The Big Sing

John has enjoyed an extensive career in corporate entertainment, stage, radio and television in his home state of Tasmania for over 30 years for a variety of companies and organisations. On the mainland stage, John has most recently been playing COWARDLY LION in the Australian touring production of WIZARD OF OZ and has previously appeared as Stewpot in Opera Australia’s South Pacific, Dick Woollnough/Dee Anthony in The Boy From OZ for The Production Co., Mitch in The Threepenny Opera for Malthouse and STC, Spider/Lord Savage in Jeckyll & Hyde for TML in Korea, Mr. Braithwaite in BILLY ELLIOT The Musical for Universal/Working Title, and Pumbaa in The Lion King for Disney Theatrical Productions in Perth, Melbourne and Shanghai.

His Television credits include Bay of Fires ABC), Tailings (SBS), ROSEHAVEN (ABC), The Kettering Incident (Foxtel), Winners and Losers (7 Network), Tricky Business (Nine network), Dance Academy (ABC), City Homicide (7 Network) and John Safran's Race Relations (ABC). His Film credits include Ancestry Road (Dark Epic), A Journey Through Time with Anthony (Zhou Xun), Macbeth 1040 AD (Dark Oak), The Sound Of One Hand Clapping (Artist Services) and Back From The Dead (Pocket Money Productions) and his voice can be heard in the films Legend of the Guardians, AUSTRALIA, Daybreakers, Mao’s Last Dancer, Two Fists One Heart, in mini-series for CLEO, False Witness, Scorched, and on TV shows Wild Boys, Rescue Special Ops and Slide.

In 2006 John was nominated for a Mo Award for his role as Pumbaa in The Lion King. John is a Public School Ambassador, an Australia Day Ambassador, a finalist in 2015 Tasmanian Australian of the year, a co-founder/producer and board member of Hobart independent actor’s company Blue Cow Theatre , Big Monkey Théâtre, Legends of Revue and Bawdy Pantos, and a broadcaster on ABC local radio. John is also the former Artistic director of the Australian Musical Theatre Festival.

He constantly performs with Tasmanians answer to the Rat Pack, without hair, CROON.

As a producer of musical theatre John began his career in the early 90s with a production of Camelot at Hobart’s Theatre Royal. Since then he has produced over 20 musicals with Gilbert and Sullivan Society, X,Wellington Wellington, X and the Theatre Royal Management Board and in 2018 with John X Presents, record breaking WE WILL ROCK YOU at Hobart’s Theatre Royal that enjoyed a 99% capacity. Most recently John X Presents produced Tasmania’s first fully professional commercial musical theatre production Richard O’Brien’s ROCKY HORROR SHOW in October/November 2021 breaking all Tasmanian musical theatre records.

Currently John is in pre-production for ANNIE The Hit Broadway Musical at Théâtre Royal Hobart in October, Big Monkey Theatre’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND and Shakespeare in the Gardens 12th NIGHT in Jan 2025.

Jude Elliot is an acclaimed musician who has worked extensively throughout Australia, LA and New York as a touring artist, studio vocalist and songwriter, alongside some of the world’s top musicians and producers. In a career spanning twenty years, she has nurtured her love of songwriting through recording a sea of studio albums, composing for theatre, film and working collaboratively and continuously on music projects. Her love of artists such as Joni Mitchell, Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlisle inform and inspire intricately woven lyrics and instrumentation in her compositions. Jude currently resides in Tasmania where she runs a boutique voice studio, produces music, performs and composes original works.

Nicole is a trained singer and performer with over 30 years experience. A popular artist in Hobart’s Festival of Voices, she headlined the sell-out 80’s Chorus show at the Odeon Theatre, backed by Pete Luscombe and the RockWiz band in 2019. Nicole also presented an Eva Cassidy tribute show and performed alongside Johanna Allen in a cabaret show Bittersweet. She regularly appears with the Matt Ives Big Band and ‘Croon’ at the Wrest Point Showroom, and Theatre Royal. Nicole also performs in the jazz quartet, Simmer, who have appeared in the Hot August Jazz Festival 2019 and the Clarence Jazz Festival in 2020, and at Aura Bar for DarkMofo. Nicole is a founding member of the glamorous vocal trio, Swoon, who have performed at Carols Under the Stars, Theatre Royal, and Wrest Point Showroom during 2019-2021.

One of Hobart’s favourite Theatre performers, some of Nicole’s performance highlights include the role of Elphaba in Wicked and the Witch in Into The Woods both at Hobart’s Theatre Royal (for The Show Company), the Killer Queen in the sell-out season of We Will Rock You and the role of Edith in ‘Allo Allo’ (both John X productions).

Nicole is also a voice over artist (TV and film), a session vocalist, recording vocals for local original songwriters, and is currently working on her first album of original songs. A voice coach and mentor, Nicole travels across the state to perform at corporate functions for events, charities and is in high demand as a vocalist at sporting events to sing the national anthem. She is available as a soloist, Jazz quartet, pop folk guitar duo, and with the gorgeous ladies of Swoon.

Mia Palencia co-ordinates the Songwriter programme at the Conservatorium of Music. She is passionate about songwriting education, creative process as well as collaborative music that celebrates the old and new.

Before embarking on her academic journey, Mia spent the first 10 years of her career as a recording musician, releasing 6 albums in both the jazz and singer-songwriter genres and performing extensively throughout South-East Asia. In 2010, Mia was offered a full scholarship to study at the Conservatorium of Music. She has since been awarded a University Medal in recognition of her work and is currently completing her PhD.

Mia is a highly-sought after composer for musical theatre, film and television. In 2014, she was commissioned by the Kuala Lumpur City Council to compose her first musical, MUD: Our Story of KL. The show ran for an unprecedented 3 years, making it Malaysia’s longest running musical. Her second musical, Ola Bola The Musical (2017), has enjoyed three successful runs and won 8 awards at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, including Best Original Score. In 2017, Mia was also invited to compose and produce “So Many Hands”, which became the official theme song of the 2017 South East Asian Games. In 2018, Mia embarked on a five-city tour of Malaysia with Tasmania’s Derwent Valley Concert Band (DVCB) to premiere a new suite of works. The Pengertian Suite is a modern-day immigrant story, drawing from Mia’s family heritage, as well as her journey to Australia.

KARAI is a Singer-Songwriter Guitarist based in nipaluna/Hobart, lutruwita/Tasmania. Beginning his professional career in 2007 at the age of 18, KARAI has carefully crafted his vocal range, agility, guitar playing and high energy stage theatrics which lead him to tour Australia and internationally with the likes of Sampa the Great, Ngaiire, Matt Corby, Okenyo and Chet Faker.

Inspired by Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Nick Hakim, Jeff Buckley & Prince - KARAI’s folk-soul songs have strong social commentary whilst allowing the listener to develop their own connection.

B.S Roberts is the founding member of two of Australia's most popular folk acts - The Timbers and the Ukulele Death Squad. With a career spanning over a decade, He is a multi-award winning artist for both his solo artistry and collaborative work. His solo performance will strip everything back to the bare bones of his life experiences and get to the essential essence of song, poetry and storytelling. He has been best described as a true balladeer of the Australian heart.

Image credit: Michael Carver

Medising is the name of the healthcare choir established by founder and chairperson, Dr Jennifer Macqueen (Emergency Physician and department deputy director at the Royal Hobart Hospital).

This choir was established as part of a departmental wellbeing initiative whereby the word ‘wellbeing’ was rebranded to ‘CRAG”…Celebrating Resilience and Grit! It was thought that ‘CRAG’ more accurately reflected the day-to-day challenges and reinvigorated the appetite for staff to have some fun away from the workplace. The choir comprises people working across critical care services in Hobart, including Ambulance Tasmania paramedics, Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency doctors and nurses, as well as aids, clerks, orderlies and all those making up the patchwork of staff involved in emergency care.

Like many, the last few years have been particularly challenging for emergency department staff and paramedics. An opportunity was provided by the Festival of Voices corporate choir challenge last year to have some fun and rekindle that sense of belonging and connection with colleagues and community. ‘Medising’ was prescribed! The powerful tonic of singing together, laughs and banter made the Festival Of Voices challenge incredibly fulfilling and a therapeutic medicine. Medising were thrilled to take out both the Audience Favourite Award and the Judges Overall Best Choir Award.

Following such an uplifting beginning their choir is continuing with weekly rehearsals and performances throughout Hobart.

JESSA is a Hobart based SSA vocal ensemble founded in 2022 by singer and educator Jane Edwards and accompanied by Sarah Chick.

Since inception, JESSA has become a significant force in Tasmanian choral music, performing a minimum of five concerts annually, including their own subscription series, and appearances at Festival of Voices. Modern repertoire is very much their focus, with presentation of leading contemporary English, American, Scandinavian and Baltic State composers. Importantly, JESSA champions Australian composers, and has a commitment to Tasmanian works, having already presented numerous SSA compositions by expat Ben Van Tienen.

JESSA is currently involved in discussions with leading composers including Sally Whitwell, Joseph Twist, Andrew Ford and Angus Davison, and look forward to presenting their works in future concerts.

Photo credit: Moss Halliday Hall