Director
Rachel Chant

Rachel Chant is an award-winning theatre director and festival director. The 2020 recipient of the Ensemble Theatre Sandra Bates Director’s Award and member of Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2019 Women in Theatre Program, from 2017-2023 Rachel was Festival Director of Bondi Festival. Rachel has worked as director, script assessor and dramaturg for Australian Plays Transform, Playwriting Australia, and as a guest director and teaching artist at NIDA. Rachel was the Artistic Associate for the inaugural women’s theatre festival, Festival Fatale, produced by Women in Theatre and Screen; was the resident dramaturg for Red Line Productions’ ‘New Fitz’ new writing program, and from 2013-2015 was Associate Director at Rock Surfers Theatre Company. Rachel has a Masters of Applied Theatre Studies from the University of New England.

Recent productions include: Probe (Old Fitz Theatre); The Memory of Water (Ensemble Theatre), Love Letters (Ensemble Theatre); Celebrating 50 Years with David Williamson (Ensemble Theatre); Cybec Electric (Melbourne Theatre Company), Good Dog (Kings X Theatre); Love (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Glengarry Glen Ross (NIDA); Intersection 2018: Chrysalis (ATYP @ Griffin); 2018 Griffin Award Readings (Griffin); Outposts Development Program (Playwriting Australia and Hothouse Theatre); The Village Bike (Old Fitz Theatre); Moth (ATYP); Leaves (Kings X Theatre); When the Rain Stops Falling (New Theatre); Decay (Old505 Theatre); Machine (Old505 Theatre); Nil By Sea (Site&Sound). As Assistant Director: Nearer the Gods (dir. Janine Watson; Ensemble Theatre); The Woman in Black (dir. Mark Kilmurry; Ensemble Theatre); Cosi (dir. Sarah Goodes; MTC + STC); Mortido (dir. Leticia Caceres; Belvoir + STCSA). 

Selected awards include Sydney Theatre Award: Good Dog. Sydney Theatre Award nominations: Moth; The Village Bike. Broadway World Best Director Award: Leaves. Suzy Goes See’s Best Direction: Love; When The Rain Stops Falling; GJ Borny Prize for exceptional ability in the areas of scholarship, research and production.

Set Designer
Soham Apte

Soham Apte (he/him) is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer creating work on unceded Gadigal land.

He is a graduate of NIDA, where he studied Design for Performance (BFA, 2022).

He is passionate about designing for films, music videos, and theatre. In 2023, Soham had the pleasure of designing for Mr. Bailey’s Minder by Debra Oswald at Ensemble Theatre, dir: Damien Ryan, as well as Consent by Nina Raine at Seymour Centre, dir: Craig Baldwin. Consent was recently nominated for Best Independent Production, Best Set Design (Indie), and Best Costume Design (Indie) at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards.

Soham has been working professionally designing for theatre and film since 2022, and is excited for what’s to come.

Costume Designer
Rita Naidu

Rita is a multidisciplinary designer working in Production Design for stage, screen and styling. In 2019, Rita graduated with a Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) from Western Sydney University, majoring in design-led innovation and management. In 2020, Rita completed the Master of Fine Arts – Design for Performance at NIDA, specialising in Costume Design.   

At NIDA, Rita designed costumes for A Pox on Both Your Houses and When the Rain Stops Falling. During her industry placement, she assisted Costume Designer; Mel Page, for Stop Girl (Belvoir St Theatre). In the beginning of 2022, she was chosen for Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta Creative Futures Program as the Assistant Production Designer to James Browne for Guards at the Taj. She went on to design Attempts on her Life (KXT), The Marriage Agency (KXT), The Magic Flute (NIDA/Sydney Conservatorium of Music) and Blacklisted (Hayes Theatre Co). Rita recently designed for Choir Boy (NTofP), Fade (NTofP), Boom (KXT), Frame Narrative (Old Fitz Theatre), Sotoba Komachi (Old Fitz Theatre), For the Love of Paper (KXT), King James (Old Fitz Theatre), Your Name (KXT), Cut Chilli (Old Fitz Theatre), Occasional Combustible Disaster (Qtopia), Champions (Old Fitz Theatre), The Story Of Chi (OzAsia Festival) and, Love (Old Fitz Theatre).

Composer & Sound Designer
Clare Hennessy

Clare Hennessy (She/They) is a composer and playwright working and living on Gadigal country. After completing a MFA in writing for performance at NIDA, she has  worked as a sound designer, performer and playwright for both independent and  main-stage theatre. As a sound designer and composer, their work includes: YOUR  NAME (Purple Tape), People Will Think You Don’t Love Me (KXT), Misery Loves Company (KXT), The Swell (Old Fitz), Nearer the Gods and A Broadcast Coup (Ensemble), Hush (Brown’s Mart Theatre), and Porpoise Pool, The Astral Plane, Kasama Kita and Greater Sunrise (Belvoir’s 25a). As a playwright, she has written Tongue Tied (KXT, published by Playlab), Femme Fatale (Old 505) and Elegy which toured nationally (published by APT). Her newest work, Dirty Power, was shortlisted for the 2024 Max Afford Award and On The Interpretation of Dreams was awarded Highly Commended in the 2022 Silver Gull Award. As a performer, she appeared in award-winning Symphonie Fantastique (Little Eggs), A Period Piece (Glitterbomb) and her solo project, Hennessy Rose, is available wherever you stream, including ABC’s ‘Rage’, FBi and Triple J.

Lighting Co-Designer
Izzy Morrissey

Izzy (she/her) is a recent graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), receiving a BFA in Technical Theatre & Stage Management. She is an emerging lighting artist who is interested in lighting design for various mediums of live performance. With a background in visual arts, Izzy has used her knowledge of art theory and practice to influence her eye for lighting. Izzy is excited to explore the different forms and performance styles lighting design can be utilised in. With previous experience in large-scale sports events, gallery installations, and live performances, Izzy continues to grow as a multi-medium artist.

Lighting Co-Designer
Luna Ng

Yuet Yee Ng, Luna (she/her) is an emerging Sydney-based lighting designer born and raised in Hong Kong. She is passionate about storytelling through theatre and enjoys working with artists who share different cultural and identity backgrounds. Luna recently worked as lighting designer in Iphigenia in Splott (2025), Sitting, Screaming (2024) produced by New Ghosts Theatre Company, Snowflake (2024) produced by Good Times Theatrics and JB Theatre Co, and  Anomalies (2024) at The Old Fitz Theatre; lighting designer in The Queens City of The South (2024), Joan Marie (2024) at Qtopia Loading Dock theatre; lighting designer in The 13th Month (2024) produced by Peg On a Line Production at Flightpath Theatre; and lighting designer and deputy stage manager in BOOM (2023) produced by Slanted Theatre at KXT on Broadway. Luna is excited to work with this incredible team and feels privileged to be able to take part in storytelling in theatre.

Dialect Coach
Linda Nicholls-Gidley

Trained as an actor and a theatre voice/accents and dialects specialist, Linda has worked in the industry for over 30 years. Theatre coaching includes: Guys and Dolls, The Glass Menagerie, The Player Kings, Hedwig and The Angry Inch, The Children’s Hour, Cruise, Lord of The Rings, The Inheritance, The Heartbreak Choir, Masterclass, King James, The Odd Couple, Switzerland, Ulster American, Ride The Cyclone, Isolde and Tristan, A Case for the Existence of God, Gaslight, Alone it Stands, The Lonesome West, Dream Circus, Murder for Two, Memory of Water, Miss Saigon, Tina, Benefactors, Consent, Clyde’s, Suddenly Last Summer, The Rocky Horror Show, Beautiful, Breaking the Castle, Cinderella, 9 to 5, Let The Right One In, The Caretaker, Slow Boat, Photograph 51, Jekyll and Hyde, An American in Paris, Jagged Little Pill, Girl from the North Country, A Chorus Line, Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Black Cockatoo, Counting and Cracking, How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek, Saturday Night Fever, The Bodyguard, and Dirty Dancing. Film and Television: Sleeping Dogs, We Will Never Die, Shantaram, Wellmania, Year Of, Gorgo, Mary: The Making of a Princess, The Chase Australia, Jungle, The Hollow, and Vincent. Linda discusses accents on her podcast Say You Say Me.

Linda’s second play Ladybird Ladybird was shortlisted for the prestigious Rodney Seaborn Playwriting Award.

Assistant Director
Abbey Morgan

Abbey Morgan is a 2021 WAAPA graduate (BA Acting). Her screen debut was as Emma in the Stan Original Series Bad Behaviour, which premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and received an AACTA Award nomination for Best Miniseries. She went on to perform as Amy in Oil by Ella Hickson (Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA), earning a nomination for Outstanding Newcomer at the Performing Arts WA Awards. In 2023, Abbey toured nationally as Maddie in Cusp by Mary Anne Butler (ATYP) and narrated the audiobook Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt. In 2024, she played Sonya in Joanna Murray-Smith’s adaptation of Uncle Vanya (Ensemble Theatre), and in 2025 portrayed Lizzy Bennet in Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (The Old Fitz). Abbey has loved the opportunity to expand her creative practice as Assistant Director to Rachel Chant on Mary Jane.

Stage Manager
Matilda Holton

Matilda Holton is an emerging professional Stage Manager who graduated with a Diploma of Live Production and Stage Management from JMC Academy. Her credits include Hedda Gabler performed at KXT (ASM), Three Sisters performed at Flight Path Theatre (SM) and Saints Of Damour performed at QTOPIA (SM).

Marketing
Jane Angharrad

Jane graduated from Royal Holloway University of London with a BA (Hons) in Drama and Theatre Studies and from East 15 with a Masters in Acting. She has a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from University College London. Jane is co-founder of independent theatre company Secret House. Recent theatre credits include Hedda Gabler (KXT), The Cherry Orchard (Old Fitz), The Pitchfork Disney (Virginia Plain), Gundog (KXT), Albion (Seymour Centre), For the Grace of you Go I and Pomona (KXT). Award nominations include Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role, Best Ensemble and Best Independent Theatre Production (Albion) and Broadway World Award for Best Supporting Performer (Hedda Gabler). Jane has produced theatre for Secret House, Crying Chair and New Ghosts Theatre Company. She is the Senior Acting Lecturer at JMC Academy.

Executive Producer
Chad Traupmann

After 20 years climbing the corporate ladder, in 2023 Chad committed himself to the Creative Arts full-time. In 2025 he launched his new Production company Mi Todo Productions, and Mary Jane is its inaugural production.

Chad’s other producing credits include: for New Theatre: Shakespeare In Love; Ink; and Off The Record; The Human (Mophead/Old Fitz) and Between The Streetlight and The Moon (Mophead/KXT).

Chad’s acting credits include: Wally (Moon Bureau/KXT); The First Council (Deadhouse); Othello (Streamed Shakepheare); and The Hollow (Genesian).

Training: Sydney Acting Studio

Producer
Emma Sampson

Emma is currently a Producer at Belvoir Street Theatre Company. Producing credits include: UK: Broken Water (Arcola Theatre); Phone Home (Shoreditch Town Hall); Beneath the City (Birmingham Rep); Last Night I Met You Dreaming (Ovalhouse); and DARE Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall 2015-2020. From 2022 to 2023 she worked as a Producer at the Sydney Opera House, where she produced theatre, art installations, music, films and live broadcasts, including: Hot Brown Honey; Circling Time with Kutcha Edwards; Traces; Lu Yang’s DOKU; The Last Post – Winds of Change; Megan Cope’s Whispers; and DanceRites.From 2024-2025 she was the Senior Producer at Griffin Theatre Company where she produced their national tour of Golden Blood and the Sydney season of Nucleus.

Producer
Matilda Brown

Matilda’s credits as an actor include: Queensland Theatre: Burning House (development), Don’t Ask What the Bird Look Like. Moogahlin Performing Arts: Winyanboga Yurringa (Victorian tour). Hit Productions: The Sapphires (national tour, 2019–2022). Merrigong Theatre Company: The Sirens’ Return, The Siren Project (development), Going Home (development). National Theatre of Parramatta: Stolen. Blak Social: Queen’s City (Brisbane Festival). Television: Channel Seven’s Home and Away. Producing credits include: WARAMI Festival 2025; Bondi Festival 2023 & 2024; Marang, Proud, Proud Woman: A Ruby Hunter Tribute.
Training: Queensland University of Technology (BFA Acting). Pronouns: She/Her. Heritage: Dharawal.