NEON TALKS: What is 'Australian' Theatre Now?

Daniel Schlusser

Daniel Schlusser is a director, dramaturge, performer and writer. He has directed over 40 productions for the stage, including works for major festivals, numerous premiere productions by both Australian and international writers, as well as classics from the Russian and European canon. Recently with The Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, he has created M+M (Theatre Works/Melbourne Festival), Menagerie (Melbourne Theatre Company Neon Festival), Ophelia doesn’t live here anymore (Chamber Made Opera/Bell Shakespeare’s Minds Eye), The Dollhouse (fortyfivedownstairs), _ Life is a Dream_ (The Store Room) and Poet #7 (Full Tilt at Arts Centre, Melbourne). Schlusser received the prestigious George Fairfax Memorial Fellowship in 2012.

Patricia Cornelius

Patricia Cornelius is a founding member of Melbourne Workers Theatre. She’s a playwright, novelist and film writer. She’s the recipient of the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize and the 2019 Green Room award for Life Achievement. She’s been awarded the Vic, NSW, Qld Premier Prizes, the Patrick White Fellowship and Mona Brand Award for playwrighting as well as numerous AWGIE Awards. She has written over 35 plays including: Runt, Shit, Anthem, Big Heart, Savages, Do not go gentle…, Slut, Love and The Call. Patricia’s novel, My Sister Jill (Random House) was published in 2002. She’s currently developing a feature film, Stolen, with director and co-writer, Catriona McKenzie. Her play My Sister Jill will premiere this year at Melbourne Theatre Company.

Nakkiah Lui

Sam Strong

Lyn Wallis

Lyn Wallis is Director of Theatre for the Australia Council for the Arts. She has worked as a director, producer, programmer, performer and teacher for over 25 years. Lyn was Downstairs Theatre Director for Belvoir (Company B) for almost a decade – she devised the B Sharp model, and subsequently curated and produced nine seasons of independent works for the B Sharp season. Prior to joining the Australia Council, Lyn was an independent programming and venue operations consultant, and in 2008, programmed Casula Powerhouse’s inaugural performing arts season, facilitating the operations and opening of its new 328-seat theatre. In previous years she created shows and performed for regional companies such as Theatre South, New England Theatre Company and Self- Raising Theatre and worked as a professional vocalist for several years on the variety circuit. Lyn was Artistic Director of Jigsaw Theatre Company for 4 years, during which time she wrote and directed shows for young people for the National Festival of Australian Theatre and the Canberra Festival. Whilst in Canberra, she was awarded a Canberra Critics Circle Award for her mentoring work with emerging artists in the ACT. In 2005 she wrote In Good Company – a manual for producing independent theatre, which was published by Currency Press.