THE TWELVE

2020 delivered some of the greatest challenges we have ever faced and our beloved theatre industry was hit hard. Empty stages around the country left us feeling hopeless and lost.

Producer Liza McLean is one of Australia’s leading theatrical producers and it is her undying love for our industry and the people in it that inspired this intrepid new collective. Gathering together a group of creatives from all facets of theatre production, this extraordinary and unsettling time helped produce a taskforce for the arts and brave new Australian work.

And so, THE TWELVE was born.

Twelve theatrical leaders. Twelve open minds. Twelve artists all experiencing this unique and unknowable moment differently. Some friends, some colleagues, some strangers. This newfound virtual troupe started to meet via video conference weekly to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and workshop new projects for an uncertain future.

Harnessing the sheer power of vulnerability and truth, THE TWELVE quickly evolved into a truly collaborative team, whose dedication to the arts is only surpassed by their love for it.

 

Alana Valentine

Alana Valentine won Best Musical in the 2019 Helpmann Awards, with co-writer Ursula Yovich, for Barbara and the Camp Dogs, as well as the Helpmann for Best Original Score. In 2020 Alana and Ursula won four Green Room Awards for the work, including Best Original score. They are now working on a screenplay of the work, funded by Screen Australia. In 2019 Alana wrote the libretto for the critically acclaimed song cycle Flight Memory. Alana also works as dramaturg with Bangarra Dance Theatre, and was part of the creative team for their Helpmann Award winning best new Australian work, Bennelong. www.alanavalentine.com

 

Amber McMahon

Amber McMahon studied at the Flinders University Drama Centre and was awarded the Adele Koh Scholarship to further her training with the Stella Adler Company and The SITI Company.
She was an original ensemble member of the Sydney Theatre Company Actors Company, and has had an extensive freelance career in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and abroad.
She has won two Helpmanns, has enjoyed a bit of film with a view of enjoying a bit more, and has spent a great chunk of her working life developing new work. Amber is thrilled to be one of these 12 and hopes that Australia is flooded with a tsunami of irrepressible culture post-Covid that not even a Morrison Government can stop.

 

Ash Mckenzie

Ash is co-owner and director of Workshop Creative. Australia’s newest space for creative marketing specialising in theatre. After over 10 years in professional theatre on stage, Ash made the transition to go behind the scenes when he joined the world of Arts Marketing in 2013. He has worked on a variety of landmark productions which has given him a wealth of experience across media, sales, creative strategy and how to help build a truly integrated marketing campaign. Ash is driven by his love for the arts and understanding audiences.

 

Bert LaBonté

One of Australia’s leading men, Bert’s Melbourne Theatre Company credits include: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Lungs, Rupert, Birdland, The Mountaintop, Elling, A Behanding in Spokane, Clybourne Park, Richard III and others. For Sydney Theatre Company, he has performed in All My Sons, The Grenade and Spelling Bee, and for Malthouse Theatre credits include: Cloudstreet, I am A Miracle, Time Share.
Musical theatre include: The Book of Mormon (Watchtower Productions), Helpmann Award Winner An Officer and a Gentleman (Gordon Frost Organisation), Chess (The Production Company), Grey Gardens (The Production Company), Pippin (Kookaburra Theatre), Full Monty (IMG / David Atkins), Jesus Christ Superstar (Really Useful Group), Showboat (Livent/Marriner Productions), Guys and Dolls (Ambassador Group).
Screen credits include a recurring role on Wentworth (Foxtel), Upper Middle Bogan (ABC), Tomorrow When The War Began (ABC), Lowdown (ABC), Wilfred (ABC), The Let Down (ABC/Netflix), Squinters (SBS). Film credits including Animal Kingdom (Porchlight Films) and The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (Kathy Morgan International).

CHRISTIE WHELAN BROWNE

Christie is an award-winning actress who has performed in Television, Film, Theatre, Musicals and Cabaret.
She is a regular on Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell on the ABC, she has appeared on Neighbours, The Wrong Girl, True Story, Peter Allen- Not The Boy Next Door, Mustangs FC, Kinne Tonight, Get Crackin, Paper Giants, House Husbands, Wonderland and Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries. Film roles include- Thats Not My Dog, M4M, I love you too and Spin Out.
On stage she has been seen at the MTC as Janet in The Drowsy Chaperone (Helpmann Award Nomination), The Odd Couple, Born Yesterday, An Ideal Husband, Twelfth Night and soon to be seen in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Musicals include Tania Degano in Muriel’s Wedding (Helpmann Award Nomination and Sydney Theatre Award nomination) Kira in Xanadu, Liz Hurley in Shane Warne The Musical, Ulla in The Producers, Erma in Anything Goes (Green Room Nomination), Once We Lived Here (Green Room Nomination), Philia in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and April in Company (Sydney Theatre Award Winner).
Christie is the star of three one woman shows. Britney Spears The Cabaret (Green room award nomination), Show People and Vigil (Green room award winner for best actress).

 

GILLIAN COSGRIFF

Gillian graduated from WAAPA in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music Theatre. Theatre credits: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions); Vivid White (Melbourne Theatre Company); Company (Watch This); Loving Repeating (Vic Theatre Company). Television credits: Upfront Gala, ABC Comedy Up Late, Tonightly, Offspring, House Husbands, Fat Tony & Co., Ricketts Lane, and Get Krack!n. She has toured extensively with her solo shows as a comedian and cabaret performer. Awards: Green Room Award Best New Australian Work (Opera, Lorelei), Green Room Awards for Writing, Original Songs, and Artiste (Cabaret).

 

Harrison Rose

As an actor, Harrison has performed in the West End, on UK Tours and Internationally. Notable theatre roles include HENRY V (Petersfield Shakespeare Festival), John Brooke in LITTLE WOMEN (East Riding Theatre) and HAMLET. (Brighton Open Air Theatre) ‘Rose trod the tightrope between madness and sanity perfectly’ - Petersfield Post (on HAMLET).
Harrison is also a successful playwright, his debut play FOX premiered at the Old Red Lion Theatre in London in 2017. ‘FOX features moments of tart insight…Rose’s script plants all the seeds’ - WhatsOnStage (on FOX)
Most recently Harrison has also been made an assistant producer for Jonathan Church Productions and developed a short film based on his second full length play GENTLE MEN after receiving a commission from East Riding Theatre. You can find him at www.HarrisonRoseCreative.com

 

Harry Prouse

Harry is a graduate of WAAPA (BA Music Theatre, 2015) and RMIT (MA Arts Management, 2019.) Productions for Tinderbox Productions include: David Suchet Poirot & More: A Retrospective (for Kay & McLean Productions) and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (for Nica Burns, Garry McQuinn, Lyndi Adler & Sydney Opera House.) Prior to joining Liza McLean’s Tinderbox Productions, Harry worked with Stuart Hendricks at Music Theatre International – Australasia and touring internationally for Life Like Touring (TEG Dainty.) Before attending university, Harry was the producer of the Four Walls Festival and Little BIGSOUND co-produced with QMusic and the Judith Wright Centre.

 

Jeff van de Zandt

Jeff van de Zandt is a graphic designer, content creator, and co-director of Workshop Creative. Jeff has worked across numerous live entertainment productions such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Disney’s Aladdin The Musical, Caroline, or Change, Assassins, Barnum and many more both locally and internationally. As a content creator Jeff has worked with numerous brands including Amazon, MILO, Beats by Dre, Cadbury, and V Energy – creating social media content across TikTok and instagram that has been seen by over half a million people.

 

Liza McLean

Liza McLean has dedicated her career to the entertainment industry in Australia and overseas, working for and collaborating with extraordinary Producers, Directors and some of worlds’ finest actors, singers and artists. Most recently Liza Co Created, Produced and Directed David Suchet, Poirot & More A Retrospective. Company Director and Producer for Tinderbox Productions, credits include The Last Confession, Little Shop of Horrors and Sweet Charity. For Kay and McLean Productions, North By North West, The Graduate and The Bridge Project’s Richard III. In 2017 Liza produced her greatest achievement, the birth of her long-awaited son, Javier Bear Gumbleton McLean who is her inspiration and muse.

 

MIKE MCLIESH

Mike is best known for his portrayal of Paul Keating in Casey Bennetto's Keating! The Musical. Other stage credits include Shane Warne The Musical, Miracle City, Georgy Girl: The Seekers Musical and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Off stage, Mike has appeared in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Lowdown, Utopia, Wentworth and Mustangs FC. He worked as a song writer, music adviser and script consultant on both series of the ABC’s The Time Of Our Lives, and as script consultant on Matchbox Picture’s Mustangs FC. Mike was head scriptwriter for the 2019 Helpmann Awards.

 

Sarah Giles

Sarah Giles is an award winning theatre and opera director. Sarah studied directing at NIDA and works as both a Director and Dramaturg. She has directed work for leading arts companies across Australia including Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, State Theatre of South Australia, Griffin Theatre, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Victorian Opera, Sydney Chamber Opera and more. Most recently she directed No Pay? No Way! for Sydney Theatre Company and in Lorelei for Victorian Opera for which she received Helpmann and Green Room Award nominations for best director of an Opera.