Luminary
Listen and learn as our artists talk creativity and resilience with industry veterans
The Luminary Series connected 8 veteran creatives, nominated by the Actors Benevolent Fund, with 8 Darlo 2020 Season artists. Over the last months of 2020 they talked about resilience, COVID and life in theatre.
These conversations will be published in podcast form, for our community to delve into and learn from. Meet our Artists and see Episode links and Transcripts below.
Produced by Bernadette Fam
Sound Engineer Dylan Robinson
Intro music created by Malaika Green
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The Luminary Series was made possible by the Create NSW, and in partnership with the Actors Benevolent Fund.
The Luminary Series Artists and Episodes
Elaine Crombie & Wendy Mocke
Elaine Crombie and Wendy Mocke discuss living in (and essential watching) during lockdown and motherhood along with activism and collective support during the Black Lives Matter movement.
Elaine Crombie is a Pitjantjatjara, Warrigmal, South Sea & German descended woman and proud mother of two brilliant sons.
Elaine is an actor, singer, songwriter and writer with a career that spans over 20 years, with extensive theatre work Elaine started with Queensland Theatre Company and has since worked with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre Company and other various theatre companies.
Elaine has also work on television productions such as 8MMM Aboriginal Radio, Redfern Now and Black Comedy (series 2) and Kiki and Kitty.
Wendy Mocke is a Papua New Guinean inter-disciplinary storyteller. She is a NIDA Acting graduate and currently an emerging writer at Sydney Theatre Company. Wendy has performed on stages across Sydney and last year her play Jelbu Meri, who she co-wrote with Phoebe Grainer, was featured in Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s development program ‘Next In Line’.
Wendy previously undertook a residency at Rex Cramphorn Studio for a verbatim theatre piece she devised called Voices of West Papua. Wendy’s visual art’s project called m e r i, a collection of photographs and stories that focuses on the re-contextualising contemporary PNG women, will be exhibited later this year at North Site Contemporary Arts Gallery in Cairns, Far north Queensland.
One of Wendy‘s quests as a writer and artist is to make alive what is quiet and asleep in Melanesian stories and unpack the myriad of layers that is Black Pacific Islander identity.
Zahra Newman & Donna Abela
Zahra Newman and Donna Abela discuss theatre in a “post-COVID” world and systemic racism in the rehearsal room.
A graduate of VCA, Zahra Newman has built an extensive list of theatre, television and film credits.
In 2016 she was awarded an AACTA for Best New Talent, and received a 2017 Sydney Theatre Award for her performance as ‘Nabulungi’ in The Book of Mormon. Other industry recognitions include a Green Room Award, CGA Award and multiple Helpmann nominations. Theatre credits include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Love and Information for Sydney Theatre Company, Random, The Blind Giant is Dancing, Ivanov, The Government Inspector, Private Lives for Belvoir, Miss Julie, The Effect, The Mountain Top, The Cherry Orchard, Menagerie, Clybourne Park, The Drowsy Chaperone and Richard III for Melbourne Theatre Company and the critically acclaimed Wake in Fright for Malthouse/Sydney Opera House, which she also co-created.
Zahra’s television credits include Diary of an Uber Driver, Sisters, Foxtel’s Wentworth, Neighbours, Rosehaven, Childhood’s End and Rush. Her film credits include Truth, I Met A Girl and the recently released Long Story Short.
Donna Abela is an award-winning playwright. Jump For Jordan won the 2015 AWGIE Award for Stage and the 2013 Griffin Playwriting Award, and is on the 2019-2022 HSC Drama Syllabus. Her body of work includes plays which have won AWGIE awards for radio (Spirit, Aurora’s Lament, Mrs Macquarie’s Cello), the Human Rights Award for Drama (Highest Mountain Fastest River), and were nominated for NSW Premiers Literary Awards (Tales From the Arabian Night, Jump For Jordan). For Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image, she wrote two large scale adaptations: Monkey … Journey to the West (2014 Brisbane Festival, 2015 Melbourne Festival, 2015 Sydney Opera House program) and Tales from the Arabian Nights, a widely produced play on refugee themes which was published by Currency Press in 2019.
Donna also has extensive experience in script and writer development, and in the last two years has worked with organisations such as Q Theatre, Arts Out West, Hothouse Theatre, PYT Fairfield, Australian Theatre for Young People, Playwriting Australia, National Theatre of Parramatta, Westwords, UoW and Excelsia College to teach, mentor or provide dramaturgy to over a hundred student, emerging and professional writers for screen and stage. Donna is a graduate from the University of Technology, the University of New South Wales, the University of Wollongong, and the National Institute for Dramatic Arts. She is a member of Milk Crate Theatre’s Artistic Advisory Council, and a founding member of PYT Fairfield and 7ON Playwrights.
Mia Morrissey and Ursula Yovich
Actor and musical theatre star Mia Morrissey talks with Australian theatre, film & TV royalty Ursula Yovich about the complicated process of grief and how you can harness it in your writing process and performances.
Mia Morrissey started working as an actor at the age of sixteen when she starred in the critically acclaimed short film Bat Eyes (by Killing Ground director Damien Power). Shortly after, she landed a lead role in channels 7’s children’s musical series In Your Dreams, which shot in Australia and Germany for 2 seasons. In between seasons, Mia made her theatre debut in The Voices Project: Out Of Place with ATYP. Also an accomplished singer and songwriter, Mia wrote two songs for In Your Dreams and was on season three of The Voice, being picked by Ricky Martin to be on his team.
Since then, Mia has been featured on channel 7’s Molly and studied in New York at The Atlantic Acting School. It was there that she decided to pursue her training and audition for the WAAPA full time acting course, from where she graduated in 2018. Since then, Mia has appeared on season two of Harrow, starred in Alice in Slasherland at The Old Fitz theatre, brought to life ‘Jade Lennox’ on Home and away as well as performing in The Hope Song as ‘The muse’ directed by Socrates Otto at the Flightpath theatre and producing and performing in her cabaret Anything You Can Do which brought together female performers to play roles originally written for men. Mia also signed on as an associate producer of Chips and Gravy’s, Screen Australia funded musical comedy series, She Becomes Her andreceived funding from The Hayes Theatre to complete her original musical In Loving Memory. And up untilan international pandemic put the world on hold, she was also all set to play Amelie in Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s,Amelie. But like many other shows, it has been postponed… For the time being… Most recently, Mia starred as Mimi in RENT directed by Shaun Rennie at the Sydney Opera House.
Ursula Yovich is a singer, song-writer, actor, playwright and story teller. She grew up in Australian’s Northern Territory, in Darwin and Maningrida. As an actor Ursula has worked for all of Australia’s leading theatre companies, her performances and writing have been recognised with numerous awards and nominations, most recently four Helpmann Awards 2019 and four Green Room Awards 2020 for the rock musical, Barbara and The Camp Dogs, which she co-wrote with Alana Valentine.
Ursula is currently starting in Well-Behaved Women at the Hayes Theatre Co and featured in Australia’s first Aboriginal opera, Pecan Summer. Ursula also wrote and starred in her own one-woman cabaret, Magpie Blues, and more recently as playwright on the powerful piece The Man with the Iron Neck which was performed at the Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Darwin Festivals in 2018/19. Ursula has toured Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada with the musicians of Black Arm Band in Dirtsong. She has also performed in the all-girl group Barefoot Divas whose six singers represent the indigenous cultures of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Notable feature film credits include: Top End Wedding, Australia, Goldstone and Jindabyne. Ursula is also a familiar face on Australian television, with roles in many acclaimed series: Wakefield, Wanted, The Code, The Gods of Wheat Street and Redfern Now. Ursula is a writer on the NITV animated children’s TV series Little J and Big Cuz, as well as voicing the roles of ‘Nanna’ and ‘Levi’.
Saman Shad and Lex Marinos
Writer and journalist Samad Shad talk with veteran actor, broadcaster and radio presenter Lex Marinos about the history of Sydney theatre through the eyes of someone who lived it, sharing tips and tricks on how to build a sustainable career in the arts.
Saman Shad is a writer, journalist, editor and playwright and has been involved with storytelling for a number of years now. She was a scriptwriter for a BBC radio drama series Silver Street for five years. She also had an afternoon play on BBC Radio. After moving to Australia Saman created a few radio programs for the ABC and established her career as a journalist. She is a regular writer for several publications including the Guardian, SMH, news.com.au and SBS, where she was an Editor for SBS Voices and recently freelanced as an Editor at NITV. She is also a playwright with works commissioned by theatres around London and Australia.
Most recently she was part of the Next In Line program at Darlinghurst Theatre Company. She was awarded development funding by Screen Australia to develop her feature film and was a writer on a Screen Australia funded web series. Alongside, she works as a script consultant and editor and has supported a number of writers on their projects including currently, Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, for the Screenwest/ABC funded TV show “What would Suki Do?” and previously Kauthar Abdulalim on "Salma and the City". She currently has a TV comedy in development with Jungle Productions.
Born in Wagga Wagga, NSW into a family of Greek cafe owners, Lex Marinos attended University of NSW, receiving a BA with Honours in Drama, and also studied with renowned American acting teacher, Stella Adler. Since then he has worked in all areas of the entertainment industry as an actor, director, writer, broadcaster and teacher.
As an actor has appeared with the Nimrod, APG, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Company B, Big hART, and at many arts festivals, as well as commercial productions such as the King and I. Best known on television for Kingswood Country and The Slap, has also had continuing roles in City West, Embassy, S.C.O.O.P, Live & Sweaty, Ballzup, World Series Debating; Strictly Dancing, and Late Night Legends. Films include Cathy’s Child, Goodbye Paradise, Last Days of Chez Nous, Bedevil, Backyard Ashes and numerous short films.
Since the riotous inception of 2JJ, Lex has also worked as a radio presenter on various ABC and commercial networks. As a director Lex has worked in all media, notably films An Indecent Obsession, television series Bodyline, Embassy, A Country Practice, plus documentaries. He co-founded the King O’Malley Theatre Company and has directed many shows for commercial and subsidised companies and festivals. Director of Carnivale, NSW’s multicultural arts festival, 1996-99.
Lex directed one of the segments of the Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony, and was Executive Producer, YEPERENYE Federation Festival, which took place in Alice Springs as part of Centenary of Federation Celebrations.
Awarded OAM for services to the performing arts, Lex has also held many advisory and governance positions with arts and cultural organizations including SOCOG, The Australia Council, and Community Broadcasting Foundation. Lex is a frequent speaker and writer on arts and cultural diversity; hosts numerous awards and community functions; and is guest tutor at several Theatre & Screen colleges.
His book Blood and Circuses: an irresponsible memoir was published by Allen & Unwin. He has also written for film, television, radio, and stage and is a proud member of Actors Equity since 1970.
Amy Sole and Glenn Hazeldine
Amy and Glenn reflect on their experiences in the industry, from starting out and the barriers they faced to present day, and discuss the rise of broader diversity and inclusivity in the arts and its necessary future.
Amy Sole is a proud Wiradjuri/Worimi person. Amy is a director, playwright, activist, actor, and producer. They are currently undertaking the Master of Fine Arts (Directing) at NIDA after previously completing the Master of Theatre (Playwriting) at VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) in 2020 and graduating from the acting program at AFTT (Academy of Film, Theatre and Television) in 2018.
In 2020 Amy was Assistant Director for RENT at the Sydney Opera House and directed a reading of Dylan Van Den Berg’s way back when at Darlinghurst Theatre Company. As a playwright Amy is currently under commission with Ilbijerri Theatre Company’s Blackwrights program and Yardstick Theatre’s Covid response. In 2019 they wrote, directed and produced DOING at KXT (Kings Cross Theatre) and were a member of KXT’s Step Up program.
As an activist Amy is primarily attracted to decolonising work in the industry and they are Equity Diversity Committee Co-Chair. They are the co-founder of Puddle or Pond Theatre Company and have vast production and rehearsal room associate experience with Yellamundie National First Peoples Playwriting Festival, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Green Door Theatre and bAKEHOUSE Theatre. Amy is a passionate performer and creator, who is devoted to creating theatre that is inclusive to all and full of magic.
Glenn Hazeldine graduated from NIDA in 1994. His acting work includes, for STC: No Pay? No Way!, Disgraced, Arcadia, Tot Mom, The Pig Iron People, Don’s Party, Julius Caesar, Victory, Love For Love, Mongrels and Dead White Males (also national tour). For Ensemble Theatre Company: Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica, The Ruby Sunrise, Tuesdays With Morrie (also national tour), A View From The Bridge, Birthrights, All My Sons, Ten Unknowns, A Conversation (also national tour), Sanctuary, Act One. For Company B Belvoir: The Judas Kiss (also national tour). For Bell Shakespeare Company: As You Like It. For Merrigong Theatre: Letters to Lindy. For Darlinghurst Theatre Company: Lawrence and Holloman and Every Second. For B-Sharp: Rhinoceros. For Marian St. Theatre: Labour Day. For MTC/STC: Don’s Party, Cosi, The Father. For Malthouse/STC: Love and Information, Away. For Wayne Harrison’s Cheep: Stainless Steel Rat. For the Seymour Centre: Transparency. Glenn’s television appearances include At Home With Julia, All Saints, Blackjack, CNNNN, Corridors of Power, Stingers, Water Rats, All Saints, Backberner, A Difficult Woman. Glenn made his debut feature film appearance in the critically acclaimed Last Train To Freo. Other film credits include: The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg and The Mechanicals. Glenn has directed David Williamson’s A Night In Emerald City for the Corrie Lee Foundation, Stories From The 428 at Sidetrack Theatre and was the assistant director of Charitable Intent (Ensemble Theatre) and Defending the Caveman (Ross Mollison Productions).
Glenn is Deputy Chair of the Actors Benevolent Fund of NSW and Vice-President of the NSW branch of Actors Equity.
Rachel Chant and Heather Mitchell
Rachel and Heather talk about survival in this industry, both physically and mentally, and how we can approach survival on an individual level and as a collective industry.
Rachel Chant is a theatre director and festival director of Bondi Festival. In 2020/21 she is the recipient of the Ensemble Theatre Sandra Bates Director’s Award. A member of Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2019 Women in Theatre Program, she has worked as director, script assessor and dramaturg for Playwriting Australia and as a guest director and teaching artist at NIDA, AIMDA and ATYP. Rachel was the Artistic Associate for the inaugural women’s theatre festival, Festival Fatale, produced by Women in Theatre and Screen; was the resident dramaturg for Red Line Productions’ ‘New Fitz’ new writing program, and from 2013-2015 was Associate Director at Rock Surfers Theatre Company. Rachel has a Masters of Applied Theatre Studies from the University of New England.
Recent projects include: Cybec Electric (Melbourne Theatre Company); Deoxyribo-Whatever Acid (Lysicrates Prize); Good Dog (Kings X Theatre x Green Door Theatre Company); Love (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Glengarry Glen Ross (NIDA); Intersection 2018: Chrysalis (ATYP @ Griffin); 2018 Griffin Award Readings (Griffin Theatre Company); Outposts Development Program (Playwriting Australia and Hothouse Theatre); The Village Bike (Old Fitz Theatre); Moth (ATYP); Leaves (Kings X Theatre); When the Rain Stops Falling (New Theatre); Decay (Old505 Theatre); Machine (Old505 Theatre); Nil By Sea (Site&Sound). As Assistant Director: Cosi (dir. Sarah Goodes; MTC + STC); Mortido (dir. Leticia Caceres; Belvoir + STCSA).
Selected awards include Sydney Theatre Award nominations: Good Dog; Moth; The Village Bike. Broadway World Best Director Award: Leaves. Suzy Goes See’s Best Direction: Love; When The Rain Stops Falling; GJ Borny Prize for exceptional ability in the areas of scholarship, research and production.
Heather Mitchell is one of Australia’s most respected actresses across film, television and theatre.
Heather will next be seen in the SBS series THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS, ABC/BBC coproduction WAKEFIELD, Netflix feature BOSCH & ROCKIT, Del Kathryn Barton’s debut feature BLAZE and on stage in PLAYING BEATIE BOW for the Sydney Theatre Company.
She recently featured in the ABC series OPERATION BUFFALO, Network 10 series THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS, Foxtel series UPRIGHT alongside Tim Minchin, Network Seven’s MS FISHER’S MODERN MURDER MYSTERIES and Rachel Ward’s PALM BEACH alongside Richard E Grant, Bryan Brown and Sam Neill.
Heather has an impressive list of television credits including Foxtel’s highly popular series A PLACE TO CALL HOME, U.S. ABC series REEF BREAK, ABC series HARROW, ABC telemovie RIOT, Seven Network’s MOLLY, Nine Network’s POWER GAMES for which she received a 2014 AACTA Award nomination for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama, and the ABC telemovie JACK IRISH: BLACK TIDE. Her other television credits include the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks US miniseries THE PACIFIC, NEWTOWN’S LAW, JANET KING, MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, A MODEL DAUGHTER: THE KILLING OF CAROLINE BYRNE, SATISFACTION, THE FALLS, BLUE WATER HIGH, THE SOCIETY MURDERS, HELL HAS HARBOUR VIEWS, ALL SAINTS, SPELLBINDER, CROWNIES, DANCE ACADEMY, SPIRITED, RAKE and UNDERBELLY: THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY.
Heather’s feature credits include Baz Luhrmann’s THE GREAT GATSBY, Fred Schepisi’s THE EYE OF THE STORM, Leon Ford’s GRIFF THE INVISIBLE, David Barker’s PIMPED, Dean Francis’ DROWN, Jim Lounsbury’s LOVE IS NOW, THE WEDDING PARTY which premiered at the 2010 Melbourne Film Festival, THREE BLIND MICE, Greg McLean’s ROGUE, Cherie Nowlan’s THANK GOD HE MET LIZZIE, MURIEL’S WEDDING, PROOF, IRRESISTIBLE alongside Susan Sarandon, BLACK & WHITE, CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION and ROMULUS, MY FATHER directed by Richard Roxburgh.
She received a Best Lead Actress award at the 2011 and 2012 New York City International Film Festival for her performance in Nadine Garner’s short film, AFTERGLOW and Glenn Stewart’s THE RED VALENTINE.
Heather has worked extensively in the theatre having performed in productions including ILIAD OUT LOUD for Sydney and Adelaide Festival, HARP IN THE SOUTH, STILL POINT TURNING: THE CATHERINE MCGREGOR STORY, TOP GIRLS, CLOUD NINE, AWAY, HAY FEVER, THE HANSARD MONOLOGUES, ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDERNSTERN ARE DEAD, SIGNS OF LIFE, NEVER DID ME ANY HARM, LES LIAISONS, DENGEREUSES, SELF ESTEEM, THE REAL THING, WHITE DEVIL, BURN THIS, THE DOLL TRILOGY – SUMMER OF THE SEVENTEENTH DOLL, A DELICATE BALANCE, CORIOLANUS, HENRY IV and TRUE WEST directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman for the Sydney Theatre Company; THE HISTORY BOYS for the Sydney Opera House, Marion Potts’ HAMLET and THE WINTER’S TALE for the Bell Shakespeare Company; SCENES FROM A SEPARATION and UNCLE VANYA for the Melbourne Theatre Company; GHOSTS and PRIVATE LIVES for the State Theatre Company of South Australia; NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH and TENDER for Company B; Tim Carroll’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for the Sydney Symphony; THE HANSARD MONOLOGUES for the Seymour Centre and most recently YOU ANIMAL YOU for Force Majeure. Heather’s performance as Shirley Hastings in Baz Luhrmann’s production of STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL won her the 2014 Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and 2015 Green Room Award for Best Female in a Supporting Role (Musical Theatre).
In 2020, Heather was made a member of the Order of Australia at the Australia Day Honour’s “for significant service to the performing arts, and to the community.”
Jeremi Campese and Maggie Blinco
Jeremi and Maggie discuss the history of Australian theatre and the pioneers of our industry, and talk about theatre through a historical lens and how it is evolving to shape the exciting future of Australian stories.
Jeremi Campese is an emerging, young actor who has made immediate impact on the Sydney theatre scene. His credits include: Hamlet (Bell Shakespeare, dir. Peter Evans); The Players 2019 (Bell Shakespeare); The Luminary Series (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Romeo and Juliet (Sport for Jove, dir. Damien Ryan); Martin Lysicrates Prize (Griffin Theatre Company); Yen (Bakehouse Theatre Company at KXT, dir. Lucy Clements); DNA (Bakehouse at KXT, dir. Claudia Barrie); Rosaline (Bakehouse at KXT, dir. Sophie Kelly); Nosferatu: A Fractured Symphony (Montague Basement at Old 505); Moth (ATYP, dir. Rachel Chant, 2017 Sydney Theatre Award nomination); Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (ATYP, dir. Fraser Corfield, 2017 Sydney Theatre Award nomination); and Intersection: Chrysalis (ATYP, dir. Rachel Chant).
Maggie Blinco is an actress who has graced the stages and screens in Australia for decades starting with her breakout role as Pearl in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (directed by Richard Wherrett at Nimrod Theatre in 1974), and going on to star in iconic Australian films such as Alvin Purple, Crocodile Dundee and The Nightingale. Her most recent stage credits include John (directed by Craig Baldwin at the Seymour Centre) and Omar And Dawn (directed by Dino Dimitriadis at Kings Cross Theatre). Maggie was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Sydney Theatre Awards.