Wesley College Melbourne Australia
Adamson Theatre Company
Spotlight Profiles
Chris Gabardi
Spotlight Profile - OW1987
"Born in a theatre trunk..." Such might have been the origins of Christopher Gabardi, whose stellar career through the ranks of the Adamson Theatre Company proved to be the foundations of his no less spectacular career in professional theatre. Chris's innate thespian talents and pure love of theatre were put to excellent use during his years at Wesley College (1982–1987) when his busy performance schedule ran to an average of nearly two major productions per year.
Vallejo Gantner
Spotlight Profile - OW1992
Vallejo will be remembered long and fondly by his Adamson Theatre Company colleagues, staff and peers alike, as a student who gave his all to every production in which he could possibly participate. To Vallejo, there were definitely no 'bit parts', just 'bit actors', and he gained as great a sense of satisfaction and achievement from his enthusiastic and highly productive involvement behind the scenes as from his many stage appearances.
Tom Wright
Spotlight Profile - OW1985
Perhaps no small part of Tom's theatrical genesis can be traced to his strong association with the Adamson Theatre Company during his time at Wesley College from 1980 to 1985. The kind of student whose sharp intellect, urgent creative instincts and love of language and acting drew him naturally to the theatre, Tom was enthusiastically involved in a large number of productions, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Sophie Raymond
Spotlight Profile - OW1991
From the very outset of her time at Wesley College, Sophie Raymond's amazing energy and natural proclivity towards the creative and performing arts resoundingly proclaimed her a star in the making. There was simply no challenge to which she did not rise with characteristic gusto and aplomb, no opportunity to give expression to her talents in these realms ever permitted to pass her by.
Nic Cooper-Brown
Spotlight Profile - OW2002
To say that Nick lived for theatre during his years at Wesley College - proverbially ate it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and, yes, even supper! - would be an understatement. Such was the driving nature of his passion that Nick managed to involve himself, invariably in some vital capacity, in every single Adamson Theatre Company production to be mounted during his six-year sojourn. This, we believe, is a record of service indisputably unsurpassed!
Daniel Smorgon
Spotlight Profile - OW2010
Daniel is a robust and dedicated performer, in love with theatre and his craft, and throughout his busy ATC career chalked up many significant achievements, including his role as The Cat in the musical Honk! (2007). In 2009 Daniel captivated audiences with his way-out-there portrayal of Woof in Hair, for which he received an MTGV nomination as Best Junior Male Performer in a Leading Role.
Eloise Mignon
Spotlight Profile - OW2004
Although Eloise was a relative late-comer to Wesley, her thespian talents and captivating stage presence were embraced by the ATC during the latter part of her school career. We recall with pleasure her lively participation in our activities, including her role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream(2003).
Ryan Murphy
Spotlight Profile - OW2010
Arriving from the Elsternwick in 2008, Ryan delivered some of the most memorable characters for the ATC in recent years, including his hilarious Canon Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest (2008) and a captivating Herr Schulz, the shy suitor in Cabaret, in the same year. A true all-rounder, he won major roles in every Senior School production during his time at SKR. Last year his painfully truthful Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire moved audiences profoundly. Ryan is a recipient of the ATC Bravo Award for 2010.
David Vatousios
Spotlight Profile - OW2007
Having earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and Ancient World Studies at Melbourne University, David has now won a place at the Ballarat Academy of Performing Arts, where he will pursue his interest in acting. This seems an appropriate direction for David to take, given the prodigious talents he displayed during his years at Wesley, where the ATC stage became his natural habitat beyond the realms of academia (where he also excelled).
Lachy Hulme
Spotlight Profile - OW1988
Best known for his starring role as “Murph” in the hit TV satire The Hollowmen, Lachy lived for the theatre in his ATC days, appearing in such memorable productions as South Pacific (1988) and The Rover (1988). His career in entertainment started immediately post-school with theatre roles in Sexual Perversity In Chicago and Rinaldo 441, and television appearances in Blue Heelers, Stingers and White Collar Blue.
Tashi Dewhurst
Spotlight Profile - OW2008
Tashi’s recent acceptance into the Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA) at New York University is the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream. TSOA, renowned for its acting and film programs, is one of the most selective schools in the world, and, along with the USC, has been ranked as USA’s premier school in this field. At Wesley, Tashi was a dedicated student of Theatre Arts and a keen participant in the activities of the ATC, turning in outstanding performances in her starring roles as Linda in Willy Russell’s Stags and Hens and Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest (2008). She was also the stage manager for Cabaret in 2008. We wish Tashi spectacular success with her double major in Acting and Philosophy.
Dean Bryant
Spotlight Profile - OW1993
Although a relative late-comer to the ATC, Dean’s passion for theatre and role as Che Guevara in Evita (1993) left no doubt in anyone’s mind that here was a young man destined for a bright future in the performing arts. And so the case has proved to be. A string of industry accolades has followed in the wake of Dean’s graduation from WAAPA and subsequent excursions into writing and directing, including a Green Room Award for Best New Musical for Once We Lived Here...
Lauren Midgley
Spotlight Profile - OW2008
Now in her second year as a Music Theatre student at the Ballarat Academy of Performing Arts, Lauren’s pursuit of a career in this field will come as no surprise to anyone who thrilled to the succession of show-stopping performances she turned in for the ATC. (And, earlier, for Elsternwick Student Theatre.) Her memorable Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables (2006) was followed by her role as Katisha in Hot Mikado (2007), for which she was recognised by the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria with the award: Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role.
David Rosenblatt
Spotlight Profile - OW1999
David gained Australia-wide recognition as a Grand Finalist on Australia’s Got Talent (Seven Network), his Chaplinesque musical saw-playing clown (‘Dave Splatt’), along with his creation of other characters involving mime, mask and puppetry, making him unique on the local entertainment scene. Between a busy schedule of street, festival and mainstream professional performances throughout the country, David is gearing up for appearances in Prague in June/July this year.
Rachael Tidd
Spotlight Profile - OW1988
Rachael is a VCA graduate whose busy acting schedule has taken her all over Australia and throughout Asia. Her MTC highlights include roles in Sondheim's stylish musical Company and Brect's The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui.
Sophie Ross
Spotlight Profile - OW2000
Co-founder of Scarlet Productions and now in her final year at WAAPA, Sophie has enjoyed a rich diversity of experience in performance and looks forward to pursuing her consuming passion for acting and film once she graduates.
Jason Stephens
Spotlight Profile - OW1982
At school Jason was never far removed from the ATC’s activities, his impish sense of humour and natural bent for performance finding an outlet in the many roles he undertook in ATC productions, including those in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (1980) and Pal Joey (1981). Perhaps it was these qualities which equipped him so admirably for his subsequent role as School Captain! Theatre continued to run in Jason’s blood at Melbourne University, where he completed his Arts/Law degree in 1990.
Josh Feldschuh
Spotlight Profile - OW2000
Having trained in dance from the age of six, Josh asserted his presence in a spectacular way when he transferred to St Kilda Road from Elsternwick. He was immediately cast in the ATC’s Godspell, a production which subsequently enjoyed a successful public season at Chapel off Chapel. His athleticism and powerful grace made him a natural for the role of Riff, leader of the Jets, in our production of West Side Story the following year. His performance, choreographed by Tony Bartuccio, was one of the show’s true highlights...
Russell Goldsmith
Spotlight Profile - OW1995
In his acceptance speech as the recipient of the 2007 Sydney Theatre award for Best Sound Design/Composition for his work on Exit the King, Russell attributed his experience with the ATC as the best training ground he could possibly have had. During his years at Wesley he had been actively involved in some 35 productions, mentored by Technical Director Sabino Del Balso and challenged by the technical demands of the ATC’s extensive production program. His work on Exit the King is also a current nomination in the same category for the Victorian Green Room awards.
Rosie Ball
Spotlight Profile - OW2006
Rosie’s love of theatre and performance ensured she was always in the front line at every relevant ATC audition call throughout her school career. Talent and perseverance tell, and it was wonderful to see her rise through the ranks, graduating from early supporting roles to thoroughly deserved starring roles in her later years. Among the latter, her singing-dancing role as Rusty in Footloose (2005) was a triumph. Rosie’s foot-stomping, toe-tapping delivery of her numbers defined her as the archetypal country girl with a generous spirit. Her presence was commanding. Audiences loved her.
Shura Taft
Spotlight Profile - OW2000
Having appeared in numerous plays and musicals throughout his years at Wesley, Shura had emerged as something of an ATC star by the time he graduated to Senior College. His exuberance and natural abilities as a performer were harnessed to crowd-pleasing effect in his roles in Woody Allen’s God (1999) and West Side Story (1999), the latter involving his Action (a member of the Jets) in some pretty nifty footwork choreographed by Tony Bartuccio.
Samuel Johnson
Spotlight Profile - OW1995
Star of stage, television, screen and countless commercials, Samuel is an actor whose voice is nearly as well-known as his face. In 2001, as Evan in The Secret Life of Us, he received an AFI award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and his Logie nominations include Most Popular Actor (2002 and 2003) and Most Outstanding Actor...
Nicole Nabout
Spotlight Profile - OW1987
Nicole’s acting career has taken her from Melbourne to Paris and back again. She has played numerous leading roles on stage, and is a well-known face on Australian television. Among her more recent film credits, Three Dollars (2004) stands out as a personal favourite. Recent stage productions of The Crucible and King John by...
Samuel Dundas
Spotlight Profile - OW2000
Sam auditioned successfully for both VCA and the Melba Conservatorium in 2000, opting for the latter. Since completing his Bachelor of Music degree in 2004, he has toured with Opera Queensland in The Songbird and was a soloist in Scotland the Brave performed at the Sydney Opera House and Brisbane Concert Hall. He has figured in...
Sophie Brous
Spotlight Profile - OW2003
Sophie is already being hailed as one of Australia’s most exciting young jazz musicians. She is a veteran of gigs as far afield as New York, London and LA, and has shared the stage with some of the world’s jazz greats. Lauded by American jazz vocal icon Mark Murphy as “gifted” and “unstoppable”, she is currently studying jazz...
William Clarke
Spotlight Profile - OW2004
WAAPA seems an appropriate setting for a young actor whose prodigious talents enriched ATC productions throughout his school career. Few of our patrons would see Will’s roles as Dysart in Equus and Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady (2004) as anything less than two of the most towering and memorable performances ever seen...
Josh Piterman
Spotlight Profile - OW2003
As Tyrone Jackson in Fame (2002) and Judas in JC Superstar (2003), Josh consolidated his status as a determined and enthusiastic young performer with a big future. His dedicated approach to these challenging roles was inspirational. Josh has won the role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, to be staged at a major Melbourne...
Graeme Foote
Spotlight Profile - OW2003
Graeme’s prodigious talents contributed hugely to the success of every ATC production in which he appeared. His Joe Vegas in Fame (2002) and Jesus in JC Superstar (2003) were standout performances, his profoundly moving rendition of “Gesthemane” in the latter soaring into the realms of the sublime. Graeme can be seen as Nathan...
Charlie Ranger
Spotlight Profile - OW2004
Charlie’s range as an actor became manifestly apparent when he stepped out of the broad comic role of Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2003) to become Alan Strang, the mentally disturbed teenage patient of Dr Martin Dysart in Equus (2004). His performance was a tour-deforce, proclaiming the depth of talent that would...
Alex Mason
Spotlight Profile - OW2005
A natural comedian, Alex began his ATC career as a horse in Equus (2004). His hugely crowd-pleasing rendition of Willard, the singing-dancing cowboy in Footloose (2005), loudly proclaimed his arrival as a young actor whose potential commands serious recognition. Clearly BAPA shares this view, and we congratulate him on winning a...
David Samuel
Spotlight Profile - OW2003
David’s extensive experience of design, set-construction and stage-management for the ATC has paid dividends. A member of the creative team that produced the sets for such lavish productions as Peter Pan (2002) and JC Superstar (2003), he revelled in the challenge. Now in his final year in the production stream at VCA, his...
Jane Harber
Spotlight Profile - OW2002
At school, wowing audiences in a succession of leading roles with the ATC (her Medea was unforgettable), Jane was already breaking into the world of professional acting. A regular in Neighbours for two years, she also played guest roles in several popular TV series and appeared in numerous short films.

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