LITTLE ONES THEATRE is a queer theatre company formed by director Stephen Nicolazzo and designers Eugyeene Teh, Katie Sfetkidis and Daniel Nixon. Dedicated to investigating gender and queer aesthetics, Little Ones Theatre make works that are kitsch, camp, sensual, and erotically-charged.
From Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker to Charles Busch and Christos Tsiolkas, Little Ones Theatre’s productions are a theatrical pastiche of cinematic, literary, and cult references that are colourful, wild, fierce, and visually striking. With high production values and a sacred love of camp, Little Ones adapt classic and contemporary texts in a variety of forms. Their primary focus is to queer text-based plays or devise poetic dream-like performances that are inspired by canonical queer writers.
Working with a key ensemble of ten performers, the company has developed its own heightened physical and emotional style since its inception in 2012, embracing the ridiculous, twisted and joyful possibilities of theatre.
Presenting works in association with Australia’s leading companies and festivals, Little Ones Theatre has toured productions to Sydney, Brisbane, and Darwin from their Melbourne home since 2012. The company has had sell out, critically acclaimed seasons across the country and presented works in association with Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Theatre Works, Griffin Theatre Company, Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre, MKA, Midsumma Festival, La Mama, Brisbane Festival, Darwin Festival, and Brisbane Powerhouse.
Little Ones Theatre have won 5 Green Room Awards, including Best Director, Best Set and Costume Design, Best Writing, Best Performer, and Best Female Performer. They have been nominated for a total of 24 Green Room Awards and 6 Sydney Theatre Awards. In 2019, Little Ones Theatre was nominated for 4 Green Room Awards including Best Performer, Lighting Design and Sound Design & Composition. In 2018, Little Ones Theatre was nominated for a record 14 Green Room Awards, with all three of their 2017 productions, Merciless Gods, The Happy Prince, and The Moors up for the Best Production category.
Little Ones Theatre have also been nominated for 6 Sydney Theatre Awards, including Best Independent Production, Best Director, Best Female Actor in a Leading Role (Janine Watson and Catherine Văn-Davies), Best Costume Design for The Happy Prince in 2019 and Best Supporting Female Actor (Genevieve Giuffre) for Psycho Beach Party in 2012. They won Best Female Actor in a Leading Role in an Independent Production (Janine Watson).
The company’s works have been featured in Best of Theatre lists since 2012. In 2017, the company achieved a mammoth feat, having two shows (Merciless Gods and The Moors) feature in the Top 10 Theatre Shows of 2017 for The Age. All three of their 2017 works featured in best of lists around the country including: Time Out (Melbourne and Sydney), The Music, My Melbourne Arts, Sometimes Melbourne, and Kevin Jackson’s Theatre Diary. They have been featured in best of theatre and yearly round ups for The Age, Herald Sun, Sydney Morning Herald, Time Out, Audrey Journal, My Melbourne Arts, Sometimes Melbourne, Across The Aisle, Keith Gow and Kevin Jackson’s Theatre Diary. Productions featured include: 2012 (sex.violence.blood.gore, Psycho Beach Party) 2013 (Psycho Beach Party), 2014 (Dangerous Liaisons), 2015 (Dracula), 2017 (The Moors, Merciless Gods, The Happy Prince), 2018 (The Nightingale and the Rose, Suddenly Last Summer) and 2019 (The Happy Prince).
They were also listed in the Daily Review’s 21 Hot Young Theatre Makers for 2014.
2019 (Sydney Theatre Awards)
Best Female Actor in a Leading Role
Janine Watson, The Happy Prince
2018 (Green Room Awards)
Best Director
Stephen Nicolazzo, The Happy Prince
Best Set and Costume Design
Eugyeene Teh, The Happy Prince
Best Performer
Jennifer Vuletic, Merciless Gods
Best Writing
Dan Giovannoni, Merciless Gods
2014
Best Female Performer
Genevieve Giuffre, Psycho Beach Party
2019
Best Performer
Jennifer Vuletic, The Nightingale and the Rose
Best Lighting Design
Katie Sfetkidis, The Nightingale and the Rose
Best Lighting Design (Companies)
Katie Sfetkidis, Suddenly Last Summer
Best Sound Design (Companies)
Daniel Nixon, Suddenly Last Summer
2018
Best Production
The Happy Prince, Merciless Gods
Best Production (Companies)
The Moors
Best Director (Companies)
Stephen Nicolazzo, The Moors
Best Performer
Paul Blenheim, Sapidah Kian, Merciless Gods
Best Actress (Companies)
Alex Aldrich, The Moors
Best Lighting Design
Katie Sfetkidis, The Happy Prince
Best Lighting Design (Companies)
Katie Sfetkidis, The Moors
Best Sound Design
Daniel Nixon, The Happy Prince
2016
Best Director
Stephen Nicolazzo, Dracula
2014
Best Ensemble
Psycho Beach Party
Best Director
Stephen Nicolazzo, Psycho Beach Party
2013
Best Female Performer
Whitney Boyd, sex.violence.blood.gore
Best Sound Design
Claudio Tocco, sex.violence.blood.gore
2019
Best Independent Production
The Happy Prince
Best Director
Stephen Nicolazzo, The Happy Prince
Best Female Actor in a Leading Role
Catherine Văn-Davies, The Happy Prince
Janine Watson, The Happy Prince
Best Costume Design
Eugyeene Teh, The Happy Prince
2012
Best Supporting Actress
Genevieve Giuffre- Psycho Beach Party
(DIRECTOR/CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR)
Stephen is a Melbourne based theatre director. He is the founder of Little Ones Theatre, an independent company focused on innovative queer theatre-making. Stephen studied at The University of Melbourne (2008) and NIDA (Directing, 2010).
He is a Green Room Award winner for Best Direction (The Happy Prince) and has been nominated a further three times (Psycho Beach Party, Dracula, and The Moors). His works have won 7 Green Room Awards and been nominated for a total of 30. Stephen was also the recipient of the Besen Family Artist Program award with Malthouse Theatre and a PlayKing funding award to work in Singapore with Wild Rice Theatre Company.
He has directed for Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane Festival, Darwin Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Melbourne Cabaret Festival, Midsumma Festival, Theatre Works, Darebin Arts Speakeasy, MKA, and La Mama. His works have been critically acclaimed and toured to sold out houses across the country.
Directing highlights: Daddy (Arts House, Yirramboi Festival, Performance Space, Brisbane Festival), Abigail’s Party (MTC), The Nightingale and the Rose (Theatre Works), Suddenly Last Summer (Red Stitch), Merciless Gods (Griffin Theatre Company, Darebin Arts, Arts Centre Melbourne), The Moors (Red Stitch), The Happy Prince (Griffin Theatre Company, La Mama), Playing to Win (Arts Centre), Meme Girls (Malthouse Theatre), Dracula (Theatre Works), Dangerous Liaisons (MTC Neon, Brisbane Powerhouse, Darwin Festival, Theatre Works), The House of Yes (Theatre Works), Special Victim (Adelaide Cabaret Festival), Salome (Malthouse Theatre), Psycho Beach Party (Theatre Works, Midsumma Festival, Brisbane Festival, Tamarama Rock Surfers), sex.violence.blood.gore (MKA, Tamarama Rock Surfers), Negative Energy Inc. (Theatre Works, Midsumma Festival), Women of Troy (Cellblock Theatre), and Home Economics (The Store Room).
Stephen is also a teaching artist who is currently co-ordinating and lecturing for Monash University’s Centre of Theatre and Performance in Directing and Dramaturgy.
His current projects include: a return season of Daddy by Joel Bray (Arts Centre Melbourne), the Brisbane main stage premiere of The Happy Prince (La Boite Theatre Company), the world premiere adaptation of Christos Tsiolkas’ Loaded by Dan Giovannoni and Christos Tsiolkas (Malthouse Theatre), Sarah Ruhl’s Orlando (Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre) and the development of a new work entitled Suspiria de Profundis (Arts House).
(LIGHTING DESIGN/CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR)
Katie Sfetkidis is a contemporary artist and lighting designer living and working in Melbourne. She recently graduated from her Masters of Contemporary Art at the Victorian College of the Arts where she was the recipient of the National Gallery of Victoria Women’s Association Prize.
Katie’s multidisciplinary feminist practice includes the use of video, performance and role-play as tools for social critique. Her work often combines parody with serious intent, in order to question patriarchal structures in art institutions and politics. Recent work includes a book and performance series “Making a Feminist Life” and video series Pop Politics Mashup. Katie has shown work with a number of festivals and galleries in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Recently she performed as part of the Feminist Colour- In at ACCA for their Unfinished Business: Perspective on Art and Feminism and as part of Doing Feminism/Sharing the World residency program. SHe has also shown at Trocadero Artspace (2017), Festival of Live Art, Melbourne (2016 & 2014), Underbelly Arts Festival, Cockatoo Island, Sydney (2013), Light Speculation, Lab14 – Carlton Connect Initiative, (2015) and Blindside Gallery Nite Art Series (2013).
As a theatre lighting designer Katie is the winner of the 2015 Green Room Award for her lighting design for Meme Girls. She has also been nominated on several occasions most recently in 2018 – for both the Companies and Independent Theatre categories. She has worked with companies in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane including: Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, La Boite and Darlinghurst Theatre. She is also the current co-artistic director of Independent queer theatre company Little Ones Theatre and has also worked with many independent Melbourne theatre companies including: Aphids, She Said, Sisters Grimm, Fraught Outfit, I’m Trying to Kiss You and Dirty Pretty Theatre
(SET AND COSTUME DESIGN/CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR)
Eugyeene is a theatre maker, lecturer, architect and designer across theatre,dance and opera. Recent design credits include Endgame, Straight White Men, Hungry Ghosts, Abigail’s Party and Working with Children (Melbourne Theatre Company); Blaque Showgirls, Meme Girls, and A Social Service (Malthouse Theatre). As a co-artistic director of Little Ones Theatre, his many designs include The Happy Prince trilogy, Merciless Gods (with Griffin Theatre Company); Dracula, Dangerous Liaisons (with MTC NEON); Salome (with Malthouse Helium); Psycho Beach Party and The House of Yes. As resident designer for MKA, his designs include The Trouble with Harry, The Unspoken Word is ‘Joe’ (Griffin Theatre Company); Triangle and sex.violence.blood.gore. Other recent credits include Adena Jacobs’ Titus Andronicus (Bell Shakespeare), Shanghai Mimi (Sydney Festival, Moira Finucane) Melbourne Festival’s Lady Eats Apple (Back to Back); Book of Exodus Part II (Fraught Outfit); Exil and The Howling Girls (Sydney Chamber Opera, Hong Kong Theatre Festival); In Between Two for Sydney and Melbourne Festivals, and Coloured Aliens (La Mama). He is a recipient of a Green Room Award, the Keith and Elisabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship and was a participant in the Besen Family Artist Program.