Artistic Directors

Artistic Director - Sandra Bates

Sandra Bates was appointed Governing and Artistic Director of the Ensemble Theatre in January 1986. She has had a long association with the theatre both on stage and as a director.

Sandra originally trained as a speech and drama teacher then completed a Pharmacy degree at Sydney University. After a brief career as a pharmacist, Sandra joined Hayes Gordon’s acting classes in 1968. She appeared in a number of plays including LUTHER, THE GINGERBREAD LADY and DEEDS for the Ensemble and in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE for the Old Tote at the Opera House (which she later directed herself at the Sydney Opera House in 2000).

Sandra also wrote the play, WHEN IN ROME, which was performed for an Australian Playwrights Season, then enjoyed four subsequent productions.

Sandra became the founding Artistic Director of the Studios Rep Theatre in 1983 and directed eight productions at the Rep before being invited to take over the position of Artistic and Governing Director of the Ensemble Theatre by its founder, Hayes Gordon on his retirement in January, 1986.

Some of the plays Sandra has directed for the Ensemble include BREL IN CABARET, THE MARGINAL FARM, SOME NIGHT IN JULIA CREEK, NEVER IN MY LIFETIME, TALKING HEADS, A SHAYNA MAIDEL, THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, SINGLE SPIES, A DOLLS HOUSE, ROAD, HOPPING TO BYZANTIUM, OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY, MAN OF THE MOMENT (staged at the Seymour Centre), THE SEAHORSE, LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART, THREE HOTELS, WAITING ROOMS, SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME, EMERALD CITY, THE LAST YANKEE, MR HALPERN AND MR JOHNSON, MONEY AND FRIENDS and WRONG FOR EACH OTHER. In 1997 she directed DEATH OF A SALESMAN staged at the Opera House Playhouse with Max Cullen and Lorraine Bayly as Willy and Linda Loman, which won the 1997 Most Outstanding Production Award chosen by John McCallum, senior theatre critic for The Australian newspaper. In 2008 she will re-direct this production at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre with husband and wife Sean Taylor and Jacki Weaver.

Sandra has also directed the Sydney and Queensland seasons of INTIMATE EXCHANGES, the World Premiere and commercial Australian tour of DOUBLE ACT with Barry Creyton and Noeline Brown, the national tours of DOUBLE BASS with Henri Szeps, MIXED EMOTIONS with Lorraine Bayly and two popular seasons of TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

In 1999 Sandra directed the Australian premiere of the New York play, VISITING MR GREEN by Jeff Baron starring father and son, Warren and Daniel Mitchell, which sold out and transferred to the Footbridge Theatre. She also directed the World Premiere of the first of David Williamson’s community conferencing plays FACE TO FACE, which enjoyed great critical acclaim, transferred to the Footbridge Theatre for an extended season and toured throughout regional Victoria and NSW. In 2001 she directed the World Premiere of the second installment of the trilogy A CONVERSATION which went on to tour NSW and Victoria in 2003 and directed the NSW Premiere of the final part CHARITABLE INTENT in 2006. Sandra was invited to direct FACE TO FACE and A CONVERSATION for the Perth Theatre Company, with FACE TO FACE being presented at the Brazilian Festival in 2001.

Sandra actively encourages Australian content at the theatre and each year produces at least two or three Australian productions that are often World Premieres. Recent World Premieres of new Australian productions include Australian novelist, Sue Woolfe’s stage adaptation of her award winning novel LEANING TOWARDS INFINITY, David Williamson’s FACE TO FACE, A CONVERSATION, BIRTHRIGHTS, OPERATOR and LOTTE'S GIFT the musical THE VOYAGE OF MARY BRYANT with book and lyrics by Nick Enright, Henri Szeps’ I’M NOT A DENTIST and WHY KIDS?, Don Mackay’s ACT ONE and John Misto’s SKY, GOSSAMER, THE SHOE-HORN SONATA and HARP ON THE WILLOW.

When Sandra joined the Ensemble Theatre as Governing and Artistic Director in 1986, the theatre was in debt, had no subscription season and no government funding. She re- introduced subscription seasons to the theatre and under her artistic direction the theatre is now in profit with over 10,000 subscribers, the third largest subscription base for any theatre company in Australia (after STC and MTC) and annual ticket sales of over 100,000.

In 2000, to celebrate the company’s 40 years in their Kirribilli venue, Sandra presented an enlarged season of 16 plays in four Sydney venues, at the Ensemble Theatre, The Playhouse-Sydney Opera House, The Footbridge Theatre and the SBW Independent Theatre.

Sandra’s recent directing credits include FOUR FLAT WHITES IN ITALY, AT ANY COST?, JUST THE TICKET, RHINESTONE REX & MISS MONICA, RAIN MAN, NINETY, THE RUBY SUNRISE, DUETS, LET THE SUNSHINE, McREELE, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, BURNT PIANO, GLORIOUS!, RABBIT HOLE, TRYING, THE DRAWER BOY, CHARITABLE INTENT, SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, CHAPTER TWO, OPERATOR, HUMBLE BOY, ART, BIRTHRIGHTS, THE DOCK BRIEF and AFTER THE BALL.

Artistic Director - Mark Kilmurry

Mark trained at the Coventry School of Theatre, an intense two year course based in the techniques of Stanislavski, Brecht and Artaud. After graduating Mark played in rep including GOTCHA by Barry Keefe, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, (Bardovan Theatre Company) THE CARETAKER (Pattern 23 Theatre Company) and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, (Cambridge Experimental Theatre Company). During training at drama school Mark studied mime and physical theatre and combined these skills to form the Snarling Beasties Theatre Company with fellow graduate Debbie Isitt. The Snarling Beasties toured Debbie’s plays, including; GANGSTERS, PUNCH & JUDY –the real story, FEMME FATALE, THE WOMAN WHO COOKED HER HUSBAND; OUT of the ORDINARY nationally and internationally playing for six years at the Edinburgh festival winning Perrier Pick-of-the-Fringe three years running, the Independent Theatre Award and Time Out Theatre Award.

Mark wrote his first play ONE SHOT in 1993, playing at Belvoir Street, Sydney Theatre Company and at Santa Fe Theatre Stages festival along with “will the real James Dean please stand up?” Mark was a regular at Santa Fe for three years performing in their repertory season, including NEVILLE’S ISLAND, TARTUFFE and writing, directing and performing in JOHN WAYNE NEVER SLEPT HERE with fellow American actor Brad Bellamy. Through the Santa Fe Festival Mark gained a green card to live and work in the USA.

Since arriving in Sydney in 1996 Mark has performed, written and directed many plays including; WHAT A PIECE OF WORK (actor, Griffin Theatre Company), THE DUMB WAITER (actor, Downstairs Belvoir), HAMLET (actor & director, Studio Company & Riverside Theatres), HAMMERKLAVIER (director) and THE LOVER (director), MERCY THIEVES (actor, director and writer), HAPPY AS LARRY & VIV (actor, director and writer), CYRANO DE BERGERAC (actor, Sydney Theatre Company). Mark’s radio plays include THE MIME-ARTIST’S WIFE (ABC DRAMA) THE LIGHT COMES UP (ABC DRAMA).

Mark is the Co-Artistic Director for Ensemble and has previously appeared on stage in the Ensemble’s productions of THE SUNSET LIMITED, RABBIT HOLE, THE DRAWER BOY, ART, AFTERPLAY & THE YALTA GAME, AUNTIE & ME and JAPES. In 2006 he directed and performed the title role in HAMLET. In 2008 Mark adapted and directed YOU TALKIN' TO ME? DIARY OF AN OLYMPIC CABBIE and in 2009 devised, wrote and directed AND THE COW JUMPED OVER THE MOON. His other directing credits for Ensemble include NOTHING PERSONAL, WARNING: EXPLICIT MATERIAL, CASANOVA, LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, MURDERERS, ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER, ABIGAIL'S PARTY, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, LITTLE NELL, MARY STUART, THE BUSY WORLD IS HUSHED, HALPERN & JOHNSON, DERRIDA IN LOVE, THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, THE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW and Warren Mitchell’s one man show WARREN GARNETT & ALF MITCHELL IN….

Mark’s film appearances include; PASSION, A FILM FOR YOU and television; WHITE COLLAR BLUE, CNNNN, BACKBERNER, HOME AND AWAY. He has received the Timeout (UK) Theatre Award; Independent Theatre Award, two Norman Kessell Memorial (Glugs) Awards for Best Actor for HAMLET and JAPES and in 2007 was awarded the Hayes Gordon Memorial Award for Important Contribution to Theatre by the Glugs.

www.markkilmurry.com.au