Elizabeth Surbey

Elizabeth had a passion for theatre and performing from her youth and was a keen contributor to the joint school musicals- mostly the Gilbert and Sullivan romps. Once she headed to university this passion dominated with a 4 year stint at UNE in Armidale encompassing both performance and directing as major components of her Double Major in Drama and Major in English Literature.

The year after graduation she found herself not only at the newly formed Actors’ Centre but also teaching high school drama. She is still there, teaching, directing, writing for high school Drama and on the side across the years has performed in small season productions at Q theatre and directed several productions for the Short & Sweet program being a part of the inaugural group.

Keenly she has represented other drama educators as committee member then President of Drama NSW also representing NSW on the National Committee at Drama Australia National Conferences. She completed her MA a century ago also with a focus on Drama & Theatre at UNSW. She is now a mum of two and recently directed her sixth Musical – perhaps now coming full circle in the scheme of things. She was contributing and consulting editor on a major Drama text for Cambridge Uni Press “Drama ReLoaded”.

More than anything she loves theatre and is very keen to share her experiences with this forum. Each year she directs secondary students in plays from Australia and across the globe, in productions large and small.

75 posts by Elizabeth Surbey

HEAVEN: BITCHEN WOLF AT QTOPIA

Mairead (played demonstrably by Lucy Miller) and Mal (played sensitively by Noel Hodda) are married. This weekend they return to their home country in Ireland for a wedding. They’ve been together some twenty years and have a young

Read More »

ANNIE: BRINGING BACK A PROMISE FOR TOMORROW

Annie, the mischievous little orphan made famous by the original comic strip, has been singing about the promise of tomorrow and the sun coming out for nearly half a century on stages around the globe. She remains as cheerful, courageous,

Read More »

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS @ THE HERSTORY FESTIVAL 2025

I have had the opportunity to pre-emptively interview Rebecca McNamee about her new play which will be showcased at the HERStory Festival at Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company this April.

About Abigail Williams

What inspired you to write Abigail Williams?

Read More »

HENRY 5 BY BELL SHAKESPEARE, DIRECTED BY MARION POTTS

This is our time. Here we are in the now—not on the blood-soaked battlefields of history, but in a world where young men fight their own inner demons.

Marion Potts deliberately and insightfully reimagines Shakespeare’s England in the context of

Read More »

SEVEN DEADLY SINS & MAHAGONNY SONGSPIEL

Directed by Spark Sanders-Robinson
Conducted by Philip Eames

Featuring pianist Nathaniel Kong

Music by Kurt Weill | Libretto by Bertolt Brecht – 4 Stars

The Seven Deadly Sins, composed in 1933 in Germany, is a ‘sung ballet’ that seamlessly

Read More »
Scroll to Top