Roslyn Johnson
Roslyn Johnson
Director
Roslyn Johnson has been performing, directing, and working in theatre for over thirty years. Her past projects are as diverse as world premieres of original musicals and touring educational shows. The recipient of multiple directing awards in drama festivals across Queensland, Roslyn is a well-respected community and independent artist.
Biography
Roslyn’s early experience is mostly sourced from her native North Queensland, directing plays for Townsville Little Theatre: including critically acclaimed productions of Cosi and The Children’s Hour. She began to experiment with different theatrical contexts by creating touring ‘bookgigs’ and short works in unusual spaces and was assistant director on the theatrical juggernaut Nicholas Nickleby for Tropicsun Theatre.
As a high-school Drama teacher, Roslyn has directed more than her share of school musicals: including Little Shop of Horrors, Grease, Back to the Eighties and many others for schools across the state. As the teacher of the Senior Centre of Excellence in Drama at Cairns State High, she was gifted numerous creative opportunities to create theatre.
Ad Astra Plays
Upcoming Plays
Past Plays
Reviews
“McPherson’s play had an off-Broadway debut in 1990 and then an adaptation as a Hollywood A-list film in the late-1990s. But to me, it seems right at home in an off-off mainstage, indie setting. And at Ad Astra in Brisbane, the story is brought to life by an impeccable cast, under confident direction from Roslyn Johnson. There is no doubt, this play has some very dramatic moments – that are up close in the Ad Astra studio – so it takes constraint and confident hands at the helm to balance the laugh-out-loud humour with the pathos.”
Jake Goodall - Bravo Brisbane | Read full review
“The modest domestic setting of so many of these scenes is another strength in how Director Roslyn Johnson makes the work accessible to an audience easily able to recognise the interactions between siblings, or with a parent or child.”
Meredith Walker - Blue Curtains | Read full review
“With direction by Roslyn Johnson this production captivates the audience and intrigues them at every turn. With the added challenge of such an intimate theatre (with the audience less than 1m away from the actors) Johson took this in her stride utilising the audience’s viewpoints at every opportunity. Assisted by Meg-Louise Snieder, it is evident that Johnson and Snieder took care in every blocking and movement choice. On occasion the blocking felt a bit forced, however, as the production continues it is sure to become more natural for the actors.”
Jake Goodall | Read full review
Other Plays
In South-East Qld, her talents have been honed by a range of community and independent groups’ repertoire in range of projects including musicals (Pirates of Penzance, Blood Brothers, Secret Garden), and well-known plays (Noises Off, Much Ado about Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew). As coordinator of the Beenleigh JETS program, she directed youth musicals (Seussical, Narnia). She has served as the artistic coordinator for the Beenleigh Theatre Group, directing the Gold Palm-awarded production of Billy Buckett: A Rock and Roll Love Story. In 2019 she directed a critically acclaimed production of The Crucible for BTG and in 2020 adapted The Great Gatsby for performance in an Art Deco venue by Footlights Theatrical as well as directing The Lion in Winter for Villanova Players.
As Artistic Director of independent company Footlights Theatrical, Roslyn has directed Tell Me On a Sunday, First Date the Musical, and curated/produced a number of successful events for them. She was delighted to be the inaugural director for Ad Astra, directing black comedy Female of the Species, and looks forward to helping create another theatrical jewel in Marvin’s Room.
Training
B.Arts UQ
B.Ed JCU
Zen Zen Zo Teacher Training
NIDA Introduction to Directing
NIDA Directing Masterclass