Shy Magsalin / Director

Rowan Bate / Dramaturg

Stephanie Laarakkers / Deviser and Performer

Josephine Lee / Deviser and Performer

Terence Nguyen / Deviser and Performer

Jony Teperski / Deviser and Performer

Shy Magsalin is the Co-Creative Director of Q Theatre and has an arts practice spanning over 20 years in theatre-making, performing, physical dramaturgy and intimacy direction. She is also the founder and Artistic Director of Ninefold, a theatre group committed to examining rigorous performance-making and pedagogy. Through Q Theatre, Shy is dedicated to creating more opportunities for emerging Western Sydney artists to train and work locally.

Rowan is a theatre practitioner, director and Co-Creative Director of Q Theatre. A graduate of Theatre Nepean and the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), he has directed works for Q Theatre, Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), Arbour Theatre Company, as well as independently. He is also practising dramaturgy working with some of Sydney’s best independent and emerging playwrights. Rowan has worked extensively in youth arts creating and delivering artistic programs that connect young people with theatre in inspiring ways. An advocate for the transformative power of drama in education contexts, he has driven innovative programs that promote the use of creative pedagogies in classrooms and has spoken at theatre and education conferences locally and overseas about the benefits of embedding arts-focussed learning across the curriculum.

After completing the Adult Actors Beginners Course at Sydney Theatre School, Stephanie landed a role in the ensemble of The Appleton Ladies Potato Race (Arts Theatre Cronulla). Since then, she has undertaken voice and dialect lessons at the Actors Pulse, drama classes at the Arts Theatre Cronulla. Stephanie has been taking singing lessons for the past four years and violin lessons for six months and is currently studying Level 3 Improvisation at Improv Theatre Sydney. She says that Originate 2024 is the “best acting course I have ever taken”. She is sad that the program is nearing the end but is excited for the final performances and to continue to put all the new skills she has learnt into practice as she pursues her career in the performing arts.

Josephine Lee is an actor, theatre and audio producer, director and videographer and director who aspires to combine their passion of theatre, film and science within their storytelling. They aim to create thought-provoking works that speak to the hearts of diverse communities in Australia and to enhance science communication. Their acting credits include Boom (Slanted Theatre), Attempts On Her Life (Montague Basement), As You Like It (Sport for Jove Theatre Company), Julius Caesar (Little Spirits Theatre Company), The Glass Menagerie (Sydney University Dramatic Society), Girl Band (New Ghosts Theatre Company), Shakeflix and A Time of Change (Sport for Jove Second Age Project). Their directing credits include My Lord, The Queen, Is Dead (Sydney University Dramatic Society), Nostalgia (Sydney University Dramatic Society) and they have been an assistant director for Atlantic (New Theatre) and As You Like It (Sport for Jove Theatre Company).

Terence Nguyen is a proud Vietnamese-Australian artist based in Western Sydney’s Cabramatta. His passion for acting began in 2022 with television and film. He is currently expanding his artistic repertoire by immersing himself in theatre work. Terence’s career highlights include TV series, The Last of the Cross, which streamed on Paramount+, and rom-com film, Anyone but You. Recently, he co-devised and starred in PYT Fairfield’s production of Tuân’s Party. Outside of acting he works as a professional events host and master of ceremonies for weddings and hosts trivia nights.

Watching The Matrix was Jony’s ‘unplugged’ moment. Its dystopian depiction served as an analogy; he realised acting was the gateway to his purpose. It was the seed that had Jony set on making the fantasy of the big screen a reality. Under L.A. acting coach Jo Kelly, Jony has been involved in screen roles including Home & Away, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Recently turning to theatre, Jony has played in Titanic – Diamond of Dreams and The Book of Everything (Richmond Players). Jony has a rich Australian-European heritage, including Macedonian, Polish, Slovakian and Hungarian.