Isaac Drandic
Isaac Drandic is a father, actor, director and associate director of Australia’s leading and longest running Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Company: ILBIJERRI. He trained in the Aboriginal Theatre course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and made his acting debut in One Destiny by Black Swan State Theatre Company in 2001. Also for BSSTC, Yandy. Acting credits include: Bindjareb Pinjarra, an improvised comedy about one of the most documented massacres in Western Australia which Isaac performed and co-created (Pinjarra Project); A Black Sheep Walks Into A Baa (Ilbijerri) which he performed and co-wrote for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2009; Chopped Liver (Ilbijerri) prisons and communities Australian tour 2007/8; Romeo & Juliet, (STC education program); Fitzroy Yank, Steal Away Home, Smack Happy (NightShift Theatre Asylum/La Mama), Ingkata (Racing Pulse Productions/State Opera of South Australia) The Birthday Party, Australia The Show!!! (MTC) Bare Witness (fortyfivedownstairs) and Mothers Tongue (Yirra Yaakin).
As director: Coranderrk (Belvoir/Ilbijerri) Coranderrk We Will Show The Country (Ilbijerri) Archie Roach’s Into The Bloodstream concert as co-director, which opened the Australasian World Music Expo and toured to Woodford Folk Festival, Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Adelaide Festival and Melbourne Festival. Blak Cabaret (Malthouse Touring) 2013, Yellamundie Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Playwriting Festival (Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Festival), Blak Writers Lab showcase (Ilbijerri Theatre Company), Peter Pan (Belvoir), Assistant Director and Waltzing The Wilara (Yirra Yaakin) Assistant Director.
Isaac was the proud recipient of VIPAA award in the category of Uncle Jack Charles Award 2008, recognising ‘Best achievement by a Victorian theatre practitioner’. In 2012 he was a participant in the British Council’ Accelerate Program. He is a member of Malthouse Theatre’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and a panellist of the Victorian Indigenous Performing Arts Awards.
