We are a proud member of The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET).

COURSE DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY

MARK MATTHEWS

B.A. (Theatre), Dip. Ed. (Drama), M.A. (Directing).

Graduate of the University of Western Sydney - Theatre Nepean's Bachelor of Arts (Theatre), Graduate Diploma of Education (Drama) and Master of Arts (Directing) degree courses. He was Artistic Director of the Pilgrim Theatre in Sydney from 1995-1998; an Affiliate Director with the Sydney Theatre Company and General Manager of Sydney Art Theatre in 1998; Co-Director of City Drama Studio Pty Ltd. from 1998-2001 and Lecturer in Drama at Uxbridge College, London in 2002-2003. Mark is also the Director of actors' agency Sydney Creative Management.

Directing credits inc: Ten Minutes (Short and Sweet); 4.48 Psychosis (Sydney Theatre School); Hidden Features (Short & Sweet) All's Well That Ends Well (Parade Studio, NIDA); Working - The Musical (St Patrick's College); A Midsummer Night's Dream, A View of Tomorrow,Twelfth Night & Taking Breath (Uxbridge College) A Midsummer Night's Dream (City Drama Studio); A Dolls House (Sydney Art Theatre); Crystals Room (Stables Theatre); Measure for Measure (Shakespeare Festival Australia); Square One, The Actors Nightmare, The Wild Goose, The Big Funk and After Dinner (Pilgrim Theatre); No Flies on Santa and Doctor Flawless (Harold Park Hotel). Acting credits include: Macbeth (New Theatre); Supper for Four Hands (Sydney Art Theatre); The Actors Nightmare (Pilgrim Theatre); A Midsummer Nights Dream; Romeo and Juliet; The Merchant of Venice; Macbeth; Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare Where You Like It); Police Rescue; Home and Away; Cody; The Sum of Us & Australia's Most Wanted as well as a range of television commercials.

NEWSPAPER REVIEWS

Theatre productions directed by Mark Matthews.

Mark Matthews production (A Dolls House) for Sydney Art Theatre has many strengths. It is set in the period, but stripped of fuss...This is an excellent production for school audiences as well as those who have already cottoned on to Sydney Art Theatres European style and low-priced high standards...The clarity of the interpretation here is of particular note.

Sydney Morning Herald

"Director Mark Matthews and designer Bogdan Koca have made Ibsens classic as shocking, fresh and relevant as it ever was and, with great performances....it makes for a great evenings theatre.

Sunday Telegraph

This production, directed by Mark Matthews, recognises not only the tragedy of Noras plight but also the humour of her situation...Ibsens A Dolls House is an important work and this production is one of the few Ive seen to do it justice.

Revolver Magazine

Matthews direction strikes all the right notes as Ibsens story unfolds...Go see! One scene of A Dolls House has more dramatic force than some complete plays that are currently running in Sydney at the moment.

South Sydney Bulletin

Ibsens A Dolls House (directed by Mark Matthews) is a first rate piece of theatre by any standard...The acting by the entire cast is superb, as are the directing and designs.

The Australian Jewish News

This is a most exciting production of a difficult play (Measure for Measure). Under the direction of Mark Matthews, the play was performed with great power and passion by all concerned in what was ultimately a thought-provoking production.

Newtown Bridge

Mark Matthews, who directs (Crystals Room) and his actors are inspired by the group-devised work of British director Mike Leigh...like Leigh, the trio of authors has created characters and dialogue with the ring of depressing authenticity.

Sydney Morning Herald

"Director Mark Matthews had a hand in devising the piece (Crystals Room), and this shows in his directing, which is thoughtful and compelling, maintaining the action of the play at a rolling boil until it reaches its climax.

Beat Magazine

Its a great production (The Big Funk) with everything a day can bring - humour, shock, happiness and sadness. The cast is directed with a sure hand by Mark Matthews.

The Daily Telegraph

Director Mark Matthews and the performers...do a wonderful job of creating conflict, hysteria, drama and witty exchanges in a piece (After Dinner) that is extremely funny.

Beat Magazine

There is entertainment here (After Dinner) and honest acting under director Mark Matthews.

The Australian Jewish News

Congratulations are due to writer / director / performer Mark Matthews for having conceived and executed this flawlessly irreverent farce (Doctor Flawless). I urge you to see this show and to take your friends too - you wont regret it. Its dynamite. 

The Drum Media

TEACHER / DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHIES

TERM ONE (2007) - DEVISED PERFORMANCE

SAM HAFT

Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting) - NIDA

Sam grew up in London and emigrated to Australia in 1998. Whilst in London, Sam worked with the W11 Childrens Opera Company, appeared in short films for the BBC and worked on the BAFTA award winning TV series Roger and The Rottentrolls. Productions at NIDA included:The Three Sisters; Pericles; The Fruits of Enlightenment; Saved; Country Music and Jarrabi. Since graduating, he has appeared on: ABC Short Stories (ABC Radio Arts); Road Rage (Short and Sweet); Stained (Darlinghurst Theatre); The 24 Hour Play Project (Belvoir St);Jim Sharmans production of What The Butler Saw (Company B); and for his own company - Shaft Productions: The Homecoming (B Sharp 2003); The Birthday Party (B Sharp); and The Hothouse (Seymour Centre 2005). He has also appeared in Black Milk (B Sharp); Sleeping Around (Downstairs Belvoir); Broken Dreams (Griffin Searchlights) and To The Green Fields Beyond (Tamarama Rock Surfers). Screen work includes the short films: Dolores; Sacred (which he co-wrote); For Crying out Loud and Call Me Al - a finalist film in Tropfest 2004 which led to regular appearances on 110% Tony Squires for Channel Seven - and the soon to be released feature films: Bitter and Twisted (with Noni Hazelhurst) and The Bet. Sam teaches for the NIDA Open Programme, both in Sydney and interstate. He has assisted as an actor in workshops for the Directing and Cinematography students at AFTRS as well as teaching at REACTOR, Fox Studios. He is a keen pianist and composer and was recently Musical Director of the cabaret - Inferno. As a writer, his plays have been performed before audiences at: The Darlinghurst Theatre; NIDA; The Sydney Opera House Studio and Short And  Sweet

MICHAEL PIGOTT

B.A. (Hons) Performance Studies, Dip.Ed. (Drama)

Michael Pigott is a director, teacher and writer. His directing work includes: The Young Tycoons (Darlinghurst Theatre); Dahling You Were Marvellous (NIDA Studio); Meet the Candidates (Darlinghurst Theatre); King Lear (Harlos Productions); The Doglogs (National Tour); Crescent Moon, Yellow Star (Belvoir Downstairs); Backpacker (Darlinghurst Theatre); Barnsey the Harbour and You (Darlinghurst Theatre); and Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Harlos Producations). As a writer his work includes: Between the Seabed and the Sky (VCA / Darlinghurst Theatre) and Walking on Eggshells which premiered in Slovenia and toured to Germany. As well as the Sydney Theatre School, he currently teaches Performance Studies at Macquarie University.

MELISSA PARIS

B.A. (Creative Arts), Dip. Ed. (Drama), M.A. (Directing)

Melissa completed her first acting degree at the Q Theatre and then graduated from the University of Wollongong. Since then she has worked in theatre, opera, television and film and has both a Diploma of Education (Drama and Dance) and a Master of Arts (Directing) from UWS - Theatre Nepean. Directing credits include: Twelfth Night (Vineyard Productions); Bedtime for Bastards (Old Fitzroy Theatre); Morning on a Rainy Day (Darlinghurst Theatre and Theatre South); Rich Woman's Lament (Short and Sweet); Bench (Darlinghurst Theatre); The Gun in History (Sidetrack Theatre); Down Under (Q Theatre); and Fossils (Pymble Players); Acting credits include: All Saints; Home and Away; Always Greener; Matrix 2 as well as various television commercials.

ACTORS' AGENCY