Here's a bit more on the show from those who helped to make it. These interviews are with some of Blue Moose's "The Warrior and The Princess" team.  They were filmed during rehearsals for our premiere season at The Blue Room Theatre in 2012.

MONICA MAIN – Director/Design/Performer


Victorian College of the Arts graduate 1986. Monica is an award winning actor & voice over artist, writer, director, improviser, corporate performer and MC. 2008 Equity Guild Award for services to the WA Professional Performing Arts.  Her Directing and Producing credits include Fifty Shades of Black: Director, co-creator Yorga Waabiny Productions & Yirra Yaakin Theatre Co, FringeWorld (2013), Kimberley Performing Arts Centre Broome (2013), Platform @ La Mama Courthouse (2013), The Warrior & the Princess: Director Blue Moose The Blue Room Theatre (2012), Black as Michael Jackson; Director, Dramaturge, Designer
Yirra Yaakin Theatre Co (2012), Navigating Rose; Writer, Director, Designer, the WA Maritime Museum (2009). The Spook; Co-Produced for Logos Productions at PICA, (2009).  Monica's One Woman play The Insect Spinster had 2 sell-out Perth seasons and toured to the Hong Kong Fringe Festival and La Mama in Melbourne. In Sept 2010 she performed her one woman show A Germ of an Idea at the inaugural Sydney Fringe Festival and presented a 3week season in June 2011 at The BlueRoom Theatre.  As a voice over artist, Monica has done - over 1000 campaigns and is a Golden Stylus Award winner. 


  SHIRLEY VAN SANDEN – Writer/ Design/Performer 

Shirley is an actor, writer, producer and director. Her commissioned work has been in Theatre for Young People with Barking Gecko Theatre Company (1001 Nights, Ghost Train, Hidden Dragons, Trains of Thought), Spare Parts Puppet Theatre (Grendel and the Gladiator) and Wildflowers in Focus for The Adorable Florables at Kings Park. Her adult plays produced by independent theatre companies include "Two Loud Slopey Chicks" and "The Hand and other creeping tales..." both Directed by Monica Main; and "Heartworm".  Shirley is a 3 times AWGIE (Australian Writers Guild) Award Nominee :"Hidden Dragons"(2005), "Trains of Thought" (2007) and "The Warrior and The Princess" (2013).  She won the WA Equity Guild Award for Best Actor, Female for her role in "Hidden dragons" and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Female for her role in "Gertrude Stein and a Companion" at the Performing Arts WA Awards 2014.  She has toured nationally and internationally several times with various companies. 

  IAN TOYNE – Performer


Ian’s Perth appearances have included Company and Rough Crossing at the Playhouse; The Seagull and The Glass Menagerie at the Hole in the Wall; Under Milkwood and Zen and Now at Swy Theatre; Romeo and Juliet and Bratwurst and Damper with Deckchair; Amadeus at His Majesty’s Theatre; and Me and My Girl and Annie Get Your Gun (Peach). He featured in the Perth Theatre Company’s The Goat, and Baby Boomer Blues. He toured Australasia in Les Misérables and Mamma Mia. He has featured in Sydney and Melbourne in Aspects of Love, Scrooge the Musical, Sweet Charity, Showboat, Follies, Into the Woods, Romeo and Juliet and Kafka’s Dick. He spent two years with the New England Theatre Company and appeared in Bluey Koala, Pinocchio and Who was Harry Larsen? Ian’s film and television appearances have included Neighbours, a Country Practice, Blue Heelers, Janus, Genie From Down Under, Crush, AE2 Gallipoli Submarine, The Circuit, Three Acts of Murder and The Great Escape – The Reckoning. Ian has been a proud MEAA member for twenty-nine years.
  
  BRIAN LIAU - Performer


Brian has been acting professionally since 2004, both on screen and on stage. He has thrilled children of all ages as characters from famous children's books, made adults cry as part of The Hotbed Programme which toured the sold out production of "The Laramie Project" and made everyone else roar with laughter as a standup finalist for the RAW Comedy Competition TWICE.
He has won Best Actor at a short film festival, received a special mention from The West Australian where he was described as "a hoot" and the first short film he made for a national competition in Singapore won Best Art Direction and Best Screenplay in 2011.
Brian has worked with the best in the stage and film industry both in Australia and in Singapore.  In 2014, he was nominated for a Performing Arts WA Award for his role in "The Warrior and The Princess'.
  

  RHODA LOPEZ- Performer


A proud member of Equity since 2003, and currently the recipient of the WA Equity Guild Best Actor (Female) Award for her title role in Lorelei by Deckchair Theatre, Rhoda is constantly looking to keep honing her craft as a performer. In 2012 Rhoda was in the premiere season of The Warrior and The Princess.  2013 saw her play a feisty Latina (Motherf*cker With the Hat), an obedient Filipina wife (Pluck!), an iconic French singer (Madame Piaf), a proud Cockney wench (Playhouse Creatures), a witch and a Lady in Macbeth, a sour baker in Scent Tales that toured WA, and singing with The Sirens (a roving musical act). 2014 will see her reprise some roles, but also some new ones in The Night Guardian for Fringe World Festival, and in A Streetcar Named Desire for Black Swan Theatre Co. With training in Certificate II and a BA in Music Theatre at WAAPA, Rhoda also has screen credits including The Great Mint Swindle (Channel 9), Marx and Venus (SBS) and StreetSmartz (Channel 9). Rhoda thanks those who continue to support the arts!


MARK TURTON - Musician 


Mark Turton is a professional musician/pianist currently working in Perth Western Australia as an accompanist for the dance department at WAAPA and the WA Ballet Co . He has composed and performed for a range of Theatre and Dance productions (2004-13).  Mark’s recent productions include composer/performer John Curtin College of the Arts (contemporary dance performance 2013) music director for Kindly Leave the Stage; Oh Want a Lovely Cruise; The Good Companions; Jack and the Beanstalk (2004-08 Total Theatre Co) and performer composer for Showtime (Collaboration with Phillippa Clarke Fremantle Arts Centre 2005).  In 2000 Mark wrote, produced and composed for the play A Strong Left Hand which had a successful critically acclaimed 2 week season at the Rechabites Hall, Perth.   In 1989-92, he composed and performed the recorded music series Music for Dance (with Wency D’Sousa); which has been used by dance schools and companies throughout Australia.

PAULA COOPS – Stage Manager
Paula is a Stage Manager extraordinaire having worked  on more productions than most have had take away meals. In addition Paula was nominated for a 2014 Performing Arts WA Award for Best Director for her work on "The Guys" (Classis Works).