Queensland Theatre Company
| Queensland Theatre | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Name | Queensland Theatre |
| Previous names | Royal Queensland Theatre Company (1984-2001) Queensland Theatre Company (2001-2016) |
| Year founded | 1970 |
| Founders | Alan Edwards |
| Principal venue |
Bille Brown Studio, Diane Cilento Studio |
| Website | queenslandtheatre |
| Senior staff | |
| Director | Sue Donnelly |
| Artistic staff | |
| Artistic Director | Sam Strong |
The Queensland Theatre was established in 1970 by Alan Edwards AM MBE, and was granted the prefix "Royal" in 1984. The company is the state's flagship professional theatre company, headed up by director Sam Strong. Each year Queensland Theatre presents a season of mainstage plays which includes comedies, classic drama and new Australian work and a Studio Season which features theatre that some claim breaks the rules. Many productions are organized in association with other state theatre companies with a great many actors coming to perform from Sydney and Melbourne.
The company has a strong history of development programs and is dedicated to encouraging artistic growth across the state through its emerging artists program, writing program – which includes the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award – and regional partnerships program.
Emphasis is also placed on developing and inspiring young people through the company's youth & education program, with specially devised education performances, theatre skills courses, a playwriting program and more. The Company is principally supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia Council.
Actors who began their career with Queensland Theatre include Geoffrey Rush, Bille Brown, Kate Wilson (Foy) (former Chair of the Board of the Queensland Theatre Company and Honorary Professor of Theatre at the University of Southern Queensland), Carol Burns, David Waters and many others. The late Babette Stephens, as well as Diane Cilento are among two of many other Queensland artists who have also worked with the company during their careers.
The foundation Artistic Director was Dr. Alan Edwards AM MBE. He was succeeded in the position by Aubrey Mellor, Chris Johnson, Robyn Nevin and Director/playwright Michael Gow. In 2011, Wesley Enoch succeeded Michael Gow as Artistic Director and became the first Murri to head a State Theatre company in Australia. Other directors for the company have included Gale Edwards, Joe McCallum, and Murray Foy.
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