Show artwork for Meet the cast of Shakespeare in Love
Meet the Cast

Meet the cast of Shakespeare in Love

Director Simon Phillips has assembled a cast of 14 talented actors to bring Shakespeare in Love to life. Meet the team below.

Aljin Abella as Webster

Aljin Abella is a NIDA graduate who performs in Australia and internationally. He made his stage debut in the Melbourne Theatre Company/Belvoir/Black Swan Theatre production of The Sapphires. Other theatre credits include Moths and Archimedes' War (MTC Cybec Electric); The Good Person of Szechuan and The Temple (Malthouse Theatre); Aladdin (Disney Theatrical Australia); Monkey Journey To The West (Bell Shakespeare/Theatre of Image); Anything Goes (Opera Australia); La Cage Aux Folles and Anything Goes (The Production Company); Triumph (New Working Group); and Strangers in Between (Little Death Productions). Screen Credits include Ali's Wedding, I Love You Too, Offspring, Marco Polo, The Dr Blake Mysteries, City Homicide, Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away, Neighbours, Guinevere Jones and Power Rangers Jungle Fury. Aljin was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy at the IAWTV and Raindance Independent Awards for the web series Hunter n Hornet and is a two-time Green Room Award Nominee.

Luke Arnold as Marlowe

Luke Arnold has previously worked with Melbourne Theatre Company in Explorations: Macbeth. He has also appeared in Thieving Boy/Like Stars in My Hands (Fly on the Wall/La Mama Theatre) and Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Globe Centre Australia). His television credits include The End, Glitch (Series 2 & 3), Black Sails (Series 1 – 4), Salvation, Macgyver, Rush Hour, Never Tear Us Apart, Lowdown, Winners & Losers, City Homicide and Rush. Film credits include Deadman Standing, Broken Hill, Murder in the Dark, Why Chose Not to Love: A Mary Pickford Manifesto, Half Magic and The Tunnel. Luke received a TV Week Logie for Most Outstanding actor in Never Tear Us Apart, and was nominated for the AACTA for the same role.

Laurence Boxhall as Sam

Laurence Boxhall made his professional stage debut opposite Jane Turner in Jumpy (Melbourne Theatre Company/Sydney Theatre). A 2018 NIDA graduate, he played Vladimir in NIDA’s production of Waiting for Godot (directed by Susanna Dowling), as well as Shaun in Carking It, Antonio in The Changeling and Prince Kazbecki in The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Laurence is the Gen Z captain in Nine's popular Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation, with Shaun Micallef, Andy Lee and Robyn Butler. He was recently in the award-winning web series Dave and Theo, from Grannyflat Pictures, and is well known for playing the main cast role of Daniel in the ABC's hilarious Ronny Chieng: International Student. Laurence made his television debut in teen series The Worst Year of My Life … Again and was in Michael Rymer’s critically acclaimed Deadline Gallipoli for Foxtel/Matchbox Pictures, as well as the feature Mormon Yankees: The Spirit of the Game.

 

Tyler Coppin as Wabash

Tyler Coppin has appeared at the Melbourne Theatre Company in Born Yesterday, His Girl Friday, A Behanding in Spokane, Ruby Moon (MTC Education), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical). Recent stage productions include Little Shop of Horrors, Dusty, Strictly Ballroom the Musical, and as The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Green Room Award). He’s performed in many productions over the years at Belvoir Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, and Ensemble Theatre; and as Puck for Opera Australia’s acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Baz Luhrmann. Tyler’s self written solo show, LyreBird - Tales of Helpmann, has played throughout Australia and overseas winning a Scotsman Fringe First at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Recent film credits include Hacksaw Ridge, The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, Predestination, and The Tender Hook.

Daniel Frederiksen as Wessex

Daniel Frederiksen studied at NIDA and is a founding member of Red Stitch Theatre Company. His theatre credits include The Lady in The Van, Abigail’s Party, Dean Man’s Cell Phone, Rockabye, Realism, Don Juan in Soho, Cheech or The Chrysler Guys Are In Town and Measure for Measure (Melbourne Theatre Company); Matilda The Musical (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Good Person of Szechwan (Malthouse); Julius Ceasar (Bell Shakespeare); Robot VS Art (La Mama); Ruben Guthrie, Fat Boy, The Day Room and The Shape of Things (Red Stitch). Daniel’s television credits include Miss Fisher’s Murder MysteriesUnderbelly “Squizzy Taylor”Underground; Bastard Boys; Stingers; Blue Heelers; Mermaids and feature films Vessel; Summer Coda; Closed For Winter; Ten Empty and Ghost Rider. Daniel’s accolades include the Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Matilda The Musical, an AFI Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama for Bastard Boys, and a Logie Nomination for Best New Talent for Stingers.

Francis Greenslade as Tilney

For Melbourne Theatre Company, Francis Greenslade appeared in The Odd Couple, The Madwoman of Chaillot, Things We Do for Love, Urinetown, Man the Balloon, and Blabbermouth and for MTC Education, in Explorations: Macbeth. His theatre credits include Tartuffe, Optimism, The Odyssey, Babes in the Wood, Chilling and Killing My Annabel Lee, Competitive Tenderness, and Waking Eve for Playbox/Malthouse; Navigating for STC; You Got Older for Red Stitch; and The Club, School for Scandal, Cosi, The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors, Marat/Sade, and Accidental Death of an Anarchist for State Theatre Company of South Australia. As a member of Adelaide’s Magpie Theatre Company, he featured in many productions for young people, including the Adelaide and Melbourne Festival seasons of Funerals and Circuses. Many might recognise him from his regular appearances with Shaun Micallef in Mad as Hell, The Ex-PM, Micallef Tonight, and The Micallef Program, and also in The Leftovers, Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane, Winners & Losers, Schappelle, It’s a Date, East of Everything, City Homicide, All Saints, Fergus McPhail, Welcher & Welcher, Marshall Law, Blue Heelers, SeaChange, Pig’s Breakfast, Introducing Garry Petty, Water Rats, Full Frontal, Janus, and Critical Mass. He has been a member of Actors’ Equity since 1989.

Peter Houghton as Ralph

Peter Houghton is an actor, director and playwright. His recent appearances for MTC include, Three Little Words, His Girl Friday, The Joy of Text, The Colours, The Female of the Species, Birthrights, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Misalliance, and Sweet Bird of Youth. His directing credits for MTC include The Odd Couple, Boy at the Edge of Everything, True Minds, Hinterland, The Recruit and Art and Soul. His other stage work includes performances in The Beast for Ambassador Group; The Trial and Travesties for STC; The Eskimo, Tartuffe, A View Of Concrete and Normal Suburban Planetary Meltdown for Malthouse Theatre; The Graduate for Kay and McLean among others. Peter directed Footprints on Water for Griffin Theatre, Noises Off for Marriners and Day One A Hotel Evening for Black Swan. His plays The Pitch, A Commercial Farce, The China Incident and The Colours have enjoyed seasons with MTC, Malthouse, QTC, Black Swan and have toured nationally and in the UK. His solo show The Pitch played over 500 performances in Australia and UK winning Edinburgh Fringe Awards, Stage UK and Age Pick of the Year. He has received Green Room Awards for Best Actor in The Pitch and for 11th Hour Theatre’s Endgame, Best play for The Pitch and Best Director for his body of work. Screen credits include Howzat - Kerry Packers War, The Eye of the Storm, Killing Time, Metal Skin, Molly, Gallipoli, Newstopia, Doctor Blake Mysteries.

John Leary as Henslowe

John Leary is a graduate of Theatre Nepean and a proud member of MEAA. Theatre credits include North By Northwest, Private Lives, His Girl Friday and Realism (Melbourne Theatre Company); All My Sons, White Guard, Taming of the Shrew and Julius Caesar (Sydney Theatre Company); Peter Pan, The Business, The Book of Everything, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Marriage of Figaro and Cloudstreet (Belvoir); The Dragon and White Rabbit Red Rabbit (Malthouse Theatre); Just Macbeth (Bell Shakespeare); The Marriage of Figaro (Queensland Theatre Company); Don’t Stare too Much and Dealer’s Choice (Darlinghurst Theatre). Television credits include Glitch, The Letdown, True Story with Hamish and Andy, Get Krack!n, Upper Middle Bogan, Timothy, The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting, Laid, Offspring, Tough Nuts 2, Woodley and All Saints. His US television credits include The Good Place and No Activity. Selected film credits include Pirates of the Caribbean V, Red Dog, Where the Wild Things Are and the Tropfest winning short Lemonade Stand.

Adam Murphy as Fennyman

Adam Murphy has appeared in various productions for the Melbourne Theatre Company, including True MindsHis Girl Friday, The Drowsy Chaperone and Urinetown. His stage credits include Aladdin and Mary Poppins (Disney Theatrical); Georgy Girl (GG Productions); Dirty Dancing and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Skyline Theatricals); The Graduate (Kay & Mclean); Guys and Dolls (Donmar Warehouse); Mamma Mia (Dainty Consolidated) and Les Miserables (Cameron Mackintosh). Adam has enjoyed playing many roles for The Production Company in Guys and Dolls, The Pirates of Penzance, Crazy For You, Mame, 42ndSt, Little Me, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Pajama Game, Kiss Me Kate, Annie Get Your Gun, Carousel, They’re Playing Our Song, The Gilbert and Sullivan Show and Call Me Madam. Screen credits include SuckerMychonny Moves In, Utopia, House Husbands, City Homicide, Eugenie Sandler, Halifax f.p., Neighbours, Blue Heelers, Shortland Street (NZ) and The Forest. 

Deidre Rubenstein as Queen Elizabeth

Deidre Rubenstein has appeared for Melbourne Theatre Company many times, most recently in A Doll’s House, Part 2, Ladies in Black, North by Northwest, His Girl Friday, Circle Mirror Transformation, Life Without Me, Richard III, August: Osage County, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, The History Boys, The Clean House, The Worlds Wife, Birth Rights, Life x 3 and The Seagull. Stage highlights elsewhere are My Fair Lady directed by Julie Andrews, Violet, A Murder is Announced, The Glass Menagerie, Thursday, Loving Repeating, Three Sisters, Cloud Nine, Candide, Mother Courage, Top Girls, Wild Honey, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Broken Glass, The Winter’s Tale and Absurd Person Singular. Deidre created and performed in highly acclaimed solo shows What's a Girl to Do and Confidentially Yours, touring nationally and internationally. Television work includes Introducing Gary Petty, Neighbours, G.P, Mercury, Water under the Bridge, City Homicide, MDA, The Secret Life of Us, Blue Heelers, and Palace of Dreams, which won her an AFI Award for Best Actress. Film work includes Force of Destiny, Salvation and Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueburger.

Chris Ryan as Ned

Chris Ryan appeared in The Hypocrite for Melbourne Theatre Company in 2008. Other theatre credits include All My Sons, The Present, Children of the Sun, Cyrano De Bergerac, and Gross Und Klein which performed internationally in 2012 (Sydney Theatre Company); Meow Meow's Little Mermaid, Little Match Girl, Tis Pity She's a Whore and Elizabeth (Malthouse Theatre); Measure for Measure and The Promise (Belvoir); and Hamlet and Othello (Bell Shakespeare Company). Chris co-wrote and appeared in Malthouse Theatre/Hayloft Project's Thyestes, which was remounted by Belvoir and Sydney Festival in 2012, and performed internationally in 2014-2015. He co-wrote and adapted The Wild Duck (Belvoir), which toured internationally in 2014. He was an original principle cast member of Global Creatures' King Kong. As a student at the Victorian College of the Arts he appeared in Women Beware Women, Hamlet, Translations, Three Sisters, Much Ado About Nothing and Caucasian Chalk Circle.

Aaron Tsindos as Burbage

Aaron Tsindos is an actor, writer and a graduate from the Western Australian Academy of the Performing Arts. His theatre credits include The White Guard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Cyrano Du Bergerac (Sydney Theatre Company); Comedy of Errors and The Merchant of Venice (Sport for Jove), Assassins (Watch This), as well as productions with Bell Shakespeare and many more. His TV and Film credits include IFSS Uncut (Foxtel Productions), The Unwanted Friend (Tropfest Finalist 2012), Dicks Clinic (Feature), Bamboozled, which was awarded Best Film and Aaron was the recipient of Best Male Actor Tropfest 2013, Mary: The Making of a Princess and Spin Out and Unimaginary, which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in. He is also a founding member of General Legends Production Company.

Claire van der Boom as Viola

Claire van der Boom has previously worked with Melbourne Theatre Company in Double Indemnity. In the US, she appeared in Sam Shepard’s Heartless (Signature Theatre Company, off-Broadway), David Rabe’s An Early History of Fire (The New Group, off-Broadway) and Scott Caan’s The Trouble with Where We Come From (Falcon Theatre, LA). On home soil, Claire was in The Cold Child for Griffin Theatre Company. Film credits include Chronic, BrokeBattlecreek5 Flights UpLove is NowRed HillThe Square and the upcoming Palm Beach. Her American television credits include Hawaii Five-0Game of SilenceConstantineMasters of Sex and The Pacific. On Australian television, Claire appeared in Pulse, Rush (Silver Logie nomination), The Underbelly FilesLove My Way, East West 101, and Sisters of War, for which she won the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress. Claire is a graduate of NIDA.

Michael Wahr as Will Shakespeare

Shakespeare in Love marks Michael Wahr’s debut production with Melbourne Theatre Company. His recent theatre credits include: Hamlet, Othello (Bell Shakespeare); Dracula (shake & stir theatre co); Warhorse (National Theatre/Global Creatures); Macbeth (Essential Theatre); Breaking, Laika and Wills (She Said Theatre); Hamlet, Wuthering Heights (The Australian Shakespeare Company); As You Like It (Spark Theatre Company); Cosi (HIT Productions); The Bridge (La Mama/RandomActs Company); Our Country’s Good (The Preferred Play Company). His television credits include: Grisse (series regular), City Homicide and Neighbours. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Michael is a proud member of Equity (MEAA).

 

Published on 29 May 2019

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