Welcome to Salty Theatre.
“Salty Theatre have once again proven why they are a force to be reckoned with.”
– Australian Arts Review
Salty Theatre
began like every
great idea begins.
Welcome to Salty Theatre.
Our Story
Founded in 2019, Salty Theatre has quickly made a name for itself as a company that provides a culture of premiering new, lesser-known and intimate musicals to Australian audiences while nurturing and celebrating the next generation of musical theatre artists. Built from a fierce passion and excitement for musical theatre, company director Ashley Taylor Tickell aims to build inclusive, thought-provoking and engaging creative experiences that encourage connection and for for audiences and artists alike.
Within 3 years, Salty Theatre produced sold out seasons of their first three productions, all Australian Premieres, People Suck: A Musical Airing of Grievances, Top Gun! The Musical at Chapel Off Chapel and Voldemort the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody. In 2024, Ashley took the company into its first producing partnership, alongside Vass Productions, to premiere the acclaimed West End musical, The Grinning Man. This partnership has also seen the launch of the Australian Musical Theatre Artists Collective as well as development sessions with such industry legends as Stephen Flaherty, to help support and nurture the creation of new Australian musicals and the artists who help bring them to life.
One year after launching, Salty Theatre introduced The Hatch Lab – a new Australian Musical Theatre development program that offers Australian writers and composers the opportunity to develop and workshop their works while learning from globally renowned mentors and industry professionals to gain invaluable insight and the tools needed to explore, experiment and develop new musicals in an empowered, supportive and transformative environment.
“Salty Theatre has landed in Melbourne with their feet running”
4 Stars – People Suck, Artshub
Foster
Create
Ignite
Our Mission
At Salty Theatre, we help foster the creative abilities of performers and artists in all stages of their careers and encourage a tenacious growth mindset in our creatives and collaborators through curiosity, discovery and a fearless desire to ignite the imagination.
As a female-led boutique theatre company, we encourage diverse representation of all bodies and cultures on and off the stage to support greater representation in creative leadership and performance.
Dedicated to upholding our grassroots ethos and vision to build a lasting bridge that supports global collaboration, we continue to connect with and debut the works of both local and international writers and composers.
Salty Theatre has become a hub for performers and creatives…
Both up-and-coming and seasoned, to feel nurtured, challenged and emboldened. A place where artists have the opportunity to create and develop new work, hone their craft and engage with new audiences. A space to create fearless, raw, at times ridiculous , and always captivating theatre. A home that welcomes curiosity and like-minded creatives to a community where they can safely take risks, feel challenged and build a future in theatre.
“Salty Theatre has provided me with invaluable support as an emerging female artist, helping me to realise my directorial vision and collaborate with other emerging creatives to produce work of an extremely high standard. Their ambition, professionalism, and conscious casting policy is what all Australian theatre companies should aspire to. I feel so fortunate to be part of their growth as a new company, and am very excited to see the body of innovative Australian theatre they produce in the years to come.”
“An underground highlight.”
“Salty creates a space that is welcoming and nurturing of all stories. They create an environment where an artist can bring their experiences to enrich the work, no matter their background. Salty has a priority to care for its artists which in turn takes care of and enriches the work. I am honoured to have become a part of the Salty family who has their eyes set on the future, and looks to make the face of theatre mirror the society we live in. As someone who has been in the industry for almost 20 years professionally, Salty Theatre is the future of theatre.”
Meet the Team
Meet Ashley
Ashley Taylor Tickell
Owner & Co-Founder
Ashley is the Owner and Director of Melbourne based theatre company Salty Theatre and is an agent with Monument Management, co-owned by Charley Conway and Paul Dainty AO. Her career spans 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, first as a performer before transitioning into the roles of producer and director.
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!
