DEREK ROWE

BOOK; SCRIPT; LYRICS; DRAMATURG; ADAPTATION OF THE MUSIC OF BEETHOVEN, AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC 

Now a Music Theatre Writer and Recording Musician, I was raised in a family of musicians and entertainers, so that’s probably why I was just nine when I wrote my first song. Hundreds, if not thousands, of songs later, I find myself carrying on the family tradition of mixing music with at least one extra ingredient - e.g. character, story, comedy. Just being a singer songwriter or being in a band was never on the cards - or in the gene pool! Even when I work as a studio musician and producer, it’s for stand-ups and performers, Sammy J and Randy being the most prominent (and lovely). 

My focus is on writing shows that explore relevant themes via textured, truthful, human stories.

⦁ Some shows have been produced, some await that opportunity.

⦁ Some have been commissions, some have just come to mind and I’ve decided to see where they go.

⦁ Some are big shows, some are tiny. 

Hopefully they all have something to say that speaks to something you’d like to hear.

LARGE BROADWAY-STYLE SHOWS

⦁ Call of the Jungle – 12 Principals and ensemble (Music & Lyrics) – commissioned by Producer Malcolm Cooke. Currently in post-workshop, pre-production. 

⦁  aAlmost – 10 Principals and ensemble (Book, Music & Lyrics) 

⦁ Bright Legacy – 8 Principals and ensemble (Book Music & Lyrics) First draft completed.

OFF-BROADWAY STYLE SHOWS

⦁ Audition – 2 acts, 4 performers (Book, Music & Lyrics). Commissioned by producer Malcolm Cooke. Recently workshopped by The Marriner Group.

⦁ I Hear You – 1 act, 2 performers (Book, Music & Lyrics) 

⦁ Sexercise – 2 acts, 6 performers (Book, Music & Lyrics). Professionally commissioned and produced in 2015.

⦁ Launceston the musical. Commissioned and produced as part of the 2021 Australian Music Theatre Festival.

TV SOUNDTRACK WRITING/PRODUCTION

⦁ Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane: Soundtrack and song recording (2015)

⦁ Tadpole – Soundtrack design and song composition (2005)

ONE-OFF SONGWRITING/PRODUCTION FOR TV/STAGE

⦁ Australian Music Theatre Festival – Commissioned writer (2021/22/23/24)

⦁ Good News Week – Channel 10 – Sammy J & Randy (2016)

⦁ ABC – Sammy J – (2019 – ongoing)

⦁ STAN – Australian Lockdown Comedy Festival (2020) – Randy Feltface – soundtrack music

⦁ Chopper – Various recordings and songs for comedian Heath Franklin

⦁ Soundtrack recording/music director - Various stage shows for Sammy j and Randy – together and solo, including the Barry award winning ‘Bin Night’

⦁ 2009 – Music Director, The Australian Puppet Festival, Melbourne.

RADIO JINGLE WRITING/PRODUCTION

⦁ xfam – Various ABC Radio – Sammy J Breakfast – Current

⦁ Jingles and long-form song-writing

LIBRETTO GHOST-WRITING FOR MUSIC THEATRE PRODUCTIONS

⦁ Sing (2016)– Libretto/Story re-write

⦁ French Toast (2019) – Libretto re-write

⦁ LvanB (Current) – Dramaturge & composer

MUSIC THEATRE TEACHER

⦁ (2018) The Space, Prahran. Writer in residence, creating a new musical with students

⦁ Various one-off workshops, masterclasses, etc on how to write a musical 

More

BOOK;  SCRIPT; LYRICS; OWNER

Having been some sort of a writer for 70 years, I've produced works of fiction and non-fiction across a variety of mediums, including books, lyrics, poetry, revue, theatre, and infomercials. My works include

Scratcher Wm Heinemann and Rene Gordon. Humour/Australia. Ages 8-14. 1987. Illustrations by Bruce Rankin. First in Niamong series.

Lissie Pendle Humour/Australia. Self-published. Ages 8-14. 1990. Second in the Niamong series.

Possum and Python Fantasy/Australia. Self-published. Ages 7-11. 1991.

The Alone Man Settler Australia. Self-published. Ages 12+. 1992. Also as an audio book.

The Day and Night Machine Fantasy/Australia. Self-published. Ages 11-14. 2005.  Also as a screenplay.

Thomas Bulford’s English Companion Humour. Self-published. Adult. 2005.

The Search for Quong Fantasy/Australia. Self-published. Ages 7-11. 2006. Third in the Niamong series.

Thomas Bulford’s Essays on Life, Language & Love Humour. Self-published. Adult. 2007.

Ranga Plays Australia Historical. Self-published. Ages 12-Adult. 2008. First in India/Australia series and fourth in the Niamong series.

Twevven and the big bigger biggest baby burp Fantasy. Illustrations by Lauren Eldridge-Murray. National distributor. 2009.

Twevven in a very dangerous situation Fantasy. Illustrations by Lauren Eldridge-Murray. National distributor. 2009.

The Package on the Tram Fantasy/Australia. Self-published. Ages 11-14. 2014. Second of a pair, set in Melbourne.

The Wisdom of Harkishen Singh Historical. Self-published. Ages 12-Adult. 2014. Second in the India/Australia series.

Messing With Your Mind Crime. Self-published. Adult. 2015.

Stories from Somewhere Anthology of short stories. Self-published. 2018.

The Once Shredded Rainbow Anthology of short stories. Self-published. 2020.

About Living - conversations with my guru Related short stories. Self-published. Young adult-adult. Illustrations by Pat Sirninger. 2022. Third in the India/Australia series and fifth in the Niamong series.

All titles are available in paperback and online.

I'm now working on adapting a classic historic story as a musical theatre piece.

More

OWNER; BOOK

Stage

1989 The Dracula Spectacular Show - lead Mother; 1990 Smithy lead (Drama Teacher); 1991 Oklahoma 1991 Gertie; 1992 The Pajama Game; 1995 Me and My Girl ensemble.

2008 – 2019

Lissie Lou Design - Business Owner  

Greeting Card Design. Managed card design business from start-up to successfully landing large stores such as Target, Card & Caboodle and Ishka and distributing to retailers around Australia and New Zealand. 

Individually designed artwork

Created specifically around the client’s life experiences and interests, which created enormous joy to gift recipients, overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and individualisation of the designs.

Volunteering

Event Management. Organised multiple events for various communities, involving

organising volunteers, logistics, sourcing prizes, catering, security etc.

Group Bookings Coordinator. Coordinating large group bookings for theatre.

Musical theatre enthusiast.

2019 The Alex Theatre – St.Kilda. Production Assistant. Programs being filmed: mGig, AlexRocks, The Alex Café, Art-V2020 2021 

Australian Film Base: Film Directors Certificate

Film Credits:

Locations Manager: No Charge (Graduate film, Australian Film Base); Locations Scout:  The Little Pin-Up (Independent short film); Art Department, props sourcing, set dressing: Slant (Feature Film); Locations Scout/Manager: The Soft Skinned (Short film, Master Course, Victorian College of the Arts); Locations Scout/ Manager, Production Design, Assistant Producer: The Keys (Independent short film); Props: All We Have Is Time (Short film, Master Course, Victorian College of the Arts); Wardrobe Master: What Took Grace (Feature Film); Unit organiser, Props, Production Design: Alexithymia (Short film, Master Course, Victorian College of the Arts); Props: New Moon In Leo (Short film, Masters Course, Victorian College of the Arts). 

CONSULTANT

 Ashley is the Owner and Director of award-winning Melbourne-based theatre company Salty Theatre and an agent with Monument Management, co-owned by Charley Conway and Paul Dainty AO. 

She has 30 years of experience across the theatre, television and film sectors, both on stage and screen and off. Her work has been seen and heard in Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia, initially as a performer before transitioning into the roles of producer and director.

Ashley got her first taste of producing when she premiered Heartache, Milkshakes and Broadway, which was performed at the renowned cabaret venue Don’t Tell Mama in NYC. 

Ashley’s most recent credits include producing the three-times Green Room Award Winning Australian premiere of The Grinning Man, co-producing the return season of METAMUSE for Vass Productions and Luca Dinardo, directing and producing the premiere of cult hit Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical and producing and managing three seasons of Voldemort and The Teenage Hogwarts in Victoria and Adelaide.

A strong advocate for new works, Ashley co-founded The Hatch Lab in 2019 to help fill a gap in the new musical development and production market in Australia. In July 2024, she launched the Australian Musical Theatre Artists Collective (AMTAC) while working at the Alex Theatre. Ashley is committed to being an advocate for women in leadership and BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and disabled creative artists as well as identity-conscious casting. 

CONSULTANT

 Nadia is a passionate theatre maker, visual artist and activist. In 2017, she directed her first original work God Parents at the 1812 Theatre, and has since written, directed and collaboratively devised within community, independent and fringe theatre. 

In 2018, Nadia completed her Bachelor in Creative Arts: Drama at Deakin University, where she received the Theatre Network Australia Award along with her theatre troupe Split Second Theatre. The troupe went on to perform their original piece FINITE at Theatre Works for Melbourne Fringe 2019. 

In 2018, Nadia directed the classic Australian work Cloudstreet with BustCo, and wrote and directed the original musical The Meaning with her sister, Sophie Sirninger Rankin. 

Nadia is now the founder and artistic director for the Naarm based theatre company Running With Scissors Theatre where she most recently wrote, produced and directed the piece Cutting Onions at The MC Showroom. 

Outside of theatre, Nadia is a visual artist. She paints large scale portraits in oils and is the Curator and Manager for the art studio 369 Creative Arts. 

Nadia loves to collaborate and connect to people in the arts industries and is most fulfilled when theatrical and visual arts combine.

CONSULTANT

 Charles,  a director of both public and private companies ,  graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours in 1973, and gained his Master of Laws from Monash University in 1980. 

He is a successful businessman, team leader, professional speaker and executive coach.  After practising law successfully for 20 years, Charles left the law in June 1993 to pursue his passion for increasing passion! He has found that bringing out the unique and extraordinary capacities of individuals, by accessing and harnessing their passion, is the fundamental key to business success in these changing and challenging times. 

He is a transformational, inspirational high-energy speaker and facilitator, who inspires through his passion for life, and helps organisations build world-class teams based on integrity, trust, and commitment.