CRAIG ILOTT
Director
Craig graduated from NIDA in 1991.
Directing credits include the national tour of the concert Let It Be (the music of Lennon and McCartney) for Spirit Entertainment, I Get the Music in You for The Ensemble Theatre and Hedwig and the Angry Inch for Showtune Productions, which won Best Musical at the 2006 Sydney Theatre Awards.
For his own company, Albedo Theatre, Craig has directed The Decameron (Old Fitz) which was nominated for The Sun Herald Best Independent Production 2002; Dealer’s Choice (Old Fitz) which went on to win The Sun Herald Best Independent Production 2004; and Edmond, which was a co-production with B Sharp Belvoir and was nominated for Best Independent Production at the 2005 Sydney Theatre Awards.
Craig was resident director on Makropoulos Secret for Opera Australia, and in 2005 was assistant to director Neil Armfield on the feature film Candy starring Geoffrey Rush and Heath Ledger.
Other directing credits include: Sunday in the Park with George and Dario Fo’s Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! (NIDA); Three’s Company (Glen St); The Present (La Mama); Fiddler on the Roof (Darwin Theatre Company) and The Suitors which was nominated for Best Independent Production Award at the Sydney Theatre Awards 2006 (Easily Distracted, Old Fitz).
Craig's production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch was highly acclaimed during its Sydney and Melbourne seasons in 2006, receiving high praise from many critics. “Let's cut to the chase. Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the most exciting piece of music theatre to hit Sydney in years and is shaping up as one of 2006's essential theatre experiences. Miss this and you'll be sorry. 10/10.” Jason Blake, The Sun Herald.
In February 2007 Hedwig and the Angry Inch returned for a second sell out Sydney season, and Craig won the Green Room Award for Best Musical Direction along with iOTA winning Male Artist in a leading role. The production was also nominated for Best Musical, Best Director and Best Actor at the 2007 Helpmann Awards, with iOTA winning Best Actor.
In 2008 Craig directed to critical acclaim Love Song for Melbourne Theatre Company, Pillow Man for Company B Belvoir, R & J at the Riverside Theatre and The Pig Iron People for Sydney Theatre Company.
JOHN GARVIN
Resident Director
John graduated from Bretton Hall Academy for Performance Arts in the UK and has worked internationally as a screenwriter, director and actor.
In 1991, he was awarded the Sunday Times NSDF Award for ‘Best Director’ (‘The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie’). Between 1994 and 1998, John played the lead role of Buddy Holly in the original West End production at the Victoria Palace and Strand Theatres in London, as well as the extensive UK tour. In 2000, John moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands and became artistic director for TCFAF Theatre Company. During this time, John pursued a parallel career as an underwater cameraman and dive supervisor and worked on several documentaries for Discovery Channel and the BBC. More recently, John has been working for James Cameron’s Earthship Productions in Los Angeles. His screenplay, ‘Sanctum’, (co-written with Cameron) is slated to go into production later this year.
PETER LAUGHTON
Musical Director
Peter completed his studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, graduating with a Bachelor of Music Sonology leading to a Masters of Music and received the Griffith University Conservatorium medal. Peter has lectured at the Queensland Conservatorium, University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology.
His diversity in his musical skills has encompassed all aspects of Musical Theatre and have included Man of La Mancha, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Guys and Dolls and Little Shop of Horrors and the list goes on. One of the stand out high-lights in Peter’s musical career was to conduct the final performance of Suzanne Steele in Melbourne Concert Hall. Peter still manages to be a guest lecturer at Queensland University of Technology.
SIMON WALTER
Assistant Musical Director
Simon began lessons in classical piano at the age of 7 and has since gone on to study Jazz and Modern piano culminating in a Bachelor of Music and Education from Auckland University.
Simon’s many Musical Directing credits include the NZ premieres of RENT and Jekyll And Hyde, the NZ tour of Menopause The Musical, Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, Blood Brothers and Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera (Assistant MD). He has also been a regular tutor and accompanist at the National Singing School and the City Centre Music Theatre School. Since moving to Melbourne in 2008 he has played keyboards in Spamalot, Sweeny Todd and Mame.
Simon’s musical diversity has seen him performing in a covers band in the Middle East, conducting various orchestras throughout New Zealand, playing French Horn and percussion in the Auckland Symphony Orchestra and composing the scores to two short films. Simon is also an accomplished performer and has performed lead roles in numerous musicals and plays including Singing In The Rain, King Lear, Death Of A Salesman and Ladies Night. His New Zealand television credits include Shortland Street and Interrogation.
CHRISTOPHER SMITH
Set designer
Christopher Smith studied architecture at Sydney University and then theatre design at the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
He worked in Sydney & Melbourne before moving to Brisbane in 1987, making a splash with the all singing, dancing, swimming & high-diving extravaganza Aquacade: Bligh's Follies at World Expo 99.
Since then he has designed extensively for both theatre and dance. Theatre work has ranged from the ToadShow trilogy of “mega-musicals” Sherwoodstock, Phantoad of the Opera and Glamalot to a productive association with La Boite Theatre, beginning in 1992 with the world premiere of the new Australian musical HORRORTORIO. Working at La Boite with artistic director Sue Rider, his designs include Michael Gow's Furious, Vita! - A Fantasy, Taming Of The Shrew, Painted Poman, Hamlet, Sex Diary of an Infidel, Romeo and Juliet the premiere productions of hilary beaton's No Strings Attached and louis nowra's Miss Bosnia. With noted film-maker Jackie Mckimmie he designed Nick Enright’s Blackrock and Andrew Bovell’s Speaking In Tongues also at La Boite. In 2000 christopher designed La Boite’s Popular Mechanicals for the opening of the Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre.
Christopher's designs for dance have included Sea Dances and Under A Private Sky for Expressions and Down Rivers Of Spine, Dreamscape and Aquilegia for the QUT Dance Academy. For The Queensland Ballet Christopher has designed and developed the scenarios for Harold Collin’s Alice: Memories of a Childhoow, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Taming of the Shrew, Bamaga Diptych, The Lady of the Camellias and Coppelia, as well as designing other works including The Nutcracker, Cinderalla and Pirates!. When the company toured to the United States its repertoire included Pirates and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Christopher was the Festival Designer for the inaugural Out Of The Box Festival in 1992, and was commissioned to design The Labours of Hercules - an opera for children, for the 1998 Festival. For Opera Queensland he designed the sets and costumes for Opera Queensland’s acclaimed production of COSI FAN TUTTE and the 2001 world premiere production of Seeking True South. Since 2000 Christopher has designed the sets for the Gold Coast Arts Centre productions of Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, Can Can, Jekyll & Hyde, Grease, Footloose, Hair, Sweeney Todd and High School Musical.
In 2005 Christopher designed the sets and costume for Queensland Conservatorium production of Albert Herring. This association has continued with designs for Les Mamelles De Tiresias, Orpheus and Euridice, and, in 2008, A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Christopher won the 4MBS FM / PERFORM AWARD for Set Design in 2000 and again in 2002.
As well as his design work for the theatre, over the past ten years Christopher has been resident exhibition designer for the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. He has tutored in design for the QUT Academy of the Arts, conducted costume and design workshops for QPAC’s Prime of Life program and GCAC’s Summer School program. Christopher is also a regular design judge for the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge.
GAVAN SWIFT
Lighting designer
Gavan Swift graduated from Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1994. Since then he has been in constant demand as a lighting designer for plays, musicals, dance and corporate events. His musical lighting designs include The Mikado, The Pirates Of Penzance, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Little Shop Of Horrors, Sweet Charity, Fiddler On The Roof, Jolson, Buddy, Oh What A Night, Footloose, Hair, and Saturday Night Fever both in Australia and on London’s West End. He has also designed the lighting for the Production Company’s concert versions of The Music Man, Hair, Mack & Mabel and the inaugural production of Mame. Gavan’s most recent work includes Opera Australia’s production of Lakme, and the State Theatre Company of South Australia’s productions of Hamlet and The Cripple Of Inishmaan. Gavan was the Associate Lighting Designer for the Australian productions of Cabaret, The Full Monty, Wicked, High School Musical and The Lion King.
JOHN TAYLOR
Sound Designer
John Taylor holds a Bachelor of Music (Sonology), Queensland Conservatorium of Music. He is currently Technical Manager for Dracula’s, Gold Coast / Melbourne. Previous to this position John was Head of Audio at Gold Coast Arts Centre and worked for CPC Production Services. As a sound designer, supervisor and operator, his work covered all aspects of live sound reinforcement throughout Australia and abroad. His musical knowledge and background have gained him respect amongst many of Australia’s leading orchestras and musicians, operating concerts in large outdoor venues and concert halls.
Some highlights include: (Co-designer/operator) Opera Queensland’s Sweeney Todd, (Supervisor/operator) Essgee Entertainment’s Pirates of Penzance tour, (Operator) Marcia Hynes, James Morrison, Rhonda Burchmore, Marina Prior and Tommy Emmanuel to name a few. John has been responsible for several annual events including: Opera in the Park at Ballendean Estate and The Australian Gospel Music Festival, 1999-2007.
Residing now on the Gold Coast with his family, John is thrilled to be working on this production of Buddy -The Buddy Holly Story.
MAREE KANOWSKI
Stage Manager
Maree graduated from the University of Southern Queensland in 2000 with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts (Stage Management), and was also the recipient of the USQ Creative Arts Award for Theatre.
Since graduation, Maree has worked as a Stage Manager with many theatre, dance, opera and event companies around Australia and the USA, including Opera Australia, The Melbourne Theatre Company, The Queensland Ballet Company, The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, The State Opera of South Australia, The Sydney Opera House, QPAC, the Melbourne Festival, the Adelaide Festival, Pinchgut Opera, Hit Productions, La Boite Theatre Company, the Q Theatre, and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Maree has also toured extensively around Australia and the USA.
