Current Panel Members

Panel head:
DAVID READ’s cabaret endeavours have sold over 100,000 tickets. He founded and directed the Melbourne Cabaret Festival and Short+Sweet Cabaret; toured shows internationally; saved The Butterfly Club from closure and overhauled it into an iconic arts venue; and is a national Helpmann Awards judge.
“Into an artistic climate which fosters cynicism and fear of independent work, David has injected a sense of honesty and passion which has reinvigorated cabaret as a viable performance form” –Tim Minchin
Members:
MATTHEW GRANT is the founder of Melbourne’s premier cabaret venue, The Butterfly Club. His 30year work history as an artist and curator, has enabled the development of some particularly innovative and award winning work, both here in Australia and abroad. He has produced and directed numerous theatre productions and has written a bi-lingual (Chinese-English) children’s book. He is well travelled, holds a Masters Degree in Arts and a Fourth Masters Degree in the Japanese art of Ikebana.
JULIA HOLT is an Executive Producer with over 20 years experience in the Performing Arts / Festival industries. Her previous roles include Founding Director Adelaide Cabaret Festival (2001-2008) and Director of Programming and Marketing, Adelaide Festival Centre (2000-2004). Julia is currently Director of Tout Suite, a boutique production house and consultancy, developing and presenting local and international works that pique her imagination.
JOANNE CALLAGHAN
FIONA SCOTT-NORMAN is a writer, performer, arts journalist, DJ, broadcaster and director. She has co-written and directed several cabaret shows, including Yoni (from Tripod)’s first solo show Mandaddy, Wes Snelling’s Man Diva, J’stan Dupont’s Existential Romp, and Catch A Falling Star starring Eddie Perfect, Paul McCarthy, and Emily Taheny.


Fiona also reviewed cabaret for many years at The Age and founded the Green Room Cabaret Panel.
JON STEPHENS is a director, producer and writer in cabaret, theatre, film and television. He has worked with many of Australia’s leading and emerging cabaret artists. He was artistic director of CAFÉ K, one of the first modern-era Melbourne cabaret venues. An occasional Creative Consultant (Butterfly Club) and Artistic Associate (The Famous Spiegeltent), he has been a Greenroom Cabaret Panel member, Melbourne Fringe and Short and Sweet Cabaret Judge (2011).
JOHN THORN has been an active member of the Melbourne Cabaret scene since 1985 writing, producing and accompanying many shows. He has worked with most of Australia's cabaret stars as musical director or composer and is the producer and accompanist of Spontaneous Broadway. He has a Green Room award for musical direction and has been nominated another 6 times.
PAUL WILLIAMSON has been Co-presenter/producer of the popular weekly show “The Cabaret Room” on JOY 94.9 since October 2010. Prior to that he was a Blog reviewer / Summer host on “The Fool and the Opera”. He is a subscriber to many arts organisations including Australian Chamber Orchestra, Opera Australia, Melbourne Theatre Company, Production Company, Red Stitch Actors Theatre and Victorian Opera.
On Leave:
CASEY BENNETTO has made a nuisance of himself all around the Melbourne artistic community: he's been a mech, he's been a tech, he's been a writer, performer, director, broadcaster, FOH & stage manager. He's most well-known for writing "KEATING!" His last project (with Nick Caddaye) combined the Nativity and "The Terminator" – that's the kind of intellect we're dealing with here, people. I'd skip down to Veronica immediately if I were you.
VERONICA BOLZON has been passionately producing and project managing shows, festivals and public events for the past 12 years. Her producing credits include Floogle Theatre Company's Ollie and the Minotaur, Helpmann Award nominated A Company Of Strangers, Irish Chanteuse, Lady Carol, and countless shows and events with Strut & Fret Production House for Brisbane Festival, Adelaide Fringe and The Sydney Opera House. She currently delivers the Film Festival Program at ACMI. Veronica has been on the Cabaret panel since 2009.
ANNA PIDGEON arrived in Australia in 2006 and since then has been heavily immersed in the Australian performance scene. She has worked within the industry in a number of roles including production management, stage management, venue management and as a producer. Co-founder of independent production company, ‘Seesault’ and currently working as Stage Manager for Circus Oz she is dedicated to supporting Australian performance and independent artists and venues.