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 Ben Jackson - Managing Director & Founder
An experienced performer, Ben's mission in life is to bring experiences to people to make a difference. As managing director, he oversees most areas of the business, including Tour Managing most tours, marketing, script writing, and most other areas of production; as well as performing on stage as well! He is particularly passionate about the direction Alpha has taken, under his leadership, towards creating events that are more than just 'kids shows'; rather, integrated events that create life changing experiences, new understandings and feelings of joy and love. Ben is committed to making your theatre experience a truly magical one, and looks forward to coming back year after year to once again exceed your expectations!
email: ben@alphashows.com.au
 Ashley Weidner - Alpha Ensemble & DIrector
Ashley has been performing since he was 8, but has been performing for Alpha since 2006, playing roles in every single Alpha Show we've created! As well as working for Alpha, Ashley performs at children's parties, hosts trivia nights, performs improv comedy, and most recently enjoyed a stint as various characters on the Luna Park attraction "Prison Break Live". Ashley also appears doing various voices on the children's CD "Willoughby the Wizards magical musical shoes" and starred as the lead in a short film short-listed for Tropfest, entitled 'The Window'. Ashley is a valued member of the Alpha team and has enormous passion for the positive role models that Alpha's shows provide to children around the country. He now takes on various other roles within the company as well as performing, including helping Ben write the scripts and now taking on the challenge of owning the direction for most of our shows.
email: ashley@alphashows.com.au
 Laura Wilson - Alpha Ensemble & Company Supervisor
An incredibly invaluable member of the Alpha team, Laura has performed in many Alpha Shows, delighting children in audiences all over Victoria and South Australia.
She has a background in childcare and is currently completing her Bachelor of Early Childhood. She loves musical theatre, having performed in many shows and recently in her dream role as 'Lizzie' in 'Baby'. Aside from acting in Alpha Shows, Laura is also an awesome van-packer, lunch organiser, office sorter outer, creative consultant, ideas woman, tour manager support person and generally a great person to have around! She is incredibly passionate about Alpha Shows and lives the passion we hope to create in others, by putting her thoughts and energy into many behind the scenes needs and outcomes for the company - hence the title 'Company Supervisor'!
email: laurawilson@alphashows.com.au
 Katja Glieson - Alpha Ensemble & Choreographer
Katja has been passionate about performing, acting and singing for as long as she can remember. As well as numerous musical theatre leading performances, Katja is also dedicated to her singing and recording pursuits, dancing and modelling. She joined Alpha for their 2007 production of Cinderella, playing the title character, and has since tackled more challenging roles such as the villain, Maleficent, in Sleeping Beauty and other comedy characters - being one of our few female performers capable of varying her style and actually being funny! She loves Alpha, as it gives the audience an amazingly fun and exciting experience, as well as learning and awareness through fun and entertainment!
email: katja@alphashows.com.au
 David Short - Alpha Ensemble & Vocal Coach
David joined the company in 2006 to play Prince Charming and has since diversified into other roles in a lot of Alpha's other shows, including Aladdin in Aladdin, and other comedy and character roles. He also took on the challenge of creating and performing the first 'closed eye' process for Hunchback in 2008, a very hard task in a full suit character with no visible head! David's heart and focus on contribution has earned him the privilege of being in the Ensemble, which he believes to be the best place to be a role model and do what he loves to do - perform!
email: david@alphashows.com.au
 James Cutler - Alpha Ensemble & Director
James Cutler has spent much of his life acquainted with theatre as a singer, actor, director, writer, show host, emcee, and cabaret artist. James followed his passion for live theatre since school, performing in a number of theatre productions. Credits include: 'Les Miserables', Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Sweeney Todd' and 'West Side Story'; as well as Frederick in 'The Pirates of Penzance'; Amos Hart in 'Chicago'; and 'Danny' in Baby, which earned him a Best Actor nomination for the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria. He played Leo Frank in the Australian Premiere of Jason Robert Brown's 'Parade'. As a director, James has worked on productions of 'Godspell' and 'The Witches of Eastwick'. His latest production, 'Urinetown', received 8 MTGV nominations, including Best Production and Best Director. James has worked with Alpha for the last 4 years as a cast member, returning to direct the 2007 tour of Alpha's 'Beauty and the Beast'.
email: james@alphashows.com.au
 Dean Oliver - Alpha Ensemble
Dean has spent a lot of his life performing, then going on to graduate from the Ballarat Academy. He has worked at Disney in Japan and performed lead roles in many musical theatre shows. Dean joined Alpha for our premiere season of Hercules as the title role, and went on to play the Beast in Alpha's Beauty and the Beast, all in 2007, at which point he was invited to join the Ensemble. Dean is incredibly passionate about the positive influence he and the company can have with children.
email: dean@alphashows.com.au
 Phil Jackson - Production Executive & Set Designer/Painter
Phil has been intricately involved with all aspects of production for all of Alpha's shows. The amazing sets and the backdrops, the style of which has become well known to all who see one of our productions, have all taken weeks and weeks of incredibly detailed and painstaking work. Phil also oversees, maintains and invents all aspects of a technical nature in Alpha's shows, including ingenius props and special effects. For more information on backdrop painting click here.
email: phil@alphamedia.com.au
 Jodie Welch - Costume Designer
Jodie has designed and made by hand all of Alpha's costumes, and if you have seen one of our shows you would know of the brilliance that is created from her imagination! Jodie studied costumes at university and has since created many wonderful costumes. She enjoys the freedom she has with Alpha shows to come up with new designs and methods, especially with such fun and crazy scripts and characters to work with! She also has worked for many years in community theatre companies for absolutely nothing, so her passion and dedication is unquestioned! When Jodie isn't designing for Alpha, she also accepts contracts from other companies so if you are interested, email her.
email: jodie@alphashows.com.au
 Sue Russell (Nexus Arts) - Sales/Marketing
Sue is the owner and operator of Nexus Arts, a well-established and respected authority of theatre-in-education in Australia. Since approaching Alpha in 2004, Nexus Arts have worked alongside Alpha to help bring our high energy and high impact shows to as many schools as possible.
email: nexusarts@netspace.net.au
 Julie Jackson - Administration
A caring mother and wife, Julie is an experienced and former Primary School teacher, with many other friends and colleagues in education. After running the very successful Alpha Computers in Mornington for fourteen years, she now owns and operates WhiteChapel Receptions (where Alpha Shows is based) in Langwarrin, as well as the Administration and other essential roles within Alpha Media and Alpha Shows.
email: julie@alphamedia.com.au
Go to the Actors information page if you are an actor and interested in working for Alpha
Honourary Alpha Shows Members*:
- Laura Cooney
- Simon Scouller
- Kath Cooney
- Meredith Hoult
- Graham Hoult
- Ian Smyth
- Sandra Smyth
- Alice Cooney
- Brendan Cooney
- Hannah Cooney
- Sarah and David Cooney
- Georgia Cooney
- Chris Whittorn
- Bob Scouller
- Rosa Licuria
- Kids Help Line
- Angela Phillips
*those who have contributed to the company without payment or are general supporters of our mission
Business to business partnerships we have found indispensible:
Sydney Stage Combat School - In January 2008 the Alpha Ensemble trained in a week long sword fighting and hand to hand fighting workshop. It was a brilliant experience, not just for acting, stage combat and skills in sword fighting (which we have one of in every show), but also great grounding work that can have a transformational effect on your entire life. We highly recommend this organisation, as the Director of the company, Kyle Rowling, is probably Australia's leading Fight Director, both for Stage and Film.
Outlook Communications - We purchased all our more recent audio equipment through this company and they have provided outstanding service (all too uncommon these days)
CC's Light and Sound - Aaron at CC's, as long as you don't waste their time, provide outstanding advice and speedy service. They recently helped us upgrade our lighting console and dimmer racks to theatre standard whilst still being tourable to those small venues
Planett Apparel - This company provided all our uniforms, our shirts and jackets. They seem to be a good company in an industry flooded with uniform stores.
Factory Sound - A bit slow off the mark sometimes, they do have a great range of stuff and usually well priced. Factory Sound were responsible for our original batch of equipment purchasing in 2003, during one of their mayhem sales.
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