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Meet The Creative Team
Creating stories feeds communities
Check out our hard-working creative team in Broken River
Broken River
Original 2023 Creatives
We are very excited about our premiere at the 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival
with the original 2023 creative team behind Broken River.
Our talented and brilliant creatives are a mighty talented bunch of
beautiful humans. Introducing, in Creative order:
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Elizabeth Way, actor and director has worked on Darren's productions since his first show in 1996. Elizabeth and Darren hold a strong mutual and creative respect for each other, trusting the work will be completed to a top, professional creative output.
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Leane Maddren comes to Cosmic Players Theatre Company as Stage Manager for the first time with the company. Don't be mistaken, Leane has commanded control of the stage since a very young age. Leane and Darren first met in 1981 (or was it 1982) in youth theatre and through the power of theatre, they remain in each other spheres.
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Keith Tucker comes to Cosmic Players Theatre Company as our Lighting Designer for the first time with the company. With the greatest respect, to be working with a veteran of the theatrical and creative worlds is a blessing and a first for Cosmic Players. We are fortunate to have Keith's expertise, 40 years plus experience, and knowledge to draw on and learn greatly from.
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Carol Ray comes to Cosmic Players as Costumes and Props, another first for Cosmic Players Theatre Company, and what a win for the company. Carol's decades of experience in theatre production, costume design, and as a performer is a culmination of her expertise and talents for the stage.
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To read more about each talented human's details, click on their names and be jettisoned to their world of brilliance.
Meet The Team
Darren Brealey
Darren Brealey’s debut launch into writing and producing for the theatre came in the guise of his first full-length play, The Meeting Place as part of the 1996 Melbourne Fringe Festival. New York Broadway choreographer and actor, Matt West was the sole financial supporter.
The Meeting Place was a critical and public success with Ralph McLean, radio station 3RRR critiquing as: “The Meeting Place was a simple even old-fashioned story of family and loss. I rarely cry in the theatre - at least for emotional reasons - but there I was enjoying some new talent. And I was bawling, with the joy of it and of the magic of a good yarn well put, the tears running down my cheeks like a bloody baby.”
The play was selected by the Board and Staff of the Melbourne Fringe and Awards Judges, awarding it a Special Recommendation Award.
Next came, Three Shorts produced at Melbourne’s Workhouse Theatre. Three Shorts comprised of three self-contained plays: Disturbing Mavis, The Stair, and Champagne Ladies. Critical and public reaction to the work was favourable, Champagne Ladies singled out for particular praise:
“With Three Shorts, Darren Brealey has written an eclectic mixture of observations that manage, somehow, to connect … with the satirical ‘Champagne Ladies’ definitely my favourite” (Stage Whispers Magazine).
Additionally, Disturbing Mavis and The Mechanics were produced in Singapore as part of the Short+Sweet Singapore Festival; Disturbing Mavis won the People’s Choice Award in the Top 30 Week 1 section. Spring was produced in Malaysia as part of the Short+Sweet Malaysia Festival.
Brealey’s next production, Performing The Goat containing four one-act plays: Country Relations, A Couple Of S.N.A.Gs, The Mechanics, and The Chicks was performed at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The production was strong and gained positive audience reactions and critical comments: “Darren Brealey delivers four humorous and often terrifyingly accurate portrayals … four short plays that capture colloquial Aussie stereotypes and presents them with hilarious accuracy” (Buzz Cuts).
Shattered Reflection, a full-length play opened at the Guild Theatre. Shattered Reflection, is a most confronting and controversial piece of theatre tackling the serious problem of white-collar addiction to alcohol and drugs. Zachary Lurje, Arts Journalist wrote:
“Writer, Darren Brealey, is to be commended for such well-drawn and developed characters. The strength of Shattered Reflection comes in these interesting characters that you can relate to” (Buzz Cuts).
Comfort Zone followed, co-written with playwright and friend, Stuart Pursell, its comical and diverse theatrical topics had strong audience appreciation, and the production received rave critical acclaim:
“Comfort Zone has delivered a rare piece of new theatre that is hilariously self-referential and thematically bold” (BNews).
Separating The Dust, a poignant and controversial 45-minute one-act play competed in the Victorian Drama League One Act Play festivals, receiving three radio interviews (Fiona Banks, ABC Country Radio), three front page news articles, a swag of nominations at most festivals and winning two awards; Best Production at the 16th Dandenong Ranges One Act Play Festival and Best Male Actor at the Anglesea One Act Play Festival.
Elizabeth Way (Penny) was a late bloomer into the Theatre Scene. This wonderful journey commenced where she trained at university and private institutions as an actor for six years covering all aspects and forms of theatre including direction, choreography, technical and arts administration.
During this time, Way immersed herself into acting, movement, music, percussion, and writing creating theatre to pique all senses, to enrich the audience experience whether that be good or bad or indifferent! To further this, Way formed a theatre company used as a forum to perform original works (in progress and completed) and, scripted text. Way honed her skills to create and develop working processes to enhance individual and group dynamics. Way also always found time to give back to the community by running drama/music/movement workshops.
To offset Way’s love of theatre, radio was a second best. Producing and presenting a one-and-a-half-hour theatre, performance art, and dance program to allow her to delve into the audience experience and learn techniques, to encourage, and critique.
Returning home to Melbourne via Tasmania, Way worked with the Australian Shakespeare Company, projects for the many fringe festivals, and TV character skits, and some films, but Way always came back to the stage.
Way auditioned for Darren Brealey’s The Meeting Place and the rest, as we say, is history. Collaboration with Darren Brealey and his plays was a source of excitement, enjoyment, and enrichment as a person and actor/director/producer. This strong friendship was tested when Darren decided to leave our shores for the UK where my theatre involvement went into a hiatus and moved focus in different directions.
Now the band is back together again, and Broken River was one of eight plays I was presented with. I have chosen well and am looking forward to this challenge.
Elizabeth Way
Leane Maddren
Leane Maddren has been involved in theatre, in various roles for over 40 years having started as Calamity Jane (in Calamity Jane) aged 14, alongside a very young Darren Brealey (approx. aged 11).
After many years as a performer in various amateur theatre companies, Maddren donned the ‘blacks’ to crew for a show, and never turned back, acting as crew, Assistant Stage Manager, and Stage Manager.
After her 9-year-old daughter saw a production of Hairspray, declaring she wanted to be on stage, Maddren once again found herself immersed in the musical theatre world, as both crew and mic technician, and taking over as Stage Manager for Panorama Theatre Company at Frankston Arts Centre.
Maddren’s first foray as Production Manager was for Annie and has had nightmares about "little girls everywhere", ever since! Her only directorial credit to date is Rock of Ages, where everyone was thankfully over the age of 18.
Since this time, Maddren has been Production Manager on 7 major musicals and more often than not, Stage Manager as well. Along with various other crew and Stage Management positions with other companies over the past ten years.
2021 saw Maddren return to the stage after a 27-year hiatus as Daisy in Keeping Up Appearances with MLOC.
Maddren has been lucky over the years to share these experiences both on and off stage with her husband, siblings, and children, and is forever grateful for the lifelong friendships forged in the industry.
Keith Tucker has freelanced in theatre design and lighting for over 40 years.
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Tucker has designed works for numerous major companies such as the State Theatre Company of SA, the Sydney Theatre Company, international productions of works by Lucy Guerin, touring productions for the St Petersburgh Ballet, Paul Hogan, Denise Scott, Yes Prime Minister, and spectacles such as the Great Moscow Circus in China and South Africa and dozens of museum experiences and installations.
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Tucker also designs and manages large-scale events, most notably as Creative Producer of the Opening Ceremony River Project at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
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As well as working in mainstream theatre and events, Keith enjoys the challenges and excitement of working with cutting-edge arts organisations, pushing the boundaries of traditional staging, lighting design, and performance.
Keith Tucker
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Carol Ray started her theatre journey when her parents introduced her to theatre from a very young age, and she was hooked! Through both primary and secondary school (where Ray learned to sew), she played a variety of roles on stage.
Ray’s first dalliance into costuming came in a production of Salad Days with Frankston Theatre Company (some 40 years ago). Ray not only played the lead role of Jane but had to create her own 6 costumes.
Since then, Ray has costumed many amateur theatrical and school productions, often designing costumes for entire shows. “It was during a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at Dandenong Theatre Company when I first met Darren Brealey (Production Manager), some 19 years ago, and our friendship has blossomed, and even taken us oversees together”.
Ray is thrilled to be able to help bring Brealey’s vision of Broken River to the stage. “In my ‘real’ job of Primary Performing Arts teacher”, Ray is currently designing and creating costumes for a Star Wars spoof.
“Needless to say, there's LOTS of sparkles, sequins, and shiny fabric (every customer's dream)”. Ray is so lucky her passions for theatre and sewing can merge, enabling her to see her visions manifest themselves through the beauty of fabric and kaleidoscopes of textures and colours.
Carol Ray