Our Story

Slingsby produces and tours original theatre for family audiences and young people aged eight years and over. Founded in 2007, Slingsby is based on Kaurna Meyunna Yerta in Adelaide, South Australia.

Slingsby creates emotionally powerful theatrical experiences that renew wonder in our world and explore the role we each play in building a happy and harmonious society. We are passionate about meaningful storytelling that captivates, challenges, and inspires optimism.  By telling stories of wonder, hardship and hope, Slingsby builds connections and joy within our community. 

Each Slingsby show is an invitation into a magical world. The company’s signature world-worn aesthetic is embedded in each show, transporting audiences to a time and place that is at once familiar and new.

We collaborate with Australia’s finest artists across diverse disciplines and cultivate international theatrical alliances.

Our productions have been presented in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Singapore, Norway, China and India, earning the company a global reputation for excellence in theatre-making for young audiences.  

The company’s first work The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy was an international success and has been performed over 800 times worldwide. Recent works including The Young King and Emil and the Detectives along with our international collaboration The Boy Who Talked to Dogs have further established Slingsby’s standing as an eminent theatre maker.

A brace of local, national, and international awards is a testament to Slingsby’s leadership in the industry and the company’s profound impact on its multi-generational audience. Slingsby’s many accolades include three Ruby Awards, a prestigious Victor Award (People’s Choice) – International Performing Arts for Youth Showcase and a Helpmann Award (Best Presentation for Children).

View a trove of Slingsby productions here. 

Our People

Andy Packer

CEO & Artistic Director

Andy is an award-winning director of theatre, music theatre and opera. He has also worked as creative producer of multidisciplinary arts programs, creative director of large-scale events and festival director. In 2007 Andy co-founded Adelaide based theatre company Slingsby. The company is now well-established as a leading international immersive theatre company, having toured to more than 170 venues, with over 1,000 performances across 13 countries and counting.

Andy is renowned for creating original live performance moments that are emotionally powerful and visually bold. His work across theatre for young audiences, opera, cabaret, music theatre and symphonic concerts has pushed him to develop a distinctive theatrical aesthetic that is at once personal and epic.

Andy has directed productions and events for Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, State Opera of South Australia, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Adelaide Festival of Arts, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Chamber Singers, Australian String Quartet, Windmill Theatre, Restless Dance, Tutti Ensemble, Rundle Mall Management Authority and the International Astronautical Federation. In 2019 Andy was Show Director for the World of Wearable Art Awards Show in Wellington, New Zealand.

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Rebecca Pearce

Executive Director

A highly respected creative and cultural leader, Rebecca brings with her more than 15 years’ experience in leadership roles with major Arts organisations across Australia and
internationally. Most recently, Rebecca held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Adelaide UNESCO City of Music office. acknowledging the breadth, depth and vibrancy of the city’s music culture. its international reach, history and aspirations. Prior to this, Rebecca held senior positions including Associate Director of Programming at Adelaide Festival Centre, Program Director of Brisbane Festival, Program Manager of Singapore International Festival and Programming Executive of Adelaide Festival.

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Georgia Stanley

Community Enrichment Manager

Georgia is an emerging South Australian arts manager and producer. Georgia first joined Slingsby in March 2019 in the role of Associate Artist, providing touring support and company management for the artists and crew on The Young King national tour. In 2020 she took up the full time role of Associate Producer with the company. A graduate of the AC Arts acting course, Georgia has also held roles at Adelaide Festival and Art Gallery of South Australia.

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Karen Vance

Finance & Admin Officer

Karen is an experienced finance and administration professional, having worked for various small businesses, non-profit and arts organisations including Contemporary Art Centre of SA and SALA. Karen holds a Graduate Diploma in Arts Management and a Bachelor of Visual Arts.

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David McLean

Production Manager

David started working in theatre from 1979 to 1988 with the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust (AFCT) Production Department as a Mechanist and Flyman. 1n 1981 he went on his first tour with State Opera South Australia touring Regional South Australia with Don Pasquale and then again in 1982 with Cossi Van Tutti.

From 1889 through to 1994 he worked as Head Flyman / Rigger for the Australian Opera Company working mainly at The Sydney Opera House and Victorian Arts Centre and touring as required.

For the second half of 1994 through 1995 David was Head Mechanist with the Canberra Theatre Centre in the Australian Capital Territory.

Upon returning home to Adelaide South Australia in 1996 David was firstly Head Mechanist of the Festival Theatre and then from 2000 through to 2004 was Technical Coordinator for the AFCT Production Department.

From 2005 through to 2018 he was Production Manager for State Opera South Australia, Production Coordinator for Adelaide Fringe 2009, 20010, 2011, 2013 and a Production Coordinator for Adelaide Festival (AF) 2006 and 2008.

From 2019 through to 2023 David was the Production Manager for Adelaide Festival’s Operas.

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Rod Schultz

Marketing Manager

Rod has many years of experience in arts and entertainment, in both administration and as a performer. Much of his work has been with small touring companies. He has worked in a variety of management roles for The Fairies, Co-Opera: Opera on the Move and the Royal Commonwealth Society Ensemble.

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Quincy Grant

Composer

Quincy has spent his life being a freelance composer and musician. He has played and written for many bands over the decades, in many different styles – the most recent being the despicable gypsy band Golonka and the folk outfit Miranda Bede. 

He has written over seventy works for soloists, chamber ensembles and orchestras that have been performed in hundreds of concerts. And written the music for over forty theatre works, for companies all over Australia, with his second opera being scheduled for performance in 2025. 

He has toured many countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. 

He is co-director of The Firm, a company that presents concerts each year featuring Australian classical musicians in programmes of new Australian music along-side carefully chosen repertoire. 

Quincy lives in Adelaide with his dear Anna, and has three children: Arland, Clara and Miranda.

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Wendy Todd

Designer

Wendy is an Adelaide-based designer of theatre, events and spaces. Recent production designs (Set & Costume Design for all productions) include: Nursery 2014, (Sally Chance Dance), Babyteeth 2013, Blasted 2012, Pornography 2012 (State Theatre Company of South Australia), Land & Sea 2012, Skip Miller’s Hit Songs 2011, Harbinger 2010 (Brink Productions), Man Covets Bird 2010, The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy 2007 (Slingsby), Worldhood 2011 (Australian Dance Theatre), A Lion In The Night 2012, The Little Green Tractor 2011 (Patch Theatre Company), Cutaway III, 2013 & II, 2012 (Vitalstatistix), Ruby Bruise 2010 (The Misery Children & Vitalstatistix). Recent event designs: Designer Blink Bar 2015 Adelaide Festival of Arts Precinct, Design Assistant/Coordinator Lola’s Pergola 2014, Design Coordinator of Barrio 2013 & 2012, Assistant Designer Persian Garden 2008 & 2006 (Late Night Clubs of the Adelaide Festival of Arts), Event and Gala Designer Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2015, Design Coordinator Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2014 (Adelaide Festival Centre), Bowerbird Design Markets 2014, 2013, 2012.

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Chris Petridis

Lighting Designer

Chris is a Lighting and Video Designer. Following his completion of the Technical Production course at the Adelaide Centre of the Arts, Chris has continued to develop his experience across theatre, dance, and other live events in Australia including:

2021: Creation Creation by Windmill Theatre Company; Hiccup! by Windmill Theatre Company; The Boy Who Talked to Dogs by Slingsby
2020: The Bleeding Tree by Theatre Republic; Of All Things by Alison Currie for ADT; Anatomy of a Suicide by Flinders University Drama Centre; Lighthouse by Patch Theatre Company; Incognito by Flinders University Drama Centre
2019: World of Wearable Art 2019; Madama Butterfly by State Opera of South Australia; A View from the Bridge by State Theatre Company SA; Cher by Vitalstatistix; ZOOM by Patch Theatre Company; 13 Ways to Look at Birds feat. Paul Kelly by GWB; Femme by Erin Fowler Projects; Zizanie by Restless.
2018: Lines by Theatre Republic; World of Wearable Art 2018 with Bluebottle; SOLO (Sea Wall & Bitch Boxer) by Flying Penguin Productions; Julius Caesar by Flinders University Drama Centre; Songs for those who come across the Sea by Slingsby; Brothers Wreck by Malthouse Theatre & State Theatre; Baba Yaga by Windmill Theatre Company; Terrestrial by State Theatre Company of South Australia; In The Club by State Theatre; The Walk of Fame Gala by the Adelaide Festival Centre
2017: Angelique by Is This Yours? ; Beep by Windmill Theatre Company ; Emil and the Detectives by Slingsby; Vigil by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival ; Mr Burns by State Theatre Company of South Australia & Belvoir St Theatre; Long Tan by Brink Productions 2016: Ingition 2016 by ADT; Love & Information by Flinders University Drama Centre; Juliet Letters by Flying Penguin Productions; Gorgon by State Theatre Company; Beginning of Nature (WOMAD) by ADT.

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Ailsa Paterson

Designer

Ailsa holds a Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Design (NIDA). 

Recent design credits include The Marriage of Figaro (SOSA), The Dictionary of Lost Words (STCSA/STC – costume design), Lady Day (STCSA/MTC/Belvoir), The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (STCSA/STC – costume design), Tracker (ADT – costume design), Girls and Boys (Sydney Festival/Adelaide Festival), A Christmas Carol and Boxing Day BBQ (Ensemble Theatre), Single Asian Female (STCSA), Chalkface (STCSA/STC), Watershed (Adelaide Festival) and Myth or the Go Between (Gravity and other Myths/Blue Soup Films). 

Slingsby credits include Songs for Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas, costume designs for The Boy Who Talked to Dogs, Emil and the Detectives, The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage and Ode to Nonsense. 

Credits for State Theatre Company South Australia include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Ripcord,Gaslight,  The 39 Steps, Jasper Jones, End of  the Rainbow, Creditors, Sense and Sensibility, Switzerland, The 39 Steps, Romeo and Juliet, Mendelssohn’s Dream,  Beckett Triptych, The Importance of Being Earnest, Hedda Gabler, In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play, War Mother, The Ham Funeral, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Price, The Cripple of Inishmaan,  Betrayal, A Doll’s House, Things I Know To Be True and Little Bird. 

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Darian Tregenza

Technical Director/Operator

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Our Mission

To lovingly craft original, beautiful, complex, life-affirming, heartfelt and richly rewarding, theatre for adults and young people and to be internationally recognised for:

  • ‘coming of age’ and ‘getting of wisdom’ stories; 
  • exceptional telling of uplifting stories built on inspirational scripts and narratives; 
  • stories that celebrate the beauty of humanity’s journey: life, death, hope and our desires to live rich and meaningful lives; 
  • creating immersive, theatrical worlds; 
  • a unique aesthetic that is complex and at once new and familiar; 
  • cultivating an intimate connection between audience and performers.

Learn about Slingsby’s development processPaths Less Travelled, in our Creative Manifesto.

We are now committed to creating bold new work that challenges the status quo, delivers unforgettable experiences for audiences, and addresses one of the biggest global threats facing generations: the climate emergency.

As a company that aims for social impact on an intergenerational audience, it is incumbent upon Slingsby to reduce its climate impact. A Concise Compendium of Wonder tackles the global climate crisis with urgency and hope, in both theme and practical action.

 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR WORK

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