About Us
Claudine Stephan-Smith -
Co-Artistic Director
Claudine was a professional dancer and musical performer in Europe for 10 years. Since studying at LAMDA London (Shakespeare) and NIDA (Post-graduate Movement Studies) Claudine has directed a number of productions for Mercury's Wings, including Sweet Phoebe by Michael Gow, Art by Yasmina Reza, Endgame by Samuel Beckett, and Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, which was nominated for 8 Gold Coast Area Theatre Awards.
Claudine directed Hamlet for Gold Coast Little Theatre in2006, and revisited the piece with R U Hmlt? in 2010.
Commissions include Endgame by Samuel Beckett for the Gold Coast City Council Cultural Convention (2008), Bedtime Stories for Queensland Theatre of Puppetry (2009), Balancing Act (2007) and The Selfish Giant (2008) for Gold Coast Dancers Company, as well as a performance piece of The Ugly Duckling for the unveiling of a sculpture in Musgrave Park for Gold Coast City Council (2009).
James Anderson - Co-Artistic Director
His recent Queensland performances include 'Carbon Dating' which played at the Arts Centre, Gold Coast and toured S.E Qld regional centres under the ACGC Regional Stages Ignition Program. He played Orsino in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' directed by Matilda Award winner, Jennifer Flowers and Benedick in 'Much Ado About Nothing' for which he was nominated Best Actor at the 2009 Gold Coast Theatre Awards.
In 2010 James created the title role in an original work by Frank Theatre, ‘The Reckoning of Christian Badengood’. This production was invited by Tadashi Suzuki to perform at The Toga International Theatre Festival, alongside Suzuki’s revered productions of ‘King Lear’ and ‘Kachi Kachi Ama’. In 2011 James attended the Shakespeare's Globe International Actors Fellowship, under the direction of Timothy Walker.
James is a company member of Frank Theatre and has trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Meisner Technique at the Actors Playhouse in Melbourne and Suzuki Method with the Frank Theatre, Brisbane. Recently he was accepted to work with Complicite, as part of their London workshop program.