Ian Lawson is a multi award-winning Queensland based Director and Dramaturg who has had a focus on new Australian work for over two decades. As Artistic Director/CEO of Playlab Theatre, Ian has transformed the organisation into a progressive new-writing theatre, developing and directing the critically acclaimed Blue Bones, The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek and Magpie. Ian has also worked for numerous other organisations including: Queensland Music Festival, Brisbane Festival, Queensland Theatre Company, PWA, University of Queensland, JUTE Theatre, Griffith University, Zen Zen Zo and Screen Queensland. Ian was the Associate Director at La Boite (2002 – 2008), where he managed the Creative and Professional Development programs and directed numerous productions including My Love Had a Black Speed Stripe, Urban Dingoes, The Pineapple Queen, The Danger Age and The Narcissist, which also had a season for the Sydney Theatre Company.
Roxanne McDonald is descended from the Mandandanjii, Wangan & Darambal tribes of Central Queensland, She has worked as an actor with leading Australian theatre companies for over 30 years in over 65 main-stage theatre productions. Her recent Stage, Film and TV Credits include: Hit Productions: The Sunshine Club, LaBoite Theatre: Away, Tiddas; Queensland Theatre Company: Our Town; Television: Queen of Oz Film: Australia Day.|Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award – Actors Benevolent Fund (2022); Matilda Awards Special Commendation (2000). Roxanne has voice over, creative development & many arts related projects to her credit. She co-directed Face to Face for Playlab Theatre; Queensland Theatre’s Don’t Ask What The Bird Look Like and Belvoir St Theatre’s Tiddas (co-produced with La Boite). Aunty Roxy was appointed Artistic Elder with Queensland Theatre in 2023.
Dr. Kathryn Marquet is a playwright, actor, and dramaturge with a passion for political and environmental stories. Her play, Aurochs, won the Stage Category in the 2024 Shane and Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting from the Australian Writer’s Guild. Aurochs was also shortlisted for the 2024 Patrick White Award from STC. Kathryn’s published/performed works include: Second Coming (Playlab/La Boite 2026); Dear Australia (Playwriting Australia); The Secret Garden (Queensland Theatre Young Artist Ensemble/Dead Puppet Society); The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek (Playlab Theatre/La Boite); The Owl and the Pussycat (Little Match); and Pale Blue Dot (La Boite). Professional readings include Aurochs (QTC and UQ); Furious Creatures (QPDA Finalist/Playwriting Australia); and The Grand Ragtag Animal Band (Little Match). In 2016, Kathryn was finalist for the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award for her play Furious Creatures. Kathryn has also worked extensively as an actor across mediums including for Queensland Theatre, La Boite, Playlab Theatre, Bell Shakespeare, and Elbow Room. Her film and television acting credits include the SITGES award-winning film Postmortem Mary (Josh Long); feature film Don’t Tell (Tori Garrett), series’ Secrets & Lies (Hoodlum/Network Ten), and miniseries Sisters of War (ABC). Kathryn works as the Literary Manager for Playlab Theatre, where she has dramaturged over 50 plays. Kathryn is currently completing a PhD at UQ in playwriting, holds a Masters degree in playwriting from UQ, and is a graduate of the acting program at the USQ.
Dirk Hoult is a theatre director, an actor, and a teaching artist – passionate about working with young and emerging artists and championing the creative development of original theatrical works: plays, musical theatre, and cabaret. Born in Melbourne (Naarm) and raised in Ipswich (Jagerra), Dirk began his actor training at the University of Southern Queensland. He spent a decade making theatre in Brisbane before moving to the UK. Inspired by London’s cabaret scene, Dirk returned to Melbourne to create his own; The Brass Bear Cabaret (Melbourne Cabaret Festival), The Butcher Shop Review (The Butterfly Club: extended residency), Doggo (Melbourne Comedy Festival), Share My Blankets (Melbourne Fringe, Melt Fest), and Oprahfication (Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, New York). He completed his MA in Theatre Directing at VCA (The University of Melbourne) and later directed Pops (Melbourne Fringe), The Blazing Son (La Mama), The Man Of Mode (Chapel Off Chapel) and also wrote and directed We Were There (Chapel Off Chapel) a verbatim play offering a female perspective of HIV & AIDS since its arrival in Australia. In addition, he has appeared in, directed, and assisted in several musicals, including One In Seven (La Mama), Company (Watch This Inc.), Butch Masters: Man Of Destiny (Midsumma), Fugitive Songs (Chapel Off Chapel), Godspell (BMT), The Witches Of Eastwick (BMT), Assassins (Warehaus Theatre), Parade (Warehaus Theatre), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Oscar), Behind The Cane (Queensland Music Festival), Downside Up (Judith Wright Centre), and The 5-Ways (Brisbane Festival). Dirk is a teaching artist with Queensland Theatre.
Annabel Gilbert is a Magandjin/Brisbane based playwright and director with a knack for the colourful and quirky. She holds a BFA (Drama) and has completed further training through La Boite’s 2024 Assembly (Writing Stream), Dead Puppet Society’s 2025 Lab and Playlab’s 2025 Incubator. She has worked extensively as a director in the Magandjin indie theatre scene with companies including theatrePunk co, Tits Akimbo, Vena Cava Productions, and more. Her writing has been performed both locally and internationally with a current project in the works under Observatory Theatre’s Telescope program. She is also a co-founder of Loose Tooth Theatre; a collective that champions unusual art.
Geoffrey Winter holds a Bachelor of Commerce (UQ) and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He has spent time working in commerce, business services and tax and also spent several seasons working with the team at the Queensland Theatre Company. As the finance officer, Geoffrey thoroughly enjoys working with the talented and creative team at Playlab and always looks forward to the new works being nurtured and produced. Geoffrey also holds his Bachelor of Music (Musical Theatre) from the Queensland Conservatorium and has toured Australia as a performer in several national tours; The Rocky Horror show (GFO), The Bodyguard (GFO), Scooby Doo Warner Brothers (LifeLike Touring) to name a few.
Seán Dowling is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator who specialises arts organisations. A fixture in the Brisbane arts ecology for the last decade she designs for prominent local organisations such as Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Museum of Brisbane, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Camerata, Playlab Theatre, La Boite and Dead Puppet Society. As visual designer and illustrator Seán has been attached to numerous Counterpilot productions such Avoidable Perils (2020), Spectate (2017) and Crunch Time (2018) which was the winner of The Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work.