DragSpeare

Jules is a Meanjin-based drag king, actor, playwright, comedian, producer, and associate producer at PIP Theatre, dedicated to promoting diversity in the performing arts. They produced and hosted the Toucan Kings, an all-drag king variety show, in 2023 and again in 2024, to a sold-out final audience. Their drag alter ego, York Lit, predates DragSpeare, was a finalist in Altimate.SHOWDOWN 2024, and continues to perform locally with the Toucan Kings and independently. Jules also recently earned acclaim for their portrayal of Magistrate Hesther Salomon in The X Collective’s Equus, and best supporting actress as Peggy in the award-winning web series, Smile. As a playwright, they have written, produced, and performed works, including the award-winning Plucked in 2021. Identifying as neurodiverse and queer, Jules champions representation and community connection through their creative work, making a vital contribution to Brisbane’s arts scene.

Kelsey is a stage manager, production manager and technician based in Meanjin/Brisbane. They have experience working across a variety of productions including circus, dance, theatre and immersive performances. They are committed to improving the accessibility of theatre and performance experiences for all those involved in the process, and especially enjoy working with the Deaf community.

Kelsey was the Associate Technical Coordinator at Metro Arts in 2024. They have worked with a variety of theatre-makers including Counterpilot, indelabilityarts, IMRSE and Flipside Circus. Recent projects include CAKE (Metro Arts, 2024), [ gameboy ] (Metro Arts,
2024), and New Beginnings (Flipside Circus, 2023).

Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Technical Production, and a Diploma of Auslan (Australian Sign Language).

Bridget is a co-founder of debase productions. She has worked extensively in the field of clowning as a director, performer and teacher, having studied with Philippe Gaulier in 2001. With debase productions she has been involved in the creation (writing, directing and performance) of many new works, including Death in a Statesman, Leotard (with Neridah Waters, co-production debase and Metro Arts), The Longest Minute (co-production with Queensland Theatre and JUTE), co-winner of Best Mainstage Production Matilda Awards 2018. Other works include Hurry up and Wait (with Liz Skitch), originally commissioned by Queensland Theatre (Shanghai International Arts Festival 2019, Kijimuna Festa Fringe 2012) and The Furze Family Variety Hour, which she wrote and directed and which was staged as part of the Brisbane Festival in 2014. Directing credits include Breaking the Castle (Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Old Red Lion, London), An Ideal Husband (La Boite), Weathering Well (Brisbane Powerhouse and QLD tour), To Kill a Cassowary; for Queensland Theatre: Pride and Prejudice(co-directed with Daniel Evans), The Holidays, The Longest Minute (co-pro with JUTE and debase), The Landmine is Me and Hurry up and Wait. For Flipside Circus and Metro Arts: We Live Here (co-directed with Natano Fa’anana, Winner, Best Direction 2018 Matilda Awards).

Ziggy is an emerging theatre creative with a primary interest in sound design, dramaturgy, and writing for the stage. They recently completed a Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Drama) from UQ, and are currently undertaking an Honours Thesis focused on performance and digital memory. Ziggy was a key collaborator with Salad Days Collective in the year just gone, and made contributions to dramaturgy, sound, and visual design. This body of work earned the Collective a Matilda Award for Best Emerging Artist in 2024. Most recently, Ziggy contributed sound and visual design to Angus Cameron’s Australian Open at Pip Theatre. Ziggy takes pride in employing a multidisciplinary approach to their practice, and draws joy from the opportunity to collaborate, work, and play in the theatre. Having been lucky enough to work with the Kings at Melt Festival last year, Ziggy is very excited to once again add reverb to the vocal gifts with which they are so generously endowed.

Michelle is a multifaceted singer, actor, theatre maker, and clown. Her performance highlights include God is in the House for Melt Festival, Julius Caesar at Brisbane Powerhouse, where she portrayed the titular role, and the Matilda-nominated Lesbian Love Stories. For over a decade, Michelle has performed as Rocky V Liquor in Melony Breasts’ Drag Queen Bingo and the comedy drag cabaret Fabulously, captivating audiences Australia wide with her dynamic stage presence. As a musician, Michelle has performed as a soloist and in cover bands across bars, pubs, and corporate events, drawing inspiration from artists like Etta James, Janis Joplin and AC/DC. She is also a Clown Doctor, and works with hospital staff to ease stress during treatments and provide emotional support for children (and adults!) through play. Michelle’s dedication to telling queer stories underscores her commitment to the arts and the LGBTQA+ community.

Jo is an actor, director, and performance maker specialising in voice and movement coaching. She has led performance programs for The National Drama School in Melbourne and University of the Sunshine Coast, and taught for WAAPA, The Queensland Conservatorium, QUT and The Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts. Jo has worked in the independent performance sector for over 30 years and is a recipient of The Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Performing Arts Fellowship. Career highlights include performances for Tadashi Suzuki’s Theatre Festivals in Japan, The Brisbane Festival, The Brisbane Cabaret Festival and The Brisbane Powerhouse with companies including The Danger Ensemble, Oz Frank and The Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble. From 1993 – 2000, Jo was an actor with Oz Frank Theatre performing with the company in Japan and throughout Australia. Jo has a PhD in cabaret performance and a Masters on applications of the Suzuki actor training method. She is on the pathway to Designation as a Linklater voice teacher.

Steven May is a Queensland-based lighting designer and audio-visual technician. Working technical and designer roles across Meanjin in theatre, dance, circus and burlesque productions, he specialises in integrating technical elements with aesthetics and storytelling. Recently his attention has turned to building a production business with a focus on fringe and unconventional arts projects in addition to larger-scale commercial productions. He is interested in creating adaptable, site-responsive designs to allow for future touring and scalable works.

Anne is an actor, director, and teaching artist specialising in Shakespeare, improvisational comedy, and contemporary theatre. Her acting credits include numerous US stage, film, TV and non-broadcast projects including Antipholus in an all-female Comedy of Errors with Shakespeare & Company (US) and comedy improvisation for the Disney Cruise Line. In Australia, Anne’s work includes The Woman Before with Queensland Theatre, and multiple productions with the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble, Big Fork Theatre, and Improv Queensland. She has directed and taught for the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble, and Queensland Theatre’s youth programs, creating numerous Shakespeare mashups and adaptations. Anne trained with legendary New York drag king Diane Torr in the 1990s. She sings locally with the Mona Verdour Rock Choir and is passionate about exploring gender, telling queer stories, and championing femme visibility beyond midlife.

NJ Price is a fight director, actor, singer-songwriter, intimacy director, stage combat instructor and martial artist. Performance training includes a 2-year National Diploma in Performing Arts, Wales and a 3-year Diploma in Acting & Musical Theatre at Mountview Theatre School, London. NJ is accredited with the British Academy of Dramatic Combat (Advanced with Recommendation – mark of excellence – globally the highest and rarest honour award), and The Society of Australian Fight Directors. NJ has also trained internationally with many fight masters, the British Academy of Fencing and many martial arts, gaining multiple awards over the years, namely NAS Australian Champion in Women’s Advanced and Veterans divisions, 2018. NJ is a regular fight choreographer with Queensland Theatre (Drizzle Boy, Medea, As You Like It), QUT, Griffith Conservatorium and many independent theatre companies. NJ received a singing scholarship while at Mountview and was nominated for Best Emerging Artist Matilda Award in Brisbane in 2005. NJ won Best Actor Award at QSFT awards 2015. As an actor NJ has performed in various theatre and TV shows in the UK, Europe and Australia for companies including Queensland Theatre, Grin & Tonic and 4MBS touring and is currently a key performer at Bluey’s World!

Lucinda is an actor, director, vocalist, writer, counsellor and educator with a career spanning rock, cabaret, immersive theatre, and Shakespeare. Their performance credits include Love Lust Lost, A Midnight Visit, Sex and Other Philosophies, Caligula, and Julius Caesar. Lucinda has created music and soundscapes for DragSpeare as well as, Vulcana and recently for the Woodford Folk Festival’s The Between and has been featured as vocalist in The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, God is in The House and Hedwig all staged for Brisbane’s MELT Festival. As lyricist and vocalist for Silver Sircus and Isis, Lucinda has an extensive catalogue of original music and cabaret reinterpretations of artists like David Bowie, The Velvet Underground, Nick Cave, and Gary Numan. Lucinda has taught for Griffith University and Backbone. Their multifaceted artistry and commitment to innovation make them a dynamic presence in queer and arts communities.

Neridah is a choreographer, performer and theatre maker. She’s toured her work to The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, USA, England and extensively throughout Australia with Lala Parlour, Common People Dance Project, The Brides of Frank and The Escapists. She’s worked as an actor/choreographer for La Boîte, Queensland Theatre, Imaginary Theatre, DeBase, Metro Arts, Brisbane Powerhouse, PlayLab, Flipside Circus and NORPA. She has choreographed large-scale community projects for Queensland Music Festival and QPAC’s Out Of The Box Festival. Neridah runs her own company called the Common People Dance Project where she runs various community dance projects including The Living Room Dance Party, The Socially Distanced Dance Party and The Eisteddfod with a regular outcome each year at Brisbane Festival, The Horizon Festival in the Sunshine Coast, the Spark Festival in Ipswich and Wynnum Fringe. She performed in Boyle and Waters’  Leotard at Metro Arts and toured through Queensland. Neridah performed in Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club at the Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane Comedy Festival and has recently returned from a tour from outback Queensland.