Ylaria Rogers | Director
Ylaria is a Canberra based director, actor, dramaturge and producer. Ylaria has collaborated across Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, London, Vietnam, this includes working with The Street Theatre, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centre, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, National Capital Orchestra, National Opera, The Hayes Theatre, Victorian College of the Arts, The Universe - Hanoi, and her own production companies, Heart Strings Theatre Co and Freefall Productions. Across these productions and companies, she has worked on a significant amount of new writing work as a director, actor and more recently, dramaturg.
In early 2021 Ylaria founded Canberra’s first semi-professional theatre company, Heart Strings Theatre Co. Its debut was a sell-out season of Urinetown The Musical, in Canberra September 2022. This led to a sell-out production at The Hayes theatre in Sydney, January of 2023. Followed by a production of The Hello Girls to critical acclaim the following year.
In 2020 she was selected for The Street’s Early Phase creative development program for her piece advocating to change society’s perception of those who have suffered childhood sexual abuse. The piece aims to destigmatize and release shame in talking about these events and empower the voice of the survivor. She received Arts ACT funding for We Are Not Alone’s development in 2022 and again in 2023 with Australian Cultural Fund support in2024. It’s journey has been at the heart of Ylaria’s work as a developing artist in 2024 and 2025.
Ariana Barzinpour | Assistant Director
Despite being a born-and-bred Canberran and long-time aspiring actor, Ariana has only recently discovered and gotten involved in the vibrant Canberra theatre scene. Keen on all facets of theatre-making, they made their stage debut in The Bestiary (ACT Hub Hub Fest), their playwriting debut in The ‘Logues (REP), and now their assistant directorial debut in Spider’s Web. They look forward to making many more debuts in many more productions.
Sarea Coates | Set Design, Properties
After a long history of designing weird and wonderful creatures for the stage, Sarea is excited to deliver her first set for REP and her first collaboration with the truly marvellous Dad’s Army (who really should be hired out to solve Australia’s building crisis). She has adored this new application combining design with story-telling and usability – what else would a ballet-dancing engineer do? Sarea is better known for her puppet-building Dragon Mother team (including the delightful Ange Fewtrell) – building the Dragon from Shrek (Freerain 2018) working with Ylaria, and hundreds of creations for Child Players ACT (such as the BGF giants and Bugs in James and the Giant Peach). Recently she has been playing at being a puppet pro for Questacon and the National Museum’s Mr Squiggle exhibit. Sarea originally stepped on the stage as a ballet dancer and teacher, with credits such as Westside Story (2002), Chicago (2003), Vagina Monologues (2003), Hair (2004) and Rent (2005). Most recently she’s loved being back on stage performing with her creations – Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors (Dramatic Productions 2024) and Lloyd the Camel in Joseph and his Amazing Technicoloured Dream Coat (Philharmonic 2025).
David Brown | Lighting Design
David is an accomplished lighting and projection designer with an extensive list of shows he has worked on previously with a range of theatre companies. David has been involved as a lighting operator for Canberra REP, Spider's Web is his lighting design debut fir REP. He has designed The History Boys, Quartet, The Wisdom of Eve, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Full Monty and Clue with Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company. He has also worked with Brighton Theatre Company on Fabuloso, Luther College on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Shrek the Musical, Seussical, Hairspray, Oliver! and Anything Goes, with Lightbox Productions on Dogfight and with SLAMS on We Will Rock You. David has also been the assistant Lighting Designer for Windmill Theatre Company’s production of Mamma Mia this year. David proudly holds Lyrebird Awards for Best Lighting for The Wisdom of Eve, The Full Monty, and Clue, as well as Lyrebird and VDL nominations for Best Lighting and Projection Design for many of the above shows.
Ange Fewtrell | Costume Design
This is one of her earliest memories and when her love of theatre was born. Growing up Ange was involved in numerous school productions and a member of Canberra Gang Show. She is currently the Production Manager of Child Players ACT. Recent costume work includes Little Shop of Horrors (Dramatic Productions) and Ruddigore (Child Players ACT). Ange was part of a working group established by the Canberra and Queanbeyan performing arts community in 2020 to develop an awards recognition system for community and independent based performing arts, the outcome of which was The Ovations – Canberra/Queanbeyan Performing Arts Awards, for which she is currently a judge. Ange is passionate about the importance of the performing arts as live theatre can be used for important social commentary as well as pure entertainment.
Neville Pye | Sound Design
Most recently Neville was the Sound Designer for The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Neville has produced an impressive array of sound effects for this production, which have been skilfully interwoven into this show. Nev always goes above and beyond – sometimes waaaay beyond! His dedication is deeply appreciated by all who work with him, as indeed are the ear plugs, during cast warm ups. Neville has been the Sound Designer on more than 60 theatre productions and radio plays, over the past 9 years, with Shadow House Pits, Canberra Repertory, Papermoon, Alchemy Artistic, Chaika, Everyman, Free Rain & Echo Theatre. His most recent highlights have been The Boys; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead & Three Tall Women (2022); Holding the Man, The Children & King Lear (2023); The Seagull, Dead Man’s Cellphone, Lord of the Flies & Away (2024); Baby Jane & The House of Bernarda Alba (2025).
