KELLY RYALL

Composer

Kelly is an award-winning composer, musician and sound designer for theatre, dance and film.  Kelly is recognised internationally for creating immersive and multi-layered musical landscapes for the stage and screen. 

His recent focus has been to establish a music driven theatre/performance practice, where score not script is the driver behind a work. ANIMAL directed by Susie Dee and THE BACCHAE directed by Adena Jacobs (Melbourne Festival and Dark Mofo) are the first of these works and were received to public and critical acclaim.

He is currently creating music for a new ballet with The Australian Ballet choreographed by Lucas Jervies, and a new work for Circa directed by Yaron Lifshitz.  He is the composer for the six-part TV series MORE THAN THIS with Paramount + which launched in 2022.

Kelly’s music for theatre includes: for Melbourne Theatre Company, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, WORKING WITH CHILDREN, DI VIV AND ROSE, HAY FEVER, THREE LITTLE WORDS, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, PEDDLING, RUPERT (which toured to Sydney’s Theatre Royal and The Kennedy Centre in Washington DC), THE CRUCIBLE, ON THE PRODUCTION OF MONSTERS, RETURN TO EARTH, DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE, GOD OF CARNAGE, SAVAGE RIVER (with Griffin), DANCE OF DEATH, ON THE MISCONCEPTION OF OEDIPUS; for Sydney Theatre Company, TRIPLE X (with Queensland Theatre) BOYS WILL BE BOYS, THE TRIAL (with Malthouse); for Queensland Theatre, HEDDA, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE; for Bell Shakespeare, ROMEO AND JULIET, AS YOU LIKE IT, TARTUFFE, PHEDRE, HENRY IV, MACBETH, JULIUS CAESAR and THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES; for Malthouse, BROTHERS WRECK (with State Theatre Company of South Australia), EDWARD II, THE SHADOW KING (toured to Barbican), DANCE OF DEATH, ONE NIGHT THE MOON, DIE WINTERREISSE (with Thin Ice and Brisbane Festival); for Griffin, THE BOYS (with Sydney Festival), AND NO MORE SHALL WE PART, DREAMS IN WHITE, MERCURY FUR and DON’T SAY THE WORDS; THE BACCHAE (Fraught Outfit, Melbourne Festival, Dark Mofo); and for Belvoir Theatre, TITLE AND DEED, NORA, HEDDA GABLER, CINDERELLA, KILL THE MESSENGER, and LOVE ME TENDER. 

Music for dance includes: ANTIPODES for Daniel Riley (Louisville Ballet); COMMUNAL TABLE (Dancenorth); THE LAST SEASON and YOU ANIMAL, YOU directed by Danielle Micich  (Force Majeure); 10,000 SMALL DEATHS with Paula Ley (Dance Massive); SIMULCAST with Chunky Move, TEAM OF LIFE, FLESH AND BONE and SUNDOWNER for KAGE; EXPECTATION with Carlee Mellow; PIECES FOR SMALL SPACES with Lucy Guerin Inc; and PIECE FOR PERSON AND GHETTO BLASTER with Nicola Gunn including Australian and world tours.

For screen, Kelly’s other work includes: with the ABC, FIRST RESPONDERS animation series, the documentary film MEMORY PLAY; and short films, CHERRY SEASON, EYE CONTACT; TOMORROW, TOMORROW, TOMORROW; STASIS; THE CURTAIN BREATHED DEEPLY; LOIS; ONE NIGHT; FINALE; MEAT; SANDWICH; SQUOKA; MARCH; BE FAMOUS; WINNER; RUNAWAY; and APOCOLYPSE BEAR; as well as many TVCs.

Kelly has won four Green Room Awards and a Melbourne International Arts Festival Award, and has been nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award and numerous Green Room Awards. Kelly was a member of band High Pass Filter for many years and toured internationally with the band, performing with groups such as Beastie Boys, The Boredoms, Fugazi, Lee Scratch Perry and Tortoise.

Listen to Kelly’s work at kellyryall.com