PIP Theatre acknowledges the Yuggera and Turrbal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather together. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We recognise all First Nation peoples as the original storytellers of these lands and acknowledge
the
important
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continue to play in our community.
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CONTENT WARNINGS Adult themes & coarse language. This show contains some discussions that may be difficult for some audience members. Conversations include child sexual abuse, rape, mental health, self harm & suicide. This content is handled sensitively & honestly, and isn’t the whole focus of the play, however we are aware that it may still cause distress for some patrons. If any of the content from tonight’s show has affected you and you need to talk to someone, here are some wonderful organisations that can provide support.
Beyond blue 1300 22 4636
Lifeline 13 11 14
Qlife (anonymous and free LGBTI peer support) 1800 184 527
DIRECTORS NOTE I sat comfortably one Sunday afternoon, reading this script, finding myself doing multiple spit takes with my tea as this master storyteller’s words smacked me between the eyes - in the nicest possible way. This moving and funny play spoke to my need for belonging and connection, using the power of music to heal. Aidan Fennessy himself, described this play as ‘a celebration’. ‘It’s about the very deep need we all have to come together as a group.’ The disparate characters in this story are able to hold their differences, allowing each person to enter into relationships that make room for the rough edges that life creates when we rub up against it. There is no sense of preaching within this story. Instead it is raw and real, full of characters we can recognise and relate to - beautifully messy, sad, hilarious, and unpredictable. Challenging life experiences are explored with humour and honesty that allows us to sit in the discomfort without needing to rush through it. The Heartbreak Choir is an affirmation of community, a reminder that to truly listen to another person’s song is to play a part in creating a more harmonious world.
Sherryl-Lee Secomb DIRECTOR
CAST Catarina Hebbard BARBARA
Catarina Hebbard is an award-winning director, actor, producer, voice artist, mentor and teacher who has spent 30+ years saying “yes” to just about every kind of storytelling going. From theatre, film and TV to radio, opera and musical theatre; from classrooms to children’s theatre and inclusive practice, Catarina loves making work that connects, surprises and occasionally misbehaves. Catarina has a wonderfully eclectic performance career, spanning theatre, screen, voice and more, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. She is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of indelarts and Co-Founder of BC Productions, and has directed for Queensland Theatre Company, QUT and APAC. Her work with indelarts includes the award-winning Wilbur the Optical Whale, which toured across Australia.
Micheal Enright SAVANNAH
Micheal Enright is a Matilda Award winning, young Meanjin based creative, who has been performing for as long as they can remember. After graduating from ADPI with an Advanced Diploma in Musical Theatre in 2018 they have gone on to play many chaotic roles, such as Wednesday Addams - Addams Family (Phoenix Ensemble), and Son - Trail to Oregon (LoR), Broadway Your Way (Vox Theatre Arts), Medium Alison - Fun Home (PIP Theatre), Cordelia - Falsettos (Phoenix Ensemble) & Ensemble - All Shook Up (Phoenix Ensemble).
Gemma Galley MACK
Gemma is an actor, dialect coach, award-winning filmmaker and occasional playwright. Trained in classical voice at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and Musical Theatre at WAAPA, she’s worked extensively across stage and screen, playing everything from a shearer to a noble sixteenth-century recusant. Favourite roles have included a drunken snob in Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular and the bossy know-it-all Lysistrata in Germaine Greer’s adaptation of Aristophanes’ classic. (Because being typecast is such fun!) After years of touring Australia and South-East Asia with Interactive Theatre International’s immersive improvisational shows, she’s delighted to stay close to home and make her PIP Theatre debut.
CAST Brightholly Nininahazwe ASSINI
Initially attracted to directing, Brightholly was drawn to the power of visual storytelling. But along the way, she discovered a passion for acting and the opportunity it offered to explore different perspectives and bring meaningful stories to life. She graduated with a Bachelor of Acting in 2024 and has since explored diverse stories both within and beyond NIDA. Her credits include Romeo and Juliet (Juliet, 2023), An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Minnie, 2024), The Effect by Lucy Prebble (Dr James, 2025), and In the Next Room by Sarah Ruhl (Elizabeth, Understudy, 2025).
Deidre Grace TOTTY
Deidre’s recent stage performances include Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Fun Home, Grand Horizons, The Boys (PIP Theatre), Summer Rain (Villanova Players), Kitchen Diva (Mates Theatre Genesis), God of Carnage (Ad Astra), Streetcar Name Desire, Ladies In Black, Caucasian Chalk Circle (Brisbane Arts). She has completed four twelve-month acting intern/apprenticeship programs since 2018 (QLD Shakespeare Ensemble, NIDA Screen Studio, The Warehouse Studio, and Brisbane Arts). Deidre co-founded PIP Theatre and has remained its Artistic Director since its opening in 2022. After recognising the lack of opportunities for emerging actors to gain professional experience in Brisbane, Deidre, alongside a group of likeminded investors, established PIP Theatre to help create meaningful pathways for emerging artists. Deidre is a proud member of the MEAA.
Bradley McCaw PETER
Bradley McCaw is an Australian actor, singer-songwriter, piano man, podcaster and writer. His stage credits and original musicals include Becoming Bill, Any Moment and The Oasis. As a recording artist, he’s amassed more than 60 million streams, performed internationally and recorded at the legendary Capitol Studios in Los Angeles with session musicians including Nathan East, J.R. Robinson and Greg Phillinganes. A former member of The Ten Tenors, Bradley’s career spans theatre, original music, cabaret and live entertainment. Stream Bradley’s music wherever you listen and hear him talking art and life with fascinating people on his podcast, Ramble City.
CAST Benjamin Cole BEAU
After deciding upon a career in the performing arts in 2023 and completing a Diploma of Musical Theatre at Valmy Academy in 2024, Benjamin Cole has committed himself whole heartedly to this goal. He was contracted with PIP Theatre for 4 show seasons throughout 2025, and is thrilled to be back again. He is very grateful to be working in such a welcoming community with the most amazing people, and being able to contribute to it is an incredible pleasure. Recent shows include Singing in the Rain (24hr Musical), Mary Poppins (QMT) and Young Frankenstein (Millennial Prod.).
Emma Kidd
STANDBY FOR THE ROLE OF SAVANNAH Emma is an actress, voice-over artist, musician and visual artist based in Meanjin, Brisbane. As a Queensland Conservatorium Bachelor of Acting graduate and Queensland Theatre Youth Ensemble Alumni, she has trained intensively in acting, voice, movement and improvisation, developing an authentic and detail-driven approach to performance. Her recent theatrical credits include The Stepdaughter in Six Characters in Search of an Author (Ad Astra, 2026), Tess in Blue Stockings (QCGU, 2025), Megaera in Welcome to Thebes (QCGU, 2025), and Hatty Felecan in an award-winning Anywhere Theatre Festival immersive production; The Case of the Butterfly in the Jar (2025).
CREATIVES
Deidre Grace
Sherryl-Lee Secomb
Courtney Farrar
Jacqui Hall Cuny
Regan Henry
MUSICAL CONSULTANT
SET DESIGN
Hannah Page
Bill Haycock
Noah Milne
Bradley McCaw
PRODUCER
Costume Design
DIRECTOR
LIGHTING DESIGNER
STAGE MANAGER
SOUND DESIGN & OPERATIONS
COMPOSER (ANTHEM SONG)
THANK YOU KRIS ANDERSON GEORGIA HAUPT (G.DOCS) IGNITE CHOIR PERFORMERS AMELIA SLATTER JENNA TODD JASON BALKE GLENDA JOHNSON GRAHAM PAUL
IGNITE CHOIR Founded in 2005, Ignite Choir was created to fulfill the needs of Ignatians Musical Society members who were unable to be involved in full scale performances. Nearly 20 years on, we have grown from strength to strength. We now have anywhere up to 120 voices of all ages and abilities joining us on Tuesday nights in Sherwood to make fabulous music. We rehearse on TUESDAY nights at Sherwood State School, NEW Hall - Sherwood Rd, Sherwood.
Harmony Wollett CHOIR DIRECTOR (IGNITE CHOIR)
ehearsals are from 7:30pm - 9:00pm (social time R from 7pm - BYO mug) and sessions generally follow the school term dates with a break over the school holiday periods.
Looking to join? Send an email over to ignitechoirinc@gmail.com
COMING UP AT PIP!
LEARN MORE ABOUT PIP THEATRE
@piptheatreau /piptheatreau
piptheatre.org