Terence O'connell
Terence O’Connell director/writer
Terence started his career as a member of the acting company at the Playhouse, Perth, appearing in Barefoot In The Park, Hamlet On Ice, The Star Spangled Girl, A Phoenix Too Frequent, The Threepenny Opera, The Tempest, Sweet Bird Of Youth, Over Gardens Out, Guys And Dolls, Rooted, When Did You Last See My Mother?, Rope, Death Of A Salesman and The Lady From The Sea. He was then accepted into NIDA’s Directors Course.
Upon graduation, he created Riverina Trucking Company where he spent four years devising original musical theatre and directing everything from Shakespeare to rock musicals. He also appeared in A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg, The Rocky Horror Show, Macbeth, Cabaret and Tommy for Riverina Trucking Company and New Moon Theatre. Since then he has directed some 150 productions in theatres, concert halls, circus tents, comedy venues and cabaret rooms across Australia and internationally.
His work in musicals includes Bad Boy Johnny (Comedy Theatre), Darlinghurst Nights (Sydney Theatre Company), Jesus Christ Superstar (Canberra Theatre Centre), Ned Kelly, Cabaret (New Moon Theatre),Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story (Australia,New Zealand), The Rocky Horror Show (Australia,New Zealand), They’re Playing Our Song, The Pajama Game, Crazy For You, Damn Yankees, Oklahoma!, 42nd Street, The King & I, Kismet (The Production Company), Into The Woods, Bat Boy, Cabaret, Gypsy, Working (Federation University), Nine (LaSalle College Of The Arts), Oklahoma!, 42nd Street (WAAPA), Shane Warne-The Musical, Metro Street (Adelaide Cabaret Festival), Carrie-The Musical, Dreamgirls, Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, John & Jen (Chapel Off Chapel), Antarctica (Theatre Royal, Hobart) and Esgee’s Pirates Of Penzance at Empire Theatre, Toowoomba.
Other work includes Circus Oz (Australia, Edinburgh, Los Angeles), Steaming (Comedy Theatre), When I Was A Girl I Used To Scream And Shout, Crystal Clear (The Wharf, Sydney), Decadence (National Tour), Frank’n’ Stein, School For Clowns (Arts Centre), The Kitchen Sink (Red Stitch), The 39 Steps (National Tour), Bouncers (National Tour), Certified Male (Australia, New Zealand, Dublin), Flying Fruit Fly Circus (Australia, London, Glasgow), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, No Orchids For Miss Blandish (New Moon Theatre), Design For Living (TN Theatre, Brisbane),Circus Senso (Albany Empire, London), Spiegelworld’s Empire (Australia, New Zealand, Montreal, Tokyo), Death Suits You (Melbourne Cabaret Festival),Carnival Of Lost Souls (National Tour), and the National Tour of Around The World In 80 Days.
Terence has devised, written and co-written many of his productions including Life On Mars: The Words And Music Of David Bowie (New Moon Theatre), Fairground Snapz, Paradise Taxi, Dizzy Spells (Last Laugh, Melbourne), Reviewing The Situation: Lionel Bart (Hayes Theatre, Sydney), Greek Goddess: Melina Mercouri (Gasworks) and Minefields And Miniskirts: Australian Women & The Vietnam War (Playbox/Malthouse National Tour).
He is currently adapting two classic Australian memoirs for the stage, I Can Jump Puddles and One Crowded Hour: Neil Davis, Combat Cameraman and co-writing Melinda Schneider: Be Yourself which premieres at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. He next directs the Australian Premiere of Tom Wells’ Folk at Ensemble Theatre, Sydney.