The Boy Who Talked To Dogs

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 South Australia, State Theatre Company 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.

Her first radio play, Hold This, was recorded and broadcast on RTÉ Radio One in September 2010. Her first stage play, I ♥ Alice ♥ I, won the Fishamble Award for New Writing in the 2010 Dublin Fringe Festival and has enjoyed sold out runs in the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, the Peacock stage of the Abbey Theatre Dublin, The Irish Arts Centre in New York, Lókal festival in Iceland, Glasgay Festival in Glasgow, The World Theatre Festival in Brisbane, Australia, Auckland Arts Festival in New Zealand, Ten Days on the Island Festival in Tasmania, Queer Theatre Festival Croatia, Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and The Lyric Theatre Belfast. It was broadcast on RTE Radio One, has been translated and performed in Poland, Italy and Iceland and is published by Oberon.

Her second show, Eternal Rising of the Sun, won the Best Female Performer Award when it premiered at Dublin Fringe Festival 2011. Her performance as Gina Devine also earned her a nomination for Best Actress in the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2011. Eternal Rising of the Sun has enjoyed successful runs in the Dublin Theatre Festival 2012, Fringe World in Perth, Australia, and a staged reading in Sydney Theatre Company. In September 2013, Amy and her company HotForTheatre presented Break, which combined spoken word, music and text. Set in an Irish secondary school it exposed and interrogated the failures and triumphs of our education system. Luck Just Kissed You Hello premiered at the Mick Lally Theatre as part of the Galway International Arts Festival in 2015, concluded a sell out run for the Dublin Theatre Festival later the same year, it was nominated for Best New Play in the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2016 and toured nationally. Amy has performed in countless production over the years, most recently a critically acclaimed production of The Taming of the Shrew at the Globe Theatre, London, directed by Caroline Byrne, Futureproof, directed by Tom Creed, My Son My Son, directed by Veronica Dyas, A Day In May, directed by Gerry Stembridge, A Midsummers Night’s Dream, directed by Lynne Parker and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (DTF 2018), directed by Ronan Phelan. She recently directed Me Sara (Priming the Canon) for the Abbey Theatre, which played in the Peacock and toured nationally, Looking Deadly (Dublin Fringe – National tour) and Here and Now by Veronica Dyas, performed as part of Thisispopbaby’s Where We Live Festival.

Amy is a Six in the Attic Alumni, is currently Writer in Residence with Rough Magic Theatre Company and is Associate Writer with The Abbey Theatre.

Bryan trained at the Samuel Beckett Centre at Trinity College Dublin.

Noteworthy performances include My Foot/My Tutor with Articulate Anatomy (Best Male Performance at Dublin Fringe Festival 2004), Barabbas Theatre Company’s Johnny Patterson : The Singing Irish Clown ( Irish Times Theatre Award Best Supporting Actor 2009) and regularly performs his one man show Beowulf : The Blockbuster which originated as a Show In A Bag and has toured Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Australia, New York and was the number one success of the Edinburgh Fringe 2014 winning the STAGE Award for Acting Excellence.

Other notable productions include Act Without Words 2 by Samuel Beckett for Company SJ which most recently performed at the Barbican in London and the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. He also regularly performs in a two hander adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol with Aaron Monaghan nationally, at The Ark and The Pavilion for Christmas 2022. He played Quasimodo in Angela’s Ashes : The Musical in 2017 & 2019 and Lenehan in the returning production of James Joyce’s ULYSSES at The Abbey Theatre in Oct 2017 & July 2018. Other productions in 2021 & 2022 include TARRY FLYNN with Livin’ Dred, ( Nominated for Irish Times Theatre Award Best Ensemble ), Beowulf : The Blockbuster, 14 Voices From The Bloodied Field and The Long Christmas Dinner at The Abbey Theatre in Dec 2021 & 2022 ( Nominated for Irish Times Theatre Award Best Ensemble ). Due to be performed at DTF 2023 followed by an Irish Tour is The Boy Who Talked To Dogs by Amy Conroy as a Slingsby/Draiocht coproduction which played at the 2021 Adelaide Festival and toured Australia for 2022.

As director Bryan has directed The Whispering Chair for Livin’ Dred in 2022, Fight Night and The Games People Play for RISE productions written by Gavin Kostick which won Best Actor and the Bewleys Little Gem Award at Dublin Fringe 2010 and Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2013 respectively.

As Movement Director recent productions include Druid’s Beauty Queen of Leenane, Umbrella’s Glowworm, Fishamble’s Inside The GPO, Yew Tree’s Alone It Stands, Pat Moylan’s Stones In His Pockets, Tarry Flynn, The Skriker at the Lir Academy, BrokenCrow’s Levin & Levin, at the Abbey Fool For Love, The Wake and for Second Age Hamlet and Macbeth.

For RTE Bryan has appeared on RTE Jr’s The Beo Show teaching drama to young children, written four short stories for the Tell Me A Story series, written and performed a Christmas short story for the Cór Na Nóg Christmas Concert and directed Fight Night for RTE’s Radio Drama season

Bryan has taught physical theatre at The Lir Academy of Dramatic Art and Accademia D’ell Arte, Arezzo, Tuscany.

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.

• soundcloud.com/quincys-room/sets
• quentingrant.com
• YouTube Channel

Victoria Falconer (she/her) is a show-maker, multi-instrumentalist and performer working across cabaret, theatre and musicals. Recent work includes creation of site-specific cabaret work THE SIGHT (Dark Mofo 2023); creating and performing THE VALI MYERS PROJECT (Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Frank Ford Commission winner); creating and hosting SMASHED: THE BRUNCH PARTY (Sydney Festival, Adelaide Fringe) and musical direction on GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (Sydney World Pride), GODSPELL (Hayes Theatre Co) and LIZZIE (Sydney Festival). Other MD credits include OKLAHOMA! (Black Swan State Theatre), ONCE (Darlinghurst Theatre Company) and COURTNEY ACT (London/Sydney). Victoria has received nominations for a Sydney Theatre Award and a Green Room Award for musical direction, won Overall Best Cabaret at Adelaide Fringe twice (2018/2011), and Spirit of the Fringe with GLITTERY CLITTERY (Edinburgh Fringe 2018).

Victoria was appointed Co-Artistic Director of Hayes Theatre Co (Sydney) in November 2022, alongside Richard Carroll. She is a founding member of The People Of Cabaret, an initiative formed to advocate for performing artists identifying as Indigenous and/or Bla(c)k and/or People of Colour.

Emma Luker is a fiddle player, violinist, performer, teacher and session player based in Adelaide, South Australia.

She has performed interstate and internationally as a band member and theatre performer.

Emma is a member for original folk duo The Fiddle Chicks, as well as several other bands in Adelaide, and performs regularly with folk singer Eric Bogle. She has been noticed and acclaimed as a violinist of sensitivity and versatility.

“ …One of the most accomplished musicians I have had the pleasure of working with during my musical career, and I’ve worked with a few. It’s not just because of the technical mastery of her instrument, impressive though that is, it’s something rare and more tangible than that… I’d call it total empathy.” – (Eric Bogle, OAM)

Wendy’s Set & Costume Design credits include Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Tim Overton/Wickedly Good Productions), The Thing That Matters and Touch & Go (Sally Chance Dance), Seashore (Sally Chance Dance/Dream Big), Vaudeville (Brink Productions/Rory Walker), Land + Sea (Brink Productions), Supernature and North/South (Australian Dance Theatre), The Lighthouse (Patch Theatre), Picaresque (Robyn Archer, Adelaide Festival), Long Tan (Brink Productions/State Theatre Company South Australia), Babyteeth, Blastedand Pornography (State Theatre Company South Australia). Wendy also designed the Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s opening, closing and family galas from 2016 to 2018 (Adelaide Festival Centre).

Wendy’s Set, Costume & Lighting Design credits include Symphonie de la Bicyclette (Brink Productions/Hew Parham) and The World Is Looking For You (Control Party).

For Adelaide Festival Centre, Wendy’s event designs include Adelaide Cabaret Festival (Co-Designer 2015-2019) and Adelaide Guitar Festival (2016). Late-night club designs for Adelaide Festival include Blinc Bar(Designer, 2015), Lola’s Pergola (Design Assistant/Coordinator 2014), Barrio (Design Coordinator 2012-2013), Persian Garden (Assistant Designer 2006, 2008). Wendy also designed the biannual Bowerbird Design Markets from 2013 to 2017.

For Slingsby, Wendy’s work has included The Young King, Man Covets Bird, and The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy (Set & Costume Design), The Boy Who Talked to Dogs and Emil & The Detectives (Set Design) and, most recently, A Concise Compendium of Wonder – The Tree of Light (Environment Design).

Chris is a lighting and video designer from Adelaide, South Australia. 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 and internationally.

Chris worked on the inaugural Illuminate Adelaide Festival to deliver their flagship project Light Cycles in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, crafted by the world-leading Montreal-based studio Moment Factory. Chris has since been working on a number of large outdoor lighting installations with Illuminate Adelaide, Moment Factory and others.

Chris has worked with State Theatre Company South Australia on Single Asian Female, A View from the Bridge, Brothers Wreck, In The Club, Terrestrial, Mr Burns, Red Cross Letters, Eh Joe for the Beckett Triptych, Gorgon, Masquerade, The Kreutzer Sonata, Maggie Stone and Little Bird. Chris has completed designs for Gravity and Other Myths’ Ten Thousand Hours and Playbook. Carla Lippis’ Mondo Psycho live at WOMADelaide 2022. Theatre Republic’s The Garden, How Not To Make It In America, The Bleeding Tree and Lines. Australian Dance Theatre’s The Third, Objekt, Of All Things, The Beginning of Nature Part 1 and Ignition 2016. Restless Dance Theatre’s Zizanie and Touched. Slingsby’s The Tree of Light, The Boy Who Talked to Dogs, Songs for Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas, Emil and the Detectives and The Mouse, The Bird and The Sausage. Windmill Theatre Company’s Moss Piglet, Rella, Creation Creation, Hiccup!, Beep, Grug and the Rainbow, Big Bad Wolf and Story Thieves. Vitalstatistix’ The Photo Box, Cher and Quiet Faith. Flying Penguin’s Oleanna, Bitch Boxer and Seawall.

Ailsa completed the Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Design (NIDA) in 2003. Recent design credits include Jack Maggs and The Puzzle (State Theatre Company South Australia), Watershed (Opera Australia), The Marriage of Figaro (State Opera South Australia), Marrow (ADT, costume design) and The Tree of Light (Slingsby).

Design credits for State Theatre Company South Australia include: The Dictionary of Lost Words (costume design), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Girls and Boys, Single Asian Female, Chalkface, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia (costume design), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Ripcord (set design), Gaslight, Jasper Jones, End of the Rainbow, Sense and Sensibility, Switzerland, The 39 Steps, Beckett Triptych, The Importance of Being Earnest, In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play, The Ham Funeral, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Price and The Cripple of Inishmaan.

Other design credits include Tracker (ADT, costume design), Dido and Aeneas (State Opera South Australia), A Christmas Carol (Ensemble), Boxing Day BBQ (Ensemble), The Boy Who Talked to Dogs (Slingsby, costume design), Emil and The Detectives (Slingsby, costume design), Cloudstreet! (State Opera South Australia, costume design), Yo Diddle Diddle (Patch), Cranky Bear (Patch), Debut 5 (Restless), Naturally (Restless). Ailsa worked in costume on The Straits, LAID, Undertbelly – A Tale of Two Cities, Underbelly – The Golden Mile, Blue Water High, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce, Ten Empty, The Boy from Oz Area Spectacular, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical and High School Musical. Ailsa was the recipient of the 2011 Mike Walsh Fellowship.

Darian is a lighting, vision, and multi-skilled technician and technical designer from South Australia.

Since graduating from Adelaide College of the Arts’ technical production course, Darian has gained valuable experience working in local venues, with theatre and dance companies, at festivals, on installations, and events.

He has toured extensively with shows such as Patch Theatre’s Yo Diddle Diddle and Anna Goldworthy’s Piano Lessons. He has worked on and toured with many Slingsby productions including The Young King, Emil and the Detectives, and The Boy Who Talked to Dogs, as well as acting as lighting designer for This Tree is a Story and The River that Ran Uphill.

David started working in theatre from 1979 to 1988 with the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust (AFCT) Production Department as a Mechanist and Flyman. In 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.

Laura has worked with State Theatre Company South Australia since 2015. Her show credits as Assistant Stage Manager include Beckett Triptych, Machu Picchu, The 39 Steps in 2016 and its 2019 tour, Switzerland, The Gods of Strangers, Hydra, Jasper Jones and Dance Nation. Laura worked on the 2017 national tour of George Orwell’s 1984 and its 2018 international tour in Auckland and Singapore.

Her Stage Management credits for State Theatre Company South Australia include Antigone, Girls & Boys, Eureka Day and The Boy Who Talked to Dogs (with Slingsby for Adelaide Festival). Laura also works with Slingsby and was stage manager for the touring production of Emil and the Detectives.

Her other credits include Stage Managing the U.S tour of Bluey’s Big Play (BBC Studios and Andrew Kay in association with Windmill Theatre); Co-Assistant Stage Managing the 2019 Adelaide season of Kay and McLean’s production of North by Northwest and working with Windmill Theatre Co, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival and WOMADelaide.

Jamie Mensforth has completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at the University of Adelaide, and a Diploma of Sound Production at Tafe SA.

He is celebrated for his consultative approach to any process, and for obtaining clear vocal tones and moving musical mixes.

He has worked as mix engineer for Womadelaide, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Guitar Festival, Rumpelstiltskin (Windmill Theatre Company), And Then You Go – The Vali Myers Project (Victoria Falconer), and others.

Jamie’s sound design credits include-  Pirates Of Penzance, Hms Pinafore and The Sorcerer (State Opera South Australia), Spring Awakening, Cabaret, Mamma Mia, Urinetown, In Pieces, Legally Blonde, 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Sweeney Todd,  A Chorus Line (Elder Conservatory Music Theatre), Godspell (Irregular Productions and Lydian Productions), Stars in the Arena (The Primary Schools Music Festival).

Jamie is also a skilled Exhibition video works technician having assisted Rolf De Heer & Molly Reynolds, Amos Gebhardt, Madison Bycroft and Lisa Reihana.