heatre Thoughts
Artist of the Month
In 2023, we're making it our mission to highlight a new artist from the Australian theatre scene each month.
​
This individual could be a performer, director, writer, reviewer, sound designer, musician, lighting designer, set designer, stage manager and so on.
​
If you feel like you'd know someone who would be perfect, contact us or hit us up on our socials @theatrethoughtsaus.
April - Aloma Barnes
Costume/Set Designer (She/Her)
Aloma Barnes is a distinguished costume and set designer, actively contributing to both theatre and screen. With a foundation in fashion design, marked by a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mumbai, India, Aloma's passion for storytelling through attire and settings propelled her to pursue further education at the London College of Fashion. There, she completed her Master’s degree in Costume Design for Performance, honing her skills and artistic vision.
​
Her career trajectory includes notable roles, such as a costume designer for various theatre productions in London and a design intern for an Amazon Prime web series in Mumbai.
Aloma’s portfolio is rich and varied, with recent engagements including:
-
Costume Design:
-
"Kindred" (Documentary, 70th Sydney Film Festival 2023)
-
"I'm Good" (Short film, 2022)
-
"Gundog" (Secret House Theatre Company, 2023)
-
"Songs of Sirens" (Blush Opera and Bondi Festival, 2023)
-
"I Hate People, Timon of Athens" (Sport for Jove, 2023-24)
-
"Not Now, Not Ever: A Parliament of Women" (25A @ Belvoir and Queen Hades Production, 2024)
-
-
Assistant Costume Designer:
-
"Albion" (New Ghosts Theatre x Secret House Theatre Company, 2022)
-
-
Co-Costume Designs:
-
"For the Grace of You Go I" (New Ghosts Theatre x Secret House Theatre Company, 2022)
-
-
Costume and Set Designs:
-
"The Dazzle" (Corvus Arts Theatre, 2022)
-
"A Very Expensive Poison" (New Theater, 2023)
-
-
Set Design:
-
"Short Blanket" (Slanted Theatre, 2023)
-
My Story
What inspired you to get involved in theatre?
My mother is my greatest inspiration. She was a tailor who skillfully transformed her wedding dress into my christening gown, and today, she's an extraordinary knitter. Her passion for creating beautiful garments sparked my interest in clothing from a young age. I've always been captivated with everything about clothing—the colours, shapes, textures, fabrics, and especially the way they influence our emotions and perceptions. As I matured, I understood that clothing does more than adorn; it narrates stories. This realisation steered me towards Costume Design. Costume Design allows me to blend my love for clothes with the art of storytelling, expressing a character’s essence through their attire.
​
Where did you start?
I started my career in fashion design, yet I often felt that my creations didn't quite align with the mainstream fashion industry. Despite this, I continued to explore my passion for designing. The pivotal moment came when someone suggested I explore costume design—a suggestion I initially dismissed. However, the idea lingered, and I eventually embraced the opportunity to delve deeper into this field. I was fortunate enough to pursue a Master's degree in Costume Design, which proved to be a transformative experience. This venture not only broadened my horizons but also unveiled a new world to me, one where I could fully express my creativity and passion for storytelling through clothing.
What have been the highs? What have been the lows?
My highs in this journey are truly exhilarating moments when I witness actors wearing costumes I've designed. It's in those moments, as I marvel at my work on stage or screen, that I'm filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride. The recognition and positive feedback from others about my work further amplify these highs, instilling a deep sense of fulfilment and joy within me.
​
Conversely, my lows stem from an internal struggle rather than external factors. . Having moved to Sydney, Australia, three years ago, I often grapple with feelings of being an outsider . This sense of alienation sometimes shadows my experiences, prompting a critical inner dialogue. However, I'm gradually learning that this self-imposed isolation is a hurdle I'm capable of overcoming. Acknowledging my achievements and the positive reception to my work helps me combat these feelings, reminding me that my contribution is valuable and appreciated. Perhaps, it's also a reminder to be kinder to myself, recognising that adaptation and growth take time and patience
​
Where do you see yourself going or want to go?
Since relocating, I've harboured the dream of working on a production with the Sydney Theatre Company (STC), a goal that remains a significant aspiration for me. Beyond that, my ultimate ambition is to become an established costume designer, known and remembered for my designs. I aim to create costumes that not only enhance the storytelling of each production but also resonate with audiences and colleagues alike, leaving a lasting impression on the industry. My journey is driven by a passion for blending creativity with narrative, and I envision myself continuing to push the boundaries of costume design, contributing memorable and transformative works to the theatre and screen.
Contact
Book tickets to Best of Times' at The Old Fitz via:
Our Artists of the Month Gallery
Who will we highlight this year? Sign up to our Monthly or follow our socials to find out.
Lily Hayman (she/her)
Lily Hayman is a young writer, director and producer who lives and works on unceded Gadigal Land. She is the current Young Leader and Associate Producer at Shopfront Arts Co-Op, and one half of the all-female team behind Purple Tape Productions. Having received a Bachelor of Performance and First Class Honours (Theatre) at the University of Wollongong, Lily has since created and presented two fully realised productions: Fledgling (KXT 2022, MerrigongX 2021) and The Infinity Mirror (Shopfront ArtsLab 2021, BrandX Flying Nun Residency 2022). She has worked as Assistant Director to Margot Politis with Milk Crate Theatre and has been a member of the Harness Ensemble of artists with and without disability since 2021. In 2023 Lily is looking forward to directing Expiration Date and Party Girl as well as developing her own works Preparing for the Inevitable and Perfect Match.
Hayden Tonazzi (they/him)
Hayden Tonazzi (they/he) is a theatre and musical theatre director, and creative producer based in Gadigal. A graduate of the NIDA MFA Directing program, this year they commence their appointment as Artistic Associate with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), after being an Associate Artist at the Kings Cross Theatre (KXT).
As Director, their play credits include Shack by George Kemp for ATYP, Tell Me Before The Sun Explodes by Jacob Parker for KXT, the Australian Premiere of Significant Other by Joshua Harmon for The New Theatre, This Genuine Moment by Jacob Parker for La Mama & The Old 505. Their musical theatre credits include Miracle City by Nick Enright for NIDA, Carrie: The Musical for The Depot Theatre, Parade at The Seymour Centre, and The Hatpin at The King Street Theatre. This year they will be developing a new work titled Pickled (كبيس) for PYT Fairfield, creating a new youth-devised work titled Stop. Drop. And Listen. for Shopfront Arts, and directing a new Australian play, The Last Train To Madeline by Callum Mackay for Fever103.
Sarah Carroll (she/they)
Sarah Carroll (she/they) is an award winning Pasifika queer and neurodiverse writer, performer and producer working on Dharug Land (Western Sydney). Sarah has two successful one woman shows under her belt, ‘Cherry’ (Sydney Fringe Award Winners and Hollywood Fringe Nominee) and ‘Unkissed’ (Developed with Shopfront – ArtsLab). They also run their own production company Sour Cherry Productions that has successfully produced works in the indie theatre scene and fringe circuits.
Almitra Mavalvala (she/her)
Almitra (She/Her) is a Sydney-based, Persian Pakistani, performing artist, writer, composer and independent producer. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music (Music Theatre) from the Australian Institute of Music. Almitra’s theatre credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Willoughby Theatre Company) & Kinky Boots (Packemin Production). She was also part of the Feminist Comedy show ‘Tough Titties’ as a featured musical artist. Her screen credits include, a short film, ‘Red Lantern’ (Noah Films, Supporting Female Lead)
Tiffany Wong
Tiffany Wong is a theatre-maker with a disability working across Gadigal and Wurundjeri lands. She is an Australian-born Chinese artist with Singaporean and Malaysian heritage.
Tiffany is a director for stage. She is the 2024 Cosgrave Associate Artist for Bell Shakespeare. Her credits include Boom (Slanted Theatre & KXT bAKEHOUSE), Short Blanket (Slanted Theatre & Meraki Arts Bar), Lady Precious Stream (Slanted Theatre & The Flying Nun at Brand X), Three Fat Virgins Unassembled (Slanted Theatre & KXT bAKEHOUSE), and Ching Chong Chinaman (Slanted Theatre). She has also worked as an Assistant Director to Courtney Stewart for Top Coat (Sydney Theatre Company), to Lucy Clements on Iphigenia In Splott (New Ghosts Theatre Company), and as a Directorial Assistant to Richard Carroll on Murder For Two (Hayes Theatre Co), and to Javaad Alipoor on Things Hidden Since The Foundation of the World – Creative Development (National Theatre of Parramatta).
Ava Madon (she/her)
Ava is an Actor and Singer graduating from Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore. Her work spans theatre, musical theatre and television. She was most recently seen in Sport for Jove’s I Hate People/Timon of Athens, a production praised by the Sydney Morning Herald as “the pinnacle of Shakespeare in Sydney this century”.
Her other recent stage credits include If/Then (Neglected Musicals), Venus and Adonis (Sport for Jove),The Lucky Country (Hayes Theatre Co.), Macbeth, Othello (Sport for Jove), Merrily we Roll Along (Hayes Theatre Co.), Bells are Ringing (Neglected Musicals), Titanic the Musical: In Concert (The Marrollo Project) and Cinderella in Into the Woods with both Belvoir and Watch This, for which she was nominated for a Greenroom Award.
Maeve Hook (she/her)
Maeve Hook is a queer director, writer and actor, and co-founder of TART Theatre Collective. Maeve has a rich performance history in circus and is a BFA Acting graduate from Queensland University of Technology. In the final year of her studies, she received the Jennifer Blocksidge Memorial Award, allowing her to train with Shakespeare and Company (Massachusetts USA) post-graduation. She has several independent performance credits, some of which include the title role in ‘Anna Bella Eema’ (Dir. Anja Homburg), Mercutio in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (Dir. Shaz Mullens, Fresh Theatre) and the lead in Queer historical short film ‘Ballad’ (Dir. Roe Bonnici). Maeve was a chosen playwright for ATYP’s Emerging Playwrights National Studio (2021) and is currently a part of She Writes at Theatre Works (2022-2023). Her directing work has most recently been seen by national and international audiences with the 2022 tour of ‘POLES: The Science of Magnetic Attraction’.
Tyler Fitzpatrick (she/her)
Tyler (she/her) is a stage and production manager, producer, lighting designer and theatre maker currently based on unceded Dharawal Land. She graduated with distinction from the University of Wollongong, earning the Merrigong Theatre Company Production Prize. Tyler has been the Production and Operations Manager at Shopfront Arts Co-Op since 2020 and services arts organisations as a Production Associate with The Paperjam Partners. With Paperjam, she has production managed Jailbaby and Pony (Griffin Theatre Company, 2023), A Practical Guide to Self-Defense (National Theatre of Parramatta/Merrigong Theatre Company, 2022), Nothing (NTofP, 2022), and Dust (Milk Crate Theatre Company, 2022).
Brea McCarthy (she/they)
Bria McCarthy (she/her) is a Wiradjuri/Irish writer and theatre-maker working on Dharug and Gundungurra land. In 2019 she wrote and directed her debut play ‘A Game For Flies’, which played at PYT Fairfield. In 2022 her debut manuscript ‘Finding Liminas: The Sudden Tree’ was shortlisted for the Text Prize 2022.
Eleni Cassimatis (she/her)
Eleni Cassimatis (she/her) is a Sydney-based actor, and a graduate of the Actors Centre Australia. Eleni’s theatre credits include productions of Macbeth, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors and In A Nutshell for Bell Shakespeare. She was also a member of Bell Shakespeare’s national touring company The Players in 2020 and 2021.
​
​Eleni’s voice work includes the indie short Time Stamp. Eleni is a proud MEAA member.
Em Tambree (they/them)
Em Tambree is an emerging director & producer based in Naarm. Em undertook intensive Musical Theatre training at Centrestage, SHOWFIT (2016) and received their Diploma of Music for Musical Theatre at The Australian Institute of Music (2019). Post graduation & disability diagnosis, Em Tambree's exploration into accessibility within the industry led them to develop experience in almost every aspect of stagecraft.
They founded TART Theatre Collective with Maeve Hook in
April 2022; an independent theatre company focused on the untold, misheard, and/or ignored stories from underrepresented voices and communities (Company in Residence 2023, The Motley Bauhaus).