MINI DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS
What is AMTAC?
The Australian Musical Theatre Collective (AMTAC) provides a collaborative space for artists to develop and share new Australian musicals. Through partnerships with industry professionals, AMTAC offers feedback, support, and insights that creators can apply to their original works. The Hatch Lab mini development sessions, run in collaboration with Antipodes Theatre Company, play a key role in this initiative.
These sessions give writers and composers the chance to present works-in-progress, receiving valuable input from industry professionals and peers to support ongoing development. Each session also features special guest panellists who offer insights, feedback, and foster open discussion.
The sessions are open not only to participants but also to those who want to observe, learn, and support, creating an inspiring and inclusive creative community.
Our Facilitators
Ashley Tickell
(She/Her)
Owner and Director, Salty Theatre
Brandon Pape
(He/Him)
Artistic Director, Antipodes Theatre Company
Cameron Steens
(They/Them)
New Work Manager, Antipodes Theatre Company
Our Panellists
JULY 2024 – PRESENT
ADRIAN STOREY (he/him) OWNER, STOREYBOARD ENTERTAINMENT (CHESS, TICK, TICK…BOOM!); EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CROSSROADS LIVE
TYRAN PARK (he/him) DIRECTOR, PRODUCER (PRIDE & PREJUDICE, ELEGIES: A SONG CYCLE), EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AMTF, VCA HEAD OF MUSICAL THEATRE
THERÈSA BORG (she/her) DIRECTOR, WRITER, PERFORMER (TITANIC, SWEENEY TODD, LORD OF THE RINGS – A MUSICAL TALE)
VICTORIA FALCONER (she/her) CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, THE HAYES, PERFORMER, MUSICAL DIRECTOR, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST (MY BRILLIANT CAREER, ONCE)
YVE BLAKE (she/her) SCREENWRITER, PLAYWRIGHT, SONGWRITER, MULTI-AWARD WINNER (FANGIRLS, SUGAR SUGAR)
BENJAMIN SAMUEL (he/him) PRODUCER, MUSICAL DIRECTOR, RESEARCHER (PARADE, URINETOWN)
SONYA SUARES (she/her) PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, ACTOR, ARTS ACTIVIST (MTC, BELVOIR ST THEATRE)
MARK TAYLOR (he/him) DIRECTOR, PRODUCER (NEXT TO NORMAL, RENT)
GILLIAN COSGRIFF (she/her) PERFORMER, WRITER, MUSICIAN, COMPOSER AND COMEDIAN (HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, COME RAIN OR COME SHINE (MTC)
MIRANDA MIDDLETON (she/her) DIRECTOR, WRITER & CHOREOGRAPHER (GRINNING MAN, MY BRILLIANT CAREER & BRIGHT STAR)
Participating Projects & Creators
JULY 2024 – PRESENT
18/23 by HAMISH PICKERING (he/him)
AT OUR TABLE by NATASHA DYSON (they/she)
BEAU WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE by CONOR NEYLON (he/him) & JACKSON PEELE (he/him)
CLANCY OF THE OUTABACK by EARL MARROWS (he/him) & DYLAN MARSHALL (he/him)
CHILDREN OF THE AIR by LACHLAN OBST (he/him)
CURSE, SHMURSE! by BRENDAN T. STALLINGS (he/him)
DEATH TO A BUTTERFLY by ANDY FREEBORN (they/them) & JESS RAMSEY (they/she)
DO NOT DISTURB by JAMIE BURGESS (he/him)
FOR SHOW by EARL MARROWS (he/him) & CARRIE CAFFREY (she/her)
FRENZO by JEREMY HARLAND (he/him) & JOSHUA CONNELL (he/him)
FROM WATER TO AIR by ALANYA BRIDGE (she/her)
GENIUS by DANIEL TREACY (he/him)
GIRLHOOD IN THE BATHROOM by IMOGEN BROWN (she/her), SARAH EATON (she/her), HANNAH MANDERSON (she/her), AMAYA PARDILLO (she/her) & ALICE QUICK (she/her)
GOLD by JESS NEWMAN (he/him) & RICHARD LINDENFELZER (he/him)
GROUND FLOOR by ABIGAIL BANISTER-JONES (she/her)
MARY / MARY by KATE KNOTT (she/her) and IRENE NICOLA (she/her)
THE MATCHMAKER by JAKE FEHILY (he/him)
PORTRAIT UNKNOWN by THOMAS CURRIE (he/him), TOMMY JAMES (he/him) & KRISTIE WINSEN (she/her)
RIBBONS IN OUR HAIR by MICHELE GOULD (she/they)
SILVER TONGUE by ALEC STEEDMAN (he/they) & MIRANDA MIDDLETON (she/her)
SPITFIRE GIRLS THE MUSICAL by ROSIE MEADER (she/her)
THREADS – A NEW AUSTRALIAN ECO-MUSICAL by JADE NAIDU (she/her)
UNTITLED KUSAMA PROJECT by YURIKO SHIBATA (she/her) & ANDREW STRANO (they/them)
A WAKE TO REMEMBER by SAMANTHA WONG (she/her)
THE WHITE ROSE by ISABELLA DYMALOVSKI (she/her) & OLIVER THOMPSON (he/him)
THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER by ABIGAIL BANISTER-JONES (she/her)
MUSICAL THEATRE RESIDENCY PROGRAM
What is the Hatch Lab?
The Hatch Lab is a one-of-a-kind Australian Musical Theatre Program conceived By Salty Theatre. The Hatch Lab mentors and works alongside Australian playwrights and composers and provides them with creative tools and access to local and international industry professionals to explore, experiment and develop new musicals in a safe, supportive and transformative environment.
MUSICAL THEATRE RESIDENCY
A 12 month residency program for early to mid-career playwrights and composers for work in mid-development. Reside within our company for a season as you work on your musical in development with the support of industry professionals, and participate in other Salty Theatre happenings.
Musical Theatre Residency EOI submission opening to be announced
WRITER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
This Writer Development Program supports musical theatre creators by giving them paid time, space, and dramaturgical guidance to advance their work. It removes financial barriers and provides structured support to help writers move their musical toward the next stage.
Writer Development Program EOI submission opening to be announced
Our Supporters
MUSICAL THEATRE RESIDENCY
A 12 month residency program for early to mid-career playwrights and composers for work in mid-development. Reside within our company for a season as you work on your musical in development with the support of industry professionals, and participate in other Salty Theatre happenings.
Musical Theatre Residency EOI submission opening to be announced
Musical Theatre Residency EOI submission opening to be announced
WRITER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
This Writer Development Program supports musical theatre creators by giving them paid time, space, and dramaturgical guidance to advance their work. It removes financial barriers and provides structured support to help writers move their musical toward the next stage.
Writer Development Program EOI submission opening to be announced
Our Supporters
The Hatch Lab Mentors Include:
Michael Rubinoff
Olivier Award Winner, Tony Award Nominee; Producer And Concept Creator, Come From Away
Dean Bryant
Helpmann, Greenroom And Sydney Theatre Award Winner; Dir. Kiss Of The Spider Woman, MTC; Writer, Prodigal, Off-Broadway
Ashley Clapp
Dorothy Ellen Ransom Prize Of Musical Composition; MD, My Brilliant Career
Michael Rubinoff
Olivier Award Winner, Tony Award Nominee; Producer And Concept Creator, Come From Away
Dean Bryant
Helpmann, Greenroom And Sydney Theatre Award Winner; Dir. Kiss Of The Spider Woman, MTC; Writer, Prodigal, Off-Broadway
Ashley Clapp
Dorothy Ellen Ransom Prize Of Musical Composition; MD, My Brilliant Career
Michele Lee
Going Down, Malthouse, STC; Rice, Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, an Australian Writers’ Guild award
Scott White
Dora Nominee, Canadian Comedy Award Nominee; Composer, Top Gun! The Musical, Salty Theatre, Canada, US; The Giant’s Garden, Canada
Deborah Vogt,
Chalk Dramaturgy
Book writer for award-winning musical Carry On; BIG Sister, Nominated for Outstanding Original Script 2020 Jessie Richardson Awards.
Michele Lee
Going Down, Malthouse, STC; Rice, Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, Australian Writers’ Guild award
Scott White
Dora Nominee, Canadian Comedy Award Nominee; Composer, Top Gun! The Musical, Salty Theatre, Canada, US; The Giant’s Garden, Canada
Deborah Vogt,
Chalk Dramaturgy
Book writer for award-winning musical Carry On; BIG Sister, Nominated for Outstanding Original Script 2020 Jessie Richardson Awards
What they’re saying
“Paper Stars was my first experience with workshopping a piece of developing theatre. While there is the obvious impact of being in the room with such incredibly talented people and watching them shine, for me the part that will have the longest-lasting effect was the way the process informed my acting. Our creative team was so open and collaborative, which meant no idea was off-limits, and we all felt completely safe to share, to experiment, to get things wrong, to be open and vulnerable, to say no to things that didn’t work, and to celebrate things that did. That also meant that our successes felt all the more fulfilling. We tore the text apart and completely rewrote the show at least twice. That kind of deep dive into the text, the characters, and the process was incredibly informative for me as a performer, and taught me skills that I couldn’t have learned outside such a raw environment. I’ll carry these skills forward into future roles and productions. Put succinctly, working on Paper Stars has made me a better, deeper, more thoughtful performer, and I’m so grateful to Salty Theatre to have had the opportunity.”
“For myself, being a part of the Hatch Lab and Paper Stars has been one of the highlights of my almost 20 year career in the industry professionally. The nurture and trust that Salty Theatre gave us as artists is something you don’t get to often experience. No idea was too small, no offer was turned down. We were all given a voice in the creative process which is not something I have been given the opportunity to do in musical theatre. Working with a company that embraces Australian stories but also practices and embraces it’s BIPOC and LBBTQI+ casting promises is what the face of new Australian theatre looks like. The Hatch Lab allowed us as artists to bring a special kind of magic to what was already a magical piece of theatre.”
Proudly Supported By
Let us know you’re interested
Interested in The Hatch Lab? Tell us a little bit more about yourself, your project and what Lab sounds exciting to you!
Stay in the loop
Learn, shout and share the hype about Salty’s latest news, productions, workshops, courses and projects in development, as well as how you can work with us or donate.
Welcome to the Salty family!
Stay in the loop
Learn, shout and share the hype about the latest news about Salty’s latest productions, workshops, courses and projects in development, as well as how you can work with us or donate. Welcome to the Salty Family!
