Profiles
Written by John Senczuk
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John Senczuk AustraliaBased in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Dr John Senczuk is a theatre polymath. A NIDA graduate, his multi-award winning career as director, designer, playwright and dramaturg spans forty years, with his work seen nationally and internationally in commissions for opera, dance and drama. Concurrently, he lectured on dramaturgy and scenography at the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, Toi Whakaari, NZ Drama School, and WAAPA. John is the inaugural S,B&W Foundation Research Fellow, where his first major publication was the transcription and annotations of JC Williamson’s 1909 Diary (listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register). In 2020, he was a member of the ARC/Ausstage Research Team engaged on an animated 3D Digital Reconstruction of the Stage House of Newcastle’s Victoria Theatre (1891). He now writes on Australian theatre history and biography. Recent publications include Griffin Rising (2019; shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s History Award), Griffin Redux (2022); Funny Business: A Biography of Carol Raye (2022); and ‘Those Enterprising Impresarios’ The MacMahon Brothers (2024). John is also the founding editor of the boutique publisher Janus Imprint, making available unpublished or inaccessible heritage Australian drama scripts. John’s first releases included Louis Esson’s The Battler, Leon Brodsky’s Rebel Smith, Kate Howarde’s Possum Paddock and Euphemia Coulson Davidson’s Sorell.
Written by Robert Morrison
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Robert Morrison AustraliaWith a background in science and biophysics, Rob is equally at home in the Performing Arts having performed in over 70 stage productions since 1975, including plays, revues and musicals for a number of amateur theatre companies based in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
As a broadcaster, Rob has been heard on Melbourne community radio 96.5 Inner FM since 1992 contributing to the Local Theatre programme and as the host of the weekly light-music Kaleidoscope and Musical Theatre Melodies programmes. (A selection of Rob’s past interviews from the latter with noted theatre composers and/or lyricists, Leslie Bricusse, Frank Wildhorn and Sheldon Harnick, plus musical theatre historian and author, Miles Kreuger can be accessed on the THA website under Digital Collections – audio.)
Since early 2023 Musical Theatre Melodies has also been available as a podcast, which may be heard at https://www.innerfm.org.au/shows/musical-theatre-melodies/ and recently earned the distinction of being ranked amongst the Top 10 Australian Theatre Podcasts by Feedspot, as listed at https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_theatre_podcasts
Rob has also contributed information and articles to the on-line Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, Gilbert and Sullivan Discography and Edward German Discography websites.
Past articles published in the print editions of On Stage include:-
- ‘Are There Any More at Home Like You?’ (Summer 2009, p.30)
- ‘W.S. Gilbert Makes the Music’ (Autumn 2009, p.7)
- ‘Sir Seymour Remembers Dame Nellie’ (Autumn 2010, p.8)
- ‘Remembering Nichols Remembering Melba’ (Spring 2011, p.9)
In addition Rob collaborated on the research into the background of local Music Hall singer, ‘Syria Lamonte’ (Summer 2010, p.5), as outlined in ‘The Search for Syria’ (Autumn 2010, p. 17); provided the footnotes to ‘Richard Watson: “a molasses of a bass”’ (Spring 2009, p.35 & Summer 2010, p.40.) and researched the discography for ‘Richard Watson’s Recorded Legacy’ (Spring 2011, p.18.)
Written by Roger Neill
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Roger Neill UKRoger Neill is a UK-based arts historian. He curated the exhibition Legends: The Art of Walter Barnett for the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra in 2000. He helped Sam Wanamaker to re-build Shakespeare’s Globe in London. His most recent book is The Simonsens of St Kilda: A Family of Singers. With Tony Locantro he co-produced the 4CD set From Melba to Sutherland: Australian Singers on Record for Decca Eloquence.
Written by John Senczuk
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John Senczuk Australia
Based in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Dr John Senczuk is a theatre polymath. A NIDA graduate, his multi-award winning career as director, designer, playwright and dramaturg spans forty years, with his work seen nationally and internationally in commissions for opera, dance and drama. Concurrently, he lectured on dramaturgy and scenography at the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, Toi Whakaari, NZ Drama School, and WAAPA. John is the inaugural S,B&W Foundation Research Fellow, where his first major publication was the transcription and annotations of JC Williamson’s 1909 Diary (listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register). In 2020, he was a member of the ARC/Ausstage Research Team engaged on an animated 3D Digital Reconstruction of the Stage House of Newcastle’s Victoria Theatre (1891). He now writes on Australian theatre history and biography. Recent publications include Griffin Rising (2019; shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s History Award), Griffin Redux (2022); Funny Business: A Biography of Carol Raye (2022); and ‘Those Enterprising Impresarios’ The MacMahon Brothers (2024). John is also the founding editor of the boutique publisher Janus Imprint, making available unpublished or inaccessible heritage Australian drama scripts. John’s first releases included Louis Esson’s The Battler, Leon Brodsky’s Rebel Smith, Kate Howarde’s Possum Paddock and Euphemia Coulson Davidson’s Sorell.
Written by Bob Ferris
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Bob Ferris AustraliaBob Ferris is a member of the Australian Cartophilic Society and has collected cigarette and trade cards since the late 1970s. He has been a regular contributor to the Society Newsletter and Magazine—The Australian Card Collector—for over twenty years and has served as Co-editor of the magazine for seven years.
Bob was awarded Life Membership of the Society in 2019.
Written by Roland Rocchiccioli
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Roland Rocchiccioli AustraliaThis year, 2026, marks 60-years in the theatre. It has taken Roland to places he never imagined: Moscow, Shanghai, London, New York, Rome, Paris — even Uzbekistan. He has done 14-plays with Googie Withers, and 12 with Frank Thring. He has worked at ABC and The Playhouse, Perth; the Community Theatre, Killara; Melbourne Theatre Company; Harry M Miller Attractions; and Bill Kenwright Productions, London. He is probably best-known for his unlikely on-screen shenanigans with Sam Newman for the AFL Footy Show. It was, he said: “the best decision of my life. It introduced me to a vast audience whom I would never have met. It was such a joy for ten-years! I relished every moment.”
Written by Brendan Kelly
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Brendan Kelly AustraliaBrendan Kelly is a self-confessed evocator of Australian history. He takes an off-centre approach to the examination of the past. His essays seek to describe the little corner occurrences, less noticed, but just as important as mainstream history. Brendan explores everyday people. His passion for the Perth amateur entertainers 1875-1895 leads him to explore the human condition, as much as it is now, as it was then. btkelly55@gmail.com
Written by Nick Murphy
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Nick Murphy Australia
As the grandson of Melbourne theatre architect Gordon Murphy, Nick Murphy grew up with a fascination for all things theatrical. A teacher and Assistant Principal for many years, he also worked at Melbourne Museum and in educational settings in China, and tutored pre-service teachers at the University of Melbourne. He has lived most of his life just a few streets from Daphne Pollard's birthplace in Fitzroy. The children of Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company remain an ongoing interest. forgottenaustralianactresses.com
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Written by Roger Neill
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Roger Neill UK
Roger Neill is a UK-based arts historian. He curated the exhibition Legends: The Art of Walter Barnett for the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra in 2000. He helped Sam Wanamaker to re-build Shakespeare’s Globe in London. His most recent book is The Simonsens of St Kilda: A Family of Singers. With Tony Locantro he co-produced the 4CD set From Melba to Sutherland: Australian Singers on Record for Decca Eloquence.
Written by Susan Mills
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Susan Mills Australia
Susan Mills is an archivist and librarian with 25 years experience in public libraries, academic libraries, and community archives. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Adelaide (1999), and a Graduate Diploma of Information Studies from the University of South Australia (2001), working in public libraries in Adelaide and the Northern Territory, then university libraries in Sydney. Discovering a love for historical collections, she completed a Masters of Information Studies (Archives and Records Management) from Charles Sturt University (2016). As an archivist, she has managed collections relating to Sydney’s rich performing arts history at the NIDA and more recently at the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation performing arts archives.
