Willem Whitfield
Willem Whitfield
Actor, Playwright
Whitfield is an award-winning creative producer. He’s known for producing the 48 Hour Film
Project in Brisbane, his work as marketing coordinator for Anywhere Festival and as an associate artist
with the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble. His original works include 'Hello, Gaz Rhumbo!,' 'Honey,
I’m Home!,' and 'Chat with Lucifer.'
Biography
Willem Whitfield is an award-winning director, producer, writer, actor, and graphic designer based in
Brisbane.
Since graduating with a Bachelor of Creative Industries in 2016, he has pursued a career managing
diverse creative projects across the performing arts, cinema and festival environments. Recently he
worked as Associate Producer for The Fae, an immersive puzzle experience, at the Woodford Folk
Festival between 2022-2024. He also served as Production Manager for the Queensland Shakespeare
Ensemble's production of Macbeth and the interactive murder mystery Wedding and a Murder for
FeverUp!
He has also held the position of Festival Director for the 48 Hour Film Project since November 2020,
where he manages the entire Brisbane leg of the international competition, including graphic design,
marketing, and social media outreach.
He maintains an independent artistic practice, consistently producing original theatre and film content
across South-East Queensland. In 2021 he wrote, produced and performed in his debut play, Hello,
Gaz Rhumbo! and trained as an Apprentice with the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble (QSE).
Soon after, he won Best Director and Audience Choice at Short & Sweet for his original work ‘Honey,
I’m Home!’. In 2022 he won the Anywhere Pick award for his immersive performance “Chat With
Lucifer”.
In 2023 he worked as a Director with the La Boite Assembly program and as the marketing coordinator
for Anywhere Festival.
This year he performed alongside Gideon Mzembe in ‘IAGO’ at Midsumma Festival in Melbourne and
is in post-production for his debut short film, ‘Ballooming’, a surrealist homage to Buster Keaton.
Ad Astra Plays
Upcoming Plays
Past Plays
Other Plays
2024 - Gallipoli: A Story untold (Theatre), Mohammed Hashem, Actor - Jeffery
2024 - IAGO (Theatre), Midsumma Festival, Actor - Joe/Iago
2023 - All My Friends Are Returning To Brisbane (Theatre), Stephen Vaag, Actor - Tobey
2023 - The Penelopiad (Theatre), Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble, Actor - Icarius
2022 - Time Travel Cafe (Theatre), SpaceFold Technology, Actor - Orson Welles
2022 - The Rover (Theatre), Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble, Actor - Frederick
2022 - King Lear Monster Show (Theatre), The Curators, Actor - Edmund
2021 - Honey, I’m Home! (Theatre), Short & Sweet, Actor - Gene
2021 - Hello, Gaz Rhumbo! (Theatre), Lightning Bolt Creative, Actor - Gaz
2020 - The Game (Theatre), Folly Games, Actor - Moby Rick
2019 - The Complete History Of Comedy (Theatre), Brisbane Arts Theatre, Actor - Will
2019 - Picnic At Hanging Rock (Theatre), Brisbane Arts Theatre, Actor - Albert
2018 - The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Theatre), Ad Astra, Actor - Will
2018 - X Files: The Musical (Theatre), Brisbane Arts Theatre, Actor - Agent Mulder
2018 - A Clockwork Orange (Theatre), Brisbane Arts Theatre, Actor - Georgie
2017 - B Movies: Live! (Theatre), Anywhere Festival, Actor - Dr. Adam Steele
Training
2021
2023 - Stage Combat, Pipi Cucu Movement
2023 - La Boite Assembly (Directors)
2023 - Embodied Awareness, Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble
2023 - Diploma of Graphic Design, Torrens University
2021 - Stage Combat in Shakespeare, Melbourne Shakespeare Company
2021 - Actor’s Dojo, Zen Zen Zo
2021 - Apprenticeship, Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble
2020 - Senior Ensemble, Backbone Youth Arts
2020 - Theatre Of The Oppressed, Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble
2020 - Linklater Voice 1 & 2, Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble
2020 - Embodiment, Performance & Feeding Your Creative Spirit, Emma Maye Gibson (Betty Grumble)
2019 - Monday Night Acting Class, Peter Rasmussen
2018 - La Boite Masterclass, Christen O’Leary & Emily Burton
2018 - Acting Class, Gareth Harris
2016 - Bachelor of Creative Industries, Queensland University of Technology
2012 - Bachelor of Teledramatic Arts & Technology, California State University
Representation
Freelance
Reviews
‘A fascinating play, with a whole lot going on. Hello, Gaz Rhumbo is a bizarre and fun-filled trip into the
life, and untimely death, of our title character.’
Nadia Jade - Nothing Ever Happens In Brisbane | Read Full Review
‘Emerging artist Willem Whitfield was outstanding in the role of Edmunde, crafting a captivating and
charismatic villain whose smirking lust for power and domination held the audience’s attention for
every moment he spent on the stage.’
Elise Lawrence - Backstreet Brisbane | Read Full Review
‘One of my favorite characters and actors of the night was Willem Whitfield as the menacing Edmunde.
Every time he stepped on stage he had a presence that was unmatched, he had a great balance of the
‘evil/unhinged’ brother and the ‘ever-pleasing’ son. I think he was cast perfectly in this role and
absolutely one to watch in this production and any to come. ‘
Liv Wilson - Absolute Theatre | Read Full Review
“When Gaz dies, he’s forced to reflect on how he lived in order to find a place to rest” … this is the description of “Hello, Gaz Rhumbo!” an absurdist scramble through life, love and death in modern Australia, written and starring Willem Whitfield.
Gaz Rhumbo - Blue Curtains | Read full review
Playing the lead, Willem Whitfield demonstrated his range, going from flirting to a full-blown argument in a matter of seconds.
Lauren Hale - Nothing Ever Happens In Brisbane | Read full review
Though he is a self-confessed fan of The X-Files, Whitfield explains you don’t need to be an all-out fan to appreciate this show's themes, gags and songs like ‘Oh No! There’s Something out There!
Creative Brisbane | Read full review