2023 Artists

Todd McKenney

Festival Headliner

One of Australia’s most versatile performing artists, Todd McKenney is an award winning and critically acclaimed performer on stage and screen. As an actor and the leading man of song and dance in musical theatre productions, he has entertained Australians for over 30 years from the main stage to intimate venues.

Elenoa Rokobaro

Festival Headliner

Elenoa’s career began when she was discovered after her first year from AIPAH (Australian International Performing Arts High), at the end of year school performances. Her debut was in the rewritten role of 16 year old Grace Kelly in 'Respect' The Musical 2007.

Rachael Beck

Festival Headliner

A highly skilled concert performer, Rachael appeared with Todd McKenney and Tommy Tycho in Broadway to Hollywood with the National Symphony Orchestras’ in Australia. Her other concert credits include the tour of War Of The Worlds, Broadway Hits for Queensland Pops Orchestra, Goodnight Hamer Hall for The Arts Centre, More Than Words at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and QPAC’s Christmas in Concert and Spirit of Christmas.

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.

Robin McLeavy

Robin McLeavy is one of Australia’s most celebrated stage actresses having starred opposite Cate Blanchett and Joel Edgerton in the acclaimed production of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE directed by Liv Ullman.

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.

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.

Andrew Hallsworth

Andrew has won three Helpmann Awards, two Sydney Theatre Critics and a Green Room Award for ‘Best Choreography in a Musical’.

Pussay Poppins

Pussay Poppins is the Tasmanian Queen with 2 heads....and one of them is tucked away.

Matt Heyward

Matt most recently appeared in the play Ghost Stories at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre playing the role of ‘The Others’. He was also resident director for the production.

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.

Shanice Osita Chuku

Song-singing Soulstress, Shanice Osita Chuku hails from the sweet soil of Tasmania, Australia, with African roots stemming from Nigeria.

Jodie Harris

Jodie Harris is an Australian Actress, Singer and Voice Artist. She is also an Audie nominated Audiobook Narrator and Vocal Coach working from her studio in Nowra on the NSW South Coast.

Vicky Jacobs

Vicky Jacobs has developed a reputation for her ability to get anyone singing at their best - from Australia's top music theatre stars to the most nervous new singers.

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.

Miranda Middleton

Miranda Middleton is a director, writer, and choreographer with a Master of Fine Arts (Directing) from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). She is particularly interested in the intersection of text, music, and movement on stage, and aims to create theatrical events which spark joy and connection.

Adam Wheeler

Adam is a Tasmanian-born, Stompin and Victorian College of the Arts Alumni.

Naarah

Young, Aboriginal and full of soul & sunshine, Naarah is a performer and creative originally from the Kimberley, WA but has spent most of her life in her island home lutruwita/Tasmania.

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.

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).

Natalie Hillar

Natalie is passionate about The Arts, and has been working in Launceston as a music teacher and performer for many years. She has been the repetiteur and keyboard player for many Encore Theatre Company productions, and is an accompanist to a wide range of performers.

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.

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.

Rod Anderson

Rod has worked extensively as a professional theatre and television performer, writer and director.

Queenie van de Zandt

Queenie van de Zandt, a towering force in the world of Australian musical theatre, cabaret, and comedy, has a career that has left audiences in awe.

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).