MEET Wallis
Wallis Murphy-Munn is an actress and producer. Wallis returned to Australia to pursue her acting career after living abroad in Europe for almost a decade. She studied acting at Ireland's premiere acting college. She has worked in theatre and TV in Ireland and now based in Melbourne, the center for arts in Australia to pursue her acting career. She has also established herself in the industry as a producer working with The Wooden Leg Theater Company and Crash Test Drafts.
Wallis co-founded The Wooden Leg in Melbourne in 2011, a theatre company committed to producing the kind of theatre which is entirely divorced from the passive way audiences absorb film and television; keeping as far from traditional, proscenium theatre as possible – breaking that fourth wall and having the actors “in the faces” of the audiences.
Wallis helps to develop the local arts community in Melbourne by producing not-for-profit events like Crash Test Drafts since 2010. Crash Test Drafts a unique event that allows writers to 'crash test' their new scripts via moved readings with experienced actors, in front of a live audience and a panel of industry judges. She has also recently established the international arts initiative Corner Boy www.cornerboy.com.au for painters, sculptures and photographers.
Classically trained award-winning actress Wallis Murphy-Munn is currently in New York with her film Sandboy. Wallis undertook Full Time Intensive Professional Actor Training at the Gaiety School of Acting in Ireland, at 17 years of age and has been working in the industry since. Most recent stage work includes leading roles in prolific Australian plays Good Works by Nick Enright, and Sweet Phoebe by Micheal Gow. Wallis is currently in development on a number of projects including a feature film set in Indonesia, and a short film set in rural Australia, taking her back to her childhood around horses. You will see her on stage next in exciting immersive theatre experience House of Goodbyes. On her return to Melbourne in July she is looking forward to filming for the new TV comedy series Fix-Her-Up.
When she's not treading the boards you will often find Wallis on her yoga mat or behind an SLR camera. On or off the yoga mat, in front of, or behind the camera, she endeavours to bring a sense of balance, creativity and community to everything she does. She is also a big supporter of the local community, volunteering with Prahran Mission on a weekly basis when in Melbourne.
Other producing credits include Home Calling WT (Short Film, 2015), House of Goodbyes (Theatre, 2014/15) Sweet Phoebe (Theatre, 2012), Painting with Words and Fire (Theatre, 2012), Life As I Knew It for the Adelaide Fringe in 2012, The Theme From (Short Film, 2011), Not Quite Cabaret Melbourne (Theatre, 2011), Not Quite Cabaret Sydney (Theatre, 2010-2011) and Call Back (TV Pilot, 2010).
Learn more about Wallis at www.wallismurphymunn.com
MEET Keith
Keith Gow is a playwright who has dabbled in short filmmaking and occasionally flirts with writing novels. He studied Professional Writing & Editing at Holmesglen TAFE, where he went with every intention of writing film scripts but was thoroughly tempted and engaged with writing for live performance.
His short plays have been performed across Australia and in South East Asia, with several Short & Sweet Theatre festivals under his belt, as well as mounting his one-man show, Richard Di Gregorio: On Time, in both Melbourne and Adelaide at their respective Fringe festivals.
After co-founding The Wooden Leg in 2011, Keith's theatre company has produced two successful seasons of short plays in non-traditional theatre venues and an entry into Short & Sweet Melbourne 2012.
His latest show, Who Are You Supposed to Be, premiered at Edinburgh Fringe in 2013 and went on to be performed in London and at Fringe Festivals in Melbourne and Adelaide.
He has written two episodes for the upcoming Channel 31 drama series, Sonnigsburg.
He's always looking ahead, wrestling with which project to start on next.
Learn more about Keith at www.keithgow.com
Hayley Lawson-Smith
Hayley has been treading the boards much of her life through local theatre companies.However, seeing her own written work come to life on stage has been her passion for the past year.
In 2011, her ten minute piece, 'Mail Order Muse' won a place at the Gemco Little Gems Festival, published in a book of short plays and performed over two weekends in Gembrook.
'Immersed' was Hayley's second play to be produced, at The Owl and the Pussycat, where it received excellent reviews and was invited into the Monash One-Act Play Festival.
She has also received the runner up judges' award in Round One, Season One of Crash Test Drama and the People's Choice Award at the same competition.
Coming up in June and July, Hayley is looking forward to seeing two of her plays produced; 'A Quick Session' at the Board Shorts Ten Minute Play Festival and 'A Buyer's Market' as part of Broken Mirror's One Act Play Festival, Choices - For Love or Money.
AndrewDodds
Andrew Dodds (B.A. (Hon.), Dip. Ed.) first discovered his passion for the theatre as a five year old, whilst performing the role of Mr. Lizard in a school stage adaptation of May Gibbs’ Snugglepot And Cuddlepie. Since that time Andrew’s acting journey has stretched far across the country: from the mists of the Blue Mountains, to the sunny banks of the Riverina, and onto beautiful Melbourne.
After completing a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma in Education at Charles Sturt University, Andrew went on to complete his Honours in Drama and Theatre Studies at Monash University. During which time he also began work as a Care Professional at MacKillop Family Services.
Andrew has toured the east coast of Australia performing theatre-in-education shows with Tony Bones Entertainment, has toured regional New South Wales and regional Victoria with the greenroom nominated The Weather And Your Health, and has performed a variety of roles in the theatre: from designing and operating the lights at La Mama, to producing plays in Short+Sweet and the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
