Leland Kean

Artistic Director

Leland is the Artistic Director of Tamarama Rock Surfers Theatre Company LTD (TRS). He has over ten years directing, dramaturgy, design, producing and venue management experience in the independent sector which includes eight years with TRS and the Old Fitzroy theatre, four of these as artistic director. Since graduating from the NIDA directors course in 1997 his career has been dedicated to the development and production of new Australian writing and contemporary performance practice. This experience has played a vital role in the strength of TRS artistic vision over the last decade and is intrinsic to the curatorial vision of the company. Under his tenure as Artistic Director Leland has been responsible for the Programming and presentation of over 40 main stage productions and five annual programs, 2005 ‘A Season of Heaven’, 2006 ‘Blow it Up’, 2007 ‘Season of Rock’, 2008 ‘A Wave of Words’ and 2009 ‘Fragments from the Fringe’. His directing credits include THRALL by Sue Smith, Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somereset by Stephen Carlton, This Blasted Earth – A Christmas Miracle with Music, Cu*t Pi by Toby Schmitz and Harrys’ Christmas by Steven Berkoff (TRS), Woyzeck (0ne Man Prod.), ATM (Sydney Festival 2002), Happy New and Men by Brendan Cowell (Rogue Star Prod.) Where the Wild Things Are (Naked Eye Prod.), Blasted by Sarah Kane (NIDA). He was the associate director on Cross Sections by Suzie Miller (TRS) in 2004 and for the return season at the Sydney Opera House in 2005. He is a regular dramaturg with key organisation Playwriting Australia and is a committee member of the Critical Stages touring program. He is a co-founding member of Kicking and Screaming New Writing Theatre and was a resident director with Rogue Star Productions from 2000-02. Leland received a Skills and Development grant from the Australia Council for the Arts in October 2005 to be trained as the artistic director of TRS and the Old Fitzroy Theatre under then Artistic Director Alan Flower and General Manager Kar Chalmers. In 2009 Leland will direct Rock, Paper, Scissors by John Ad Fraser and The Best Hotel in the Dam by Toby Schmitz for TRS at the Old Fitzroy and How to Act around Cops for Shaman Productions at the Darlinghurst Theatre.

EMAIL LELAND