News

Welcome director Sam Strong
Artistic Director Queensland Theatre

We are thrilled to welcome award-winning director Sam Strong to Aurora.   

Sam is Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre.  Previously, Sam was Associate Artistic Director of Melbourne Theatre Company, Chair of Circa, and Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre Company.  
 
Sam’s accomplishments as Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre include: achieving the fastest growth in subscribers of any major theatre company in Australia; reaching an all-time record audience for an annual season; programming the highest grossing production in the history of the company; directing the highest attended new Australian play produced by the company; overseeing and launching the renovation of the new Billie Brown Theatre and foyer; achieving gender parity of writers and directors in each of his four seasons; and developing and programming the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander work.
 
As Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre Company, Sam tripled subscribers, oversaw the renovation of a new foyer and auditorium, expanded the program to include the revival of Australian classics, founded the Griffin Studio artist residency, and directed the highest attended show in the company’s history. 
 
In 2020, Sam’s slate includes directing the world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Trent Dalton’s novel BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE. 
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Aurora Artists win at
Green Room Awards

Paul Jackson won a Green Room Award for Best Lighting Design for his work on MELANCHOLIA at Malthouse.  Paul was nominated for a total of 4 Awards this year across the categories of opera, theatre and dance.

Verity Hampson won Best Design with Elizabeth Gadsby, Mike Greaney (Oh Yeah Wow) and Emily Johnson, for their spectacular design for BLACKIE BLACKIE BROWN. Verity was nominated for a total of three Green Room Awards this year.
 
CALAMITY JANE directed by Richard Carroll was nominated for 7 awards including Best Direction and Best Production.

Jean Tong and Natesha Somasundaram were both nominated for Best Writing in the Independent Theatre category: Jean Tong for her musical ROMEO IS NOT THE ONLY FRUIT; and Natesha Somasundaram for JEREMY AND LUCAS BUY A FUCKING HOUSE.

SPARTACUS choreographed by Lucas Jervies for The Australian Ballet was nominated for Best Ensemble/Duet.

ASTROMAN directed by Sarah Goodes for Melbourne Theatre Company was nominated for Best Ensemble.

PRIZE FIGHTER with fight direction by Nigel Poulton for La Boite received 3 nominations including Best Ensemble and Best Production and won Best Male Performer.

Congratulations to everyone on your brilliant work!

Duncan Graham and Lachlan Philpott nominated for AWGIE Awards

Congratulations to writers Duncan Graham and Lachlan Philpott for their nominations for the 2019 AWGIE Awards.

Lachlan is nominated for his play LOST BOYS (Merrigong Theatre Co) and Duncan is nominated for his play AMPHIBIAN (Windmill Theatre Co).

Graham’s AMPHIBIAN deals with urgent and complex issues weaving a compelling, witty and very moving story for teenagers about displacement, loss and adapting to different worlds. “There is boldness in presenting such mature content for a young audience; what comes with that, then, is the fear that it will be too confronting. There is no cause for concern. Amphibian succeeds in giving its audience a wholeheartedly entertaining and humanising experience. This is a compassionate piece of theatre told with a punch.” Glam Adelaide.

Philpott’s LOST BOYS follows the perpetrators of hate crimes on gay men in the late eighties. The play moves between two time periods: 1989 and 2017 and looks at the young people who committed the crimes, their evasion of punishment and the moment in the future when it comes back to haunt them and their families. "Lost Boys is an impressive work that gets to the heart of how hatred can tear a person and their family apart. It’s notable for the way it operates across two periods of history and for the richness present in all the characters. It smartly allows us to sit with all the characters in their myriad complexities and fully explore the impact of hatred within a person and their community."  Judges for 2019 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. 

Aurora Artists nominated for
​2019 Helpmann Awards

Congratulations to the Aurora Artists nominated for this year's Helpmann Awards. 

Imara Savage is nominated for Best Director for ST JOAN (Sydney Theatre Company). ST JOAN is nominated for 3 Helpmann Awards. 

Renee Mulder is nominated for Best Costume Design for HARP IN THE SOUTH (Sydney Theatre Company). Renee also designed costumes for ST JOAN, pictured.

ARBUS AND WEST directed by Sarah Goodes and designed by Renee Mulder for Melbourne Theatre Company is nominated for Best Female Actor (Melita Jurisic).

WERTHER co-directed by Elijah Mojinsky and Constantine Costi for Opera Australia is nominated for a Helpmann Award.

WOZZECK directed by William Kentridge and assistant directed by Constantine Costi for Opera Australia is nominated for 5 Helpmann Awards.

SPARTACUS choreographed by Lucas Jervies for The Australian Ballet is nominated for a Helpmann Award.

ARTASERSE designed by Charles Davis for Pinchgut is nominated for 4 Helpmann Awards including Best Opera (ARTASERSE won the International Opera Award for Best Opera).

Congratulations to all the Helpmann Award nominees! 

Sarah Goodes appointed
​Associate Artistic Director of
​Melbourne Theatre Company 

Helpmann Award winning theatre director Sarah Goodes has been appointed Associate Artistic Director of Melbourne Theatre Company.  

MTC Artistic Director & CEO Brett Sheehy says, “Sarah is an exceptional director... MTC is very lucky to have one of the best theatre artists in the country as its new Associate Artistic Director.”

After directing SWITZERLAND for Sydney Theatre Company and MTC, Sarah joined the Company as Associate Director in 2017. Since then she has directed five productions for MTC, attracting an audience of over 80,000 and multiple award-nominations and wins. Her acclaimed work has included the Australian premiere productions of JOHN, A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART II and the three-time Helpmann Award-winning production of THE CHILDREN, for which she took out the coveted awards for Best Direction of a Play and Best Play in 2018. 

This year, Sarah directs ARBUS AND WEST and GOLDEN SHIELD for Melbourne Theatre Company and COSI for Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company.
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Aurora Artists win at
Sydney Theatre Awards

Congratulations to Alexander Berlage, Renée Mulder and Verity Hampson for their wins at this year's Sydney Theatre Awards and to all the nominees.

Alexander won Best Director of a Musical for his work on CRY-BABY which also won awards for Best Production of a Musical, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Musical (Ashleigh Rubenach) and Best Stage Design of an Independent Production.

Renée Mulder won Best Costume Design for her work on TOP GIRLS. She was also nominated for an award in this category for her work on HARP IN THE SOUTH.  Kate Box won Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for TOP GIRLS directed by Imara Savage for Sydney Theatre Company. 

Verity Hampson won Best Lighting Design for BLACKIE BLACKIE BROWN (Sydney Theatre Company/Malthouse Theatre).

Congratulations to all the nominees which include 4 award nominations for ST JOAN directed by Imara Savage including Best Director and Best Production.

Director Alexander Berlage’s productions of CRY-BABY, THERE WILL BE A CLIMAX and HOME INVASION were nominated for a combined total of 12 nominations including: 9 nominations for CRY-BABY; and nominations for Best Direction of an Independent Production and Best Independent Production for THERE WILL BE A CLIMAX.  

Clemence Williams was nominated for Best Original Score for A CHEERY SOUL (Sydney Theatre Company), and Best Sound Design of an Independent Production for THE WOLVES (Redline Productions). 

Congratulations everyone!

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