren), Angels in America (Theatre Ink/Riverside) and As You Like It (Siren/CarriageWorks).

 

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Anthony Hunt as Andy

Trapped In Mykonos is Anthony's first appearance for Gravas Productions following Postnuptials (2013). 2012 saw world premiere of Frank Gauntlett's Deeming, In The Penal Colony (Sydney Chamber Opera 2012), and the world premiere of Jack Symonds Notes from Underground (SCO 2011). Other credits include: Men Without Shadows (Hobo Collective/ NIDA) Woyzeck (B Sharp/Arts Radar, 2010; Brisbane Festival, 2011), Feelgood (New Theatre, 2010), and The Bible: the complete word of God (Abridged) (ADC/Queen Size Productions, 2009). Other Theatre credits include: Implausible People (Gemeinschaft Dogs), Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Tempest, King Lear (Shakespeare Globe), Pants on Fire (Marian Street), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare on the Green), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Hamlet (Harlos Productions), Gross Indecency, the Three Trials of Oscar Wilde as Wilde (New Theatre), Young Mo (Crossroads Theatre), La Boheme, The Barber of Seville, Tristan and Isolde (Opera Australia). Television Credits include: Murder Call (Ch 9/ West Street Productions), Frankie's House, Review with Myles Barlow and I, Spry (ABC TV). The Polish Actor, Writer and Director Marius H. Zelesky and his wife Eliszebeta Sloboda, students of the late Henryk Tomasewski are two of the many influences Anthony counts on the development of his work.

 

 

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Googoorewon Knox as Max

Googoorewon was scouted by Tony Barclay at the Schools Spectacular in 2013 to attend the International Screen Academy in Sydney. After graduating in 2016, he was signed by esteemed Sydney talent agency Benchmark Creative Management and has since built a diverse career, both as an actor working commercially and across a range of short films, and as a musician notably performing to thousands at Qudos Arena for the Rotary International conference and in Barangaroo for Amway, as well as working his personal musical endeavours. 

 

 

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Isaiah Kennedy as Brayden

Isaiah is a fun loving young indigenous actor, with a passion for performing arts. Isaiah is an actor who also loves to sing, dance and play the guitar and piano. Isaiah has performed in  performances Beauty and the Beast, and was also leads in The Wizard of Oz and High School Musical. He was also involved in the Young Black and Deadly Festival in Sydney. Isaiah is an energetic performer and excited for his first independent show.

 

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Ken Weldon as Charley Boy

Ken is a proud Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man who has been acting since he was 6 years of age. He has previously performed in television roles including Redfern Now, advertising campaigns for Quit Smoking and Legal Aid and as a Aboriginal dancer. Ken enjoys playing the drums and is an accomplished sportsman – he particularly enjoys all forms of Rugby and boxing. Ken recently commenced his Higher School Certificate.​

 

CREATIVE TEAM

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Nardi Simpson (writer)

A Yuwaalaraay writer, musician, storyteller and educator from NSW's north west freshwater plains. As a member of Indigenous duo Stiff Gins, Nardi has travelled nationally and internationally for the past 20 years, performing in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Vietnam and the Pacific Islands. Nardi is the recipient of the 2018 Black&Write! Indigenous Writers Fellowship with the state library of Queensland and is currently editing her debut novel, Song of the Crocodile. Nardi is a participant in Ngaria Burria Indigenous Composures initiative and the musical director of Barayagal, a cross cultural choir run out of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2019. Nardi is also a Gamilaraay Language teacher and cultural consultant heavily involved in the teaching and sharing of culture in both her Sydney and Yuwaalaraay communities.

 

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Felix Cross (director) 

Felix is a director, composer and producer whose work has been performed nationally and internationally for the past 35 years, with more than 120 productions. From 1996 to 2015, he was the Artistic Director of Nitro/Black Theatre Co-operative in England and in 2012, Felix was awarded an MBE for services to Musical Theatre. Since 2013 he has worked mainly in Australia, directing several shows including The Prophet: Remix (BYDS: Bankstown Arts Centre); Leyla & Majnun (Blacktown Arts Centre); Spirit of Things (Stiff Gins: Liveworks & Yirramboi Festivals). Theatre music in Australia includes Convicts Opera (Sydney Theatre Co.); Prizefighter (La Boite: Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne Festivals); Crawl Me Blood (Aphids: Hobart & Melbourne Botanical Gardens); Between Us (ATYP); Serpents Teeth (Kings X Theatre). http://www.felixcross.org

 

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Katrina Douglas (producer)

Katrina  a director and producer passionate about developing new work that re-imagine the possibilities of live performance. Recent projects include directing and co-writing Being Debra, a virtual reality film creatively led by Debra Keenahan; and directing a verbatim performance in collaboration with the Lithgow community that explores mental health issues. Katrina has worked for companies across Australia and internationally including ATYP, PYT | Fairfield, The Q at the Joan, Interplay Kenya, St Martins, VCA, STC, Shopfront Contemporary Arts and PACT centre for emerging artists. Production credits include directing the award winning Intersection (ATYP 2017); dramaturge on the award winning A Boy & A Bean by Nick Atkins (The Q & PACT 2014); and producer and director of the multi-award winning Truck Stop by Lachlan Philpott (The Q 2012). Film and TV credits include co-producer After Hours (Jabiru Town Council 2006); and director In The Swim (SBS – screened nationally 2001). www.katrinadouglas.net

 

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Vandana Ram (executive producer)

Vandana is the Director of Bankstown Arts Centre and provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of all aspects of the Centre's Management and Programs. As both an arts manager and community based artist she has initiated a vast range of cultural programs  focusing on intercultural exchange with diverse communities. In the last 15 years her expertise has contributed to dynamic arts practice in Western Sydney, strategic planning on arts and cultural policy, advocating on behalf of this sector on local, state and federal levels and developing highly successful community partnerships.

 

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Amber Silk (production manager)

Amber has worked as lighting designer and/or production manager on projects such as Nat Randall and Anna Breckon's The Second Woman, Dark MOFO & Liveworks (2017), PIAF & Performing Lines Taiwan (2018);  Justin Shoulder's Carrion, Insite (2018), Performance Space (2017); and numerous works for Caroline Garcia (2015-2018) and Latai Taumoepeau (2015-2017). She has also been employed by Moogahlin Performing Arts, Blacktown, Bankstown and Campbelltown Arts Centres, Performance Space and Carriageworks.

 

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Mic Gruchy (video designer)

Mic works across stage, screen and video art. He is a pioneer of Video Design for Theatre, designing shows for all the major companies and festivals around Australia. He has edited TV, documentary, feature films and his video artworks are included in private collections and museums around the world such as MOMA in New York. Commissioned works include for the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Olympic Park and the Biennale of Sydney. His shows have won Helpmann Awards and he was awarded an Australia Council Established Artist's Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Practice in 2012. He has produced projections on Sydney Opera House and video designs for theatre, opera and dance around Australia, in London's West End and across Europe and Asia. Mic teaches Digital Media Design and Vision Technologies Production at NIDA and has lectured in media at University of NSW and University of Wollongong.

 

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Lucy Simpson (visual design)

Sydney based Yuwaalaraay woman, and process-led designer / maker who explores notions of time and place through materiality and visual narratives which connect, record and communicate experience and story - both old and new. Design is the medium she works within to honour and translate stories of country, creating First Nations perspectives and presence through conceptual and tactile installation works, projects within the built environment, and also throughout the public domain. Lucy's career in design has spanned 10 years since graduating from UNSW Art & Design, where she also established design studio and textiles label Gaawaa Miyay. She continues to work across a wide range of mediums and disciplines including illustration, printmaking, textiles, firework, ceramics, digital image and graphic design, and has developed, collaborated on and created a range of commercial / artistic / community based projects throughout this time. This is Lucy's second time collaborating with her sister Nardi and the Spirit of Things Collective on a theatre production.

 

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James Henry (composer/sound design)

James has been in high demand in recent years as a composer and sound designer for various projects. This is mainly due to his diverse skill set and broad interest across various music genres. The Melbourne arts scene provides many opportunities which has seen him as the musical director of Tanderrum the Melbourne festival opening ceremony for 3 years running, sound designer for various Ilbijerri productions as well as City of Melbourne commissions. James has featured as a musical director, composer and arranger for Dreamtime at the G opening ceremonies and as composer and musical director for the Yirramboi Festival opening ceremonies. James' sound design work has featured in An Octoroon for Brisbane Festival 2017 and Blood on the Dancefloor for Sydney Festival 2017. https://www.jameshenrymusic.net

 

 

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Matthew Doyle (choreographer)

Matthew Doyle was born and raised in Sydney, he is a Descendant of the Muruwari People from Northwest NSW. Studied at NAISDA College 1985-88 and then became a founding member of AIDT the Company. Matthew is a dancer, musician, songman, didgeridoo player, cultural consultant and educator with over 30 years' experience in the performing arts across all genres. He has toured extensively in Australia and abroad performing in many countries as both a soloist and a collaborator.

 

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Karen Norris (lighting designer)

 

Karen Norris has extensive experience as a lighting designer for Theatre/Dance and Music throughout Australia and Europe. Based in London and Nice -1998 to 2008. Since returning to Australia: Recent designs: Terrain and Lore-Bangarra Dance, Theatre, NAISDA Francis Rings, Champions Martin del Armo, On View Sue Healey,  CELLA Germany SF 2018 & Dance Massive 2019 Narelle Benjamin, Winyanboga Yurringa Andrea James Moogahlin, RED Liz Lea, KOTAHI Atamira NZ, Barbara and the Camp Dogs Belvoir Street Theatre, The Appleton Ladies Potatoe Race & The last Five Years Ensemble Theatre, Blak Box Barangaroo & SF 2019, Broken Glass SF 2018 - The Weekend Liza-mare Syron SF2019 Moogahlin, Blak Box Urban Theatre Projects Barangarroo & SF 2019, plenty serious TALK TALK Vicky van Hout, Rainbows End Darlinghurst Theatre.

 

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Frankie Clarke (stage manager)

Frankie is an emerging manager based in Sydney. Recently graduating the University of Wollongong, Bachelor of Creative Arts- Theatre (Deans Scholar), they both Stage and Production manage theatre and dance. Frankie is the current Venue and Technical Manager at Pact, as well as Production Managing Cloe Fournier's 'Mea Culpa' (2019), FORM Dance's 'Passing It On' (2019), Vicki Van Hout's 'Plenty Serious Talk Talk (2018) and Omer Backley-Astrachan's 'Valley and Wildebeest' (2018). 

 

Emjay Matthews (assistant production manager)

 

Bianca Cruse (assistant stage manager)

 

Hero image: Concept image of Black Drop Effect by Lucy Simpson.​