2022 Artists

Philip Quast

Festival Headliner

Philip can be heard in over 15 cast recordings. He now devotes much of his time to directing, writing and teaching at NIDA which includes a close, collaborative, working relationship with Anne-Maree McDonald who he has also paired up with for his concerts and cabarets around Australia.

Paulini

Festival Headliner

PAULINI has been heralded as one of the finest vocalists and performers to come out of Australia. The Fijian born songstress rose to fame through television screens on the very first season of Australian Idol which thrust her into the spotlight. Making it through to the final four, she won the hearts of a nation with her angelic, five octave range, and engaging personality.

Chloe Dallimore

Festival Headliner

Chloe is probably best known for her portrayal of Ulla, the Swedish blonde bombshell in "The Producers-The New Mel Brooks Musical" which won her five awards, including the 2005 Helpmann Award.

Anne-Maree McDonald

Anne-Maree McDonald’s career began when, as a teenager, she performed at the piano, on variety television shows. Anne-Maree left the pop world and went to Victorian College Of The Arts to study opera, before joining The Australian Opera as a very young principal soprano.

Jennifer Peers

Jennifer Peers is a singing teacher, singer and actor based in Sydney. She works with many of Australia's premier musical theatre performers in her studio and online internationally, as well as teaching singing for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and Brent Street Performing Arts.

Sian Kelly

Sian is a Melbourne based choreographer and performer with a passion for meaningful movement. Her choreography credits can be seen across stage, film and tv; and include music videos for recording artists Tones and I, Woodes, Maddy Jane, Garret Kato, Sannia, Bree Tranter, Teagan and The Gaze.

Amanda Hodder

Described as “magic” by esteemed pianist and accompanist Malcolm Martineau, Amanda has worked as accompanist, vocal coach, pianist and music director with Opera Australia, OzOpera, VCA, Opera Queensland, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

John X

John has enjoyed an extensive career in corporate entertainment, stage, radio and television in his home state of Tasmania for over 30 years for a variety of companies and organisations. On the mainland stage, John has most recently been playing COWARDLY LION in the Australian touring production of WIZARD OF OZ.

Dana Badcock

Dana is a contemporary singer from Devonport who has spent the past three years living in Hobart, after accepting a scholarship to study at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music.

Prophecy Mudzingwa

Throughout his life, music and theatre has played a part in Prophecy’s life. Even though he wasborn in Zimbabwe, Prophecy actually grew up in different parts of the United Kingdom where hefound his passion for music and theatre.

Samantha James Radford

Samantha has developed an impressive and versatile career in community musical theatre and film. She has landed lead roles in The Addams Family (Old Nick Co.), Little Shop of Horrors (G&S), My Fair Lady (Bijou Creative), We Will Rock You (John X Presents) and The Rock Horror Show (John X Presents), to name a few.

Gerard Lane

Gerard Lane is Artistic Director of Studio Space Inclusive Arts and is a Launceston based performer with 25 years of experience and credits in theatre, music theatre, comedy, cabaret, opera, film, and TV. Gerard has toured Australia and Southeast Asia with several new Australian musicals including My Gramdma Lives in Gooligulch,Wizard Powers and Witch-Witch is Which! and The world premiere of The White Rose.

Alana Lane

It has been nearly five years since Alana last appeared on stage, as she has been working on her own theatrical production - that is, her little drama-queen of a toddler. She is completely chuffed to be returning to the Princess Theatre in SFANW with the AMTF, alongside some stellar company (her hubby included!)

Tyran Parke

Tyran is a director, singer, producer, educator who runs his own company, Clovelly Fox Productions, is the Head of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Musical Theatre Program and is the new Executive Producer of the Australian Musical Theatre Festival, in Launceston.

Abbey Hansson

Born to perform, whether dancing, singing or acting, Abbey has lived on stage ever since she could walk

Ylaria Rogers

Ylaria Rogers is a Canberra based director, actor, dramaturge and producer in the early stages of her career. Ylaria has collaborated across Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and London, this includes working with The Street Theatre, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centre, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, National Capital Orchestra, National Capital Opera, Hayes Theatre, Victorian College of the Arts, and her own production companies, Heart Strings Theatre Co and Freefall Productions.

Sam Richardson

A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (2020), Sam is a Melbourne/Naarm based singer, actor and musician.

Matt Gower

With a lifelong background in music, Matt has lived and breathed entertainment on many levels, as a performer, ARIA charting composer, festival event promoter and as an artist and repertoire director for Australian Record Label Jam Mountain Music.

John O'Hara

John O’Hara is one of the country’s most versatile and in demand performers. Hailing from Perth and a graduate of WAAPA, John recently wowed Tasmanian audiences as Dr Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Show at The Theatre Royal, Hobart for John X Presents.

Cameron Mitchell

Cameron Mitchell has been working in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. Starting his career in musical theatre, he soon became one of Australia’s most versatile and sought-after choreographers. With his extensive experience on stage and TV, it was only a natural progression for Cameron to extend his repertoire to now include directing.

Derek Rowe

Derek studied drama at Rusden State College. He began writing musical theatre in 2011, with his solo Melbourne Fringe show ‘My Incredible Shrinking Life’. That show has now become his COVID lockdown romantic comedy, ‘I Hear You’, currently receiving development support by the Hayes Theatre as part of their Open Submission program. From there Derek wrote lyrics for ‘More sex please we’re seniors’, professionally staged in Melbourne (2013) and music, book and lyrics for ‘Sexercise’, also professionally staged in Melbourne (2015).

James Millar

Sydney Critics Award and the Helpmann Award for best leading actor in a musical. He did a degree in Writing and Communications at the University of Technology, Sydney; and in performance in Musical Theatre at WAAPA.

Lisa Gormley

Lisa Gormley is a proud Tassie Huon Valley resident, professional Actress, Director, Acting Coach and creator of Acting True.

Jalen Sutcliffe

Jalen Sutcliffe is a national comedian, actor & musician from Townsville, NQ. Throughout his illustrious early career Jalen has had multiple amazing opportunities such as performing at QPAC, G20 Summit as well as performing in the opera Pecan Summer at the Sydney Opera House as a member of SBO (Short Black Opera) company established by the amazing Deborah Cheetham.

Samantha Hammersley

Samantha is known to Tasmanian audiences through her exciting and varied work within the community musical theatre scene. She has performed lead roles in Chicago (Encore Theatre Company), Carrie (Bijou Creative), 9 to 5 (Launceston Musical Society) and We Will Rock You (Encore Theatre Company), to name a few.

Naarah

Young, Aboriginal and full of soul & sunshine, Naarah is a local performer originally from the Kimberley, WA but has spent most of her life in lutruwita/Tasmania. She has since trained in the performing arts at the UTAS Conservatorium, the University of Southampton UK, Los Angeles College of Music and is now represented by BGM Agency.

Dean Cocker

Dean’s roles at the Theatre Royal in Hobart include Enjolras in Les Miserables, Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, Gerald in Me & My Girl, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Dr Craven in The Secret Garden, and Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Ross Marsden

From an early age, the love of theatre and performing has been a defining part of Ross' life and for over 40 years, has provided him the opportunity to work for many companies in his home state of Queensland, both on stage and in film and television.

Lisa Thomas

Originally from Hobart, Lisa trained with Jenina's Dance Workshop, Exitleft Productions, the Musical Theatre Crew (MTC) and performed in many local musicals for MTC, Old Nick Summer Schools, Hobart Repertory Theatre Society and Exitleft Productions.

Chloe Honig

Chloe is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre. Originally from Tasmania, Chloe moved to Melbourne to commence her training at the VCA.

Angel Wong

Born in Malaysia, Angel is a singer interested in the R&B/ Neo-Soul genre. She is inspired by artists such as Jazmine Sullivan and Yebba.

Christopher Bryg

Chris is a versatile singer and actor working in diverse forms of theatrical performance including opera, plays, musicals and concerts. In 2016, he graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Master of Music Studies (Opera Performance).

Peter Rutherford

Peter is a musical director, composer, and a teacher of singing. His work has been based out of Sydney, London, New York and now, Melbourne.

Andrew Morrisby

Andrew Morrisby is a musical director, choral director, and freelance musician based in Hobart, Tasmania. After completing a BMus in classical piano at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, Andrew has worked in many different musical genres, ranging through classical, jazz, rock, funk, gospel, folk, and improvised music.

Nicole Simms-Farrow

Nicole is a classically trained singer with over 30 years stage experience. A popular artist in Hobart’s Festival of Voices, she headlined the sell-out 80’s Chorus show at the Odeon Theatre, backed by Pete Luscombe and the RockWiz band in 2019.

Jack Lark

Jack is a theatre director, producer and performer based in Hobart, Tasmania. He curated the sold out event Jack and Gin at the 2021 Australian Musical Theatre Festival.

Travis Hennessy

Travis is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (PG Dip Voice) and has a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Theatre (UTAS). He is the recipient of two Tasmanian Theatre Awards for Acting (Outstanding Supporting Actor -Killer Joe, 2018; Outstanding Lead Actor - 1984, 2019).

Jimmy Harrison

Jimmy Harrison is a Tasmanian theatre-maker, musician, and performance coach. His theatrical credits range from stage management positions and playwriting, to directing and performing across musical, classical, and contemporary theatre.

Maria Lurighi

Maria Lurighi has over 45 years’ experience as a Singer and musician. Maria is in her 23rd year of teaching at the Conservatorium of Music and is currently the coordinator for Voice at the Hedberg, UTAS.

Marina Grace

Shanice Osita Chuku