Pictured: Steven Kramer (Writer of Phar Lap), Justin Smith (Cast of Phar Lap), Joel Granger (Cast of Phar Lap) and Sheridan Harbridge (Director of Phar Lap)
Together with various actors, writers, directors and costumers, I recently hosted a series of photo-shoots at my studio for the Hayes Theatre Company, in preparation for their 2026 season. The sessions involved still photographs of various cast members and video production of the actors and crew, filminging light-hearted, voice-to-camera interviews. We also created some grabs of slow-mo action for future marketing content.
Kayla French (marketing) commits herself to creating content with Joel Granger (Cast of Phar Lap)
Richard Carroll (Artistic Director) checks in with Billie and John (Cast Members)
Billie (Cast) in makeup with Ashleigh Grace (MUA)
Final social media images are captured before stepping on set.
Rica Canillas (Marketing, left) working hard with Kayla French (Marketing, right)
Sam Hernandez (Costuming, left), together with Richard (Director, right) adjust Billie’s costume
While the video cameras rolled, I also took the opportunity to capture some out-takes of the working process with my own camera. There was a vibrant and creative mood on set, with the team from Hayes Theatre Company bringing incredible energy to the studio. Moments like these are a powerful reminder of just how much collaborative effort goes into producing a theatrical season, with the contributions of so many talented individuals coming together behind the scenes.
Sam Hernandez (Wardrobe/Stylist) makes final adjustments to Billie Palin’s costume on set.
Pictured from left: Raphael Wong, Lincoln Elliott & Kala Gare
In June, I worked with the talented cast and crew of Being Alive, a beautifully staged selection of Stephen Sondheim songs at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney. My role was to capture production images to showcase the energy, emotion and artistry of the show with four extraordinary performers and a three-piece band, to be used for promotional and program purposes.
Normally, I photograph and document a full dress rehearsal by shooting continuously while the production runs in real time. This allows me to capture spontaneous moments and the natural rhythm of the performance. However, for Being Alive, the process was a little different – and all the more fascinating because of it.
This time, instead of shooting a seamless run-through, we worked through a carefully curated list of specific moments. Sonia Suares, the director, knew exactly the moments that would feature the artists appropriately and guided me along the way. The cast and crew would reset between these key points, allowing me to focus on capturing particular highlights that best represented the range and spirit of the show. We moved from set-up to set-up, working collaboratively to ensure that each image told a piece of the story.
Pictured from left: Lincoln Elliott, Kala Gare, Raphael Wong & Blazey Best
From my perspective, it was an interesting departure from my usual approach — offering the opportunity to craft images with more precision, while still responding to the vibrancy of live performance. I’m grateful to the team at Hayes for their openness and professionalism, and to the cast for their generosity in revisiting these moments so that I could do them justice through my lens.
Catch a performance in Sydney starting from late June … for tickets and more information head to“Being Alive”
Cast and crew of the Hayes Theatre production of “Being Alive”
On now at the Hayes Theatre, Sydney, Flat Earthers, a brand new musical that is not just a kaleidoscope of colour, but a wacky adventure into (cyber) space and time.
Production shots of the dress rehearsal are an important tool for promotional purposes for any show. They are also reproduced in the program that is sold on performance nights at the theatre, creating a valuable document of the cast, lighting and staging of any particular production. In the case of “Flat Earthers: The Musical”, due to difficulties with my scheduling for the dress rehearsal, I was actually photographing the first public performance. This meant I was limited in my movements, since I normally have the freedom to move throughout the auditorium when photographing a performance. As a photographer, you want to vary the angles and you constantly search for striking lighting effects. That said, you usually work more at the front/centre of the stage, because the show is constructed that way … you want to mirror the audience viewpoint.
Book & Lyrics Jean Tong & Lou Wall Songwriting Lou Wall & James Gales Music Production James Gales Director Declan Greene Musical Director Jude Perl Choreographer Fetu Taku Set & Lighting Designer Brockman Costume Designer Emma White Sound Designer, Associate Video Designer & Animator Daniel Herten AV Content Creator Xanthe Dobbie Stage Manager Anastasia Mowen Sound & AV Assistant TK Abioye Sound Operator Em-Jay Dwyer Intimacy Coordinator Chloë Dallimore Musical Dramaturg Clemence Williams Casting Director Rhys Velasquez Assistant Set Designer Lochie Odgers Assistant Stage Manager Grace Sackman With Michelle Brasier, Lena Cruz, Manali Datar, Milo Hartill, Manon Guderson-Briggs, Mel O’Brien, Shannen Alyce Quan, Zarif
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend a dress rehearsal at the Hayes Theatre for Tell Me On A Sunday, the upcoming Sydney production of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black. As a lover of theatre and photography, I was thrilled to be able to help stage some behind-the-scenes moments of the talented cast and crew in action.
Capturing these moments on camera was a privilege, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to document the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in bringing this show to life. I look forward to seeing the finished performance starring Erin Clare on opening night in Sydney. I know that audiences are in for a real treat with this stunning production of Tell Me On A Sunday.
Tell Me On A Sunday commenced performances at the Hayes Theatre this weekend, taking audiences back to the heady days of New York City in the late Seventies and featuring some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most hummable, emotionally engaging, touching and melodic work.
Working with lyricist Don Black, Lloyd Webber’s song cycle tells the story of a young Englishwoman navigating a new life – including work, culture and love – in New York City.
It includes the classic songs Take That Look Off Your Face, Tell Me On A Sunday, Nothing Like You’ve Ever Known, Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad, It’s Not The End of the World, Come Back With the Same Look In Your Eyes and Let’s Talk About You, among many others.
This musical features a knockout performance from Erin Clare as ‘The Girl’ and is directed by Blazey Best, with Musical Supervision by Guy Simpson. This is a unique piece of musical theatre featuring a multi instrumentalist six piece band on stage.
Cast and Creatives
Starring Erin Clare
Director Blazey Best Musical Supervisor Guy Simpson Musical Director David Gardos Associate Director Lisa Callingham Lighting Designer Kelsey Lee Sound Designer Tom Brickhill Stage & Company Manager Krystelle Quartermain Assistant Stage Manage Hana Barn
Zombie! The Musical! has just opened at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney. I photographed a series of production images at the dress rehearsal for this world premiere in early March.
Here’s a text from the web-site of the Hayes Theatre with a brief explanation of the genre-bending show …
Sydney, Australia. It’s the turn of the 21st century, and a dedicated community theatre troupe are frantically rehearsing in the final hours before their big opening night. Little do they know that beyond the walls of the theatre, a highly infectious disease is rapidly spreading through the city – turning its victims into full-blown zombies. Will humanity take its final bow, or can the power of musical theatre save the friggin’ world?
From the creator of The Lovers, this brand-new Australian musical wields a genre-blending original score and a fast-paced, farcical script that combines two of the most subtle forms of storytelling: traditional musical theatre and cult-classic zombie films.
I must say I loved shooting scenes from this madcap production. With comic timing, Zombie! The Musical! includes optimism, ambition and impending doom. The music is fabulous, the cast were captivating and the whole thing is both fun and off-the-scale in terms of its energy and inventiveness. I think it’s a great production, guaranteed to entertain. I intend to return again, so I can better enjoy the ride without my camera. To book tickets, visit the Hayes web-site.
Cast & Creatives
Starring Natalie Abbott, Tamsin Carroll, Chelsea Dawson, Nancy Denis, Adam Di Martino, Ryan Gonzalez, Stefanie Jones, Drew Livingston and Monique Sallé
Director Darren Yap Musical Director Damon Wade Choreographer/Assistant Director Chiara Assetta Set Designer Nick Fry Costume Designer Esther Zhong Lighting & Projection Designer Verity Hampson Sound Designer David Grigg Dramaturg Brittanie Shipway Fight Director Tim Dashwood Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer Hayden Tee Video Associate Maddy Picard Intimacy Coordinator Chloë Dallimore Stage Manager Bronte Schuftan Assistant Stage Manager Jessie Byrne Wig, Hair & Makeup Design Assistant Ashleigh Grace Sound Operators Sam Ducker & Keith Muir Music Copying Gianna Cheung & Damon Wade Arrangements Laura Murphy Orchestrations Laura Murphy & Steven Kramer Additional Orchestration Steven KramerMusicians: Maia Hopf (deputy musical director), Graham Hunt, Jonathan Lim, David Stratton
Here’s a couple of reviews…..to see what the critics think:
