IN 2023
Mashed Theatre has been touring across Queensland, Northern Territory and New South Wales since 2018, and since then we have undergone some major changes, developments, and evolutions.
Our mission is to deliver quality arts education theatre productions to schools across Australia, offering an eclectic range of shows each with a unique approach and a focus on mashing together styles of theatre and tailoring our productions to the English & Drama syllabus with a couple of Well-Being shows to boot!
We not only provide 9 incredibly entertaining and educational live shows available for booking all year round – we also offer commission work for your next live school production. We have worked with multiple schools now to help bring their production to life by providing original and engaging scripts, fully-realised sound and visual design, and a dedicated director to help bring the production together.
In 2021 Mashed Theatre opened up Mashed Films, which has allowed us to expand into the film industry and we are currently producing alongside Kolpoori, Continuance Pictures, Arcadia & Screen Queensland two feature films set to film in 2023.
Our acting classes for young people have taken to the sky, seeing our team work with over 100 students in 2022. Our family of young actors keeps growing from our junior drama classes to our senior screen acting classes.
We are very excited for the future, and 2023 is set to be one of our biggest years to date. If you haven’t yet had the Mashed Experience at your school or in your life – we don’t wanna say that you’re missing out… But.
That being said – meet our ever-expanding family!
Matthew Caffoe
Founder & Artistic Director
Matthew Caffoe is an established Queensland artist, self-professed literary nerd, and the Founder and Artistic Director of Mashed Theatre Inc. Graduating with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts: Major Acting degree from USQ in 2009, Matthew has since worked extensively in theatre, voice-over, and arts education both nationally and internationally for 12 years. His unique approach to writing, performing, and devising has excited educators across Australia for the work he brings in to schools. Matthew has written 13 plays that have toured professionally, and is the head writer for an upcoming Australian Feature Film being produced by Continuance Pictures. Matthew brings a wealth of experience from the theatre and film industry into the education industry, having worked with such companies as Shake & Stir Theatre Company, Rotstrasse5 Theater, Harvest Rain TC, Stormborn Productions, and more.
Drew Mclean
Touring Company Actor
Drew graduated with a Bachelor of Theatre from the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 2020 and since then has been working with a Children’s Theatre Company and in immersive Theatre productions. Drew has worked in Brisbane in Children’s Theatre and toured with both Primary and Secondary shows throughout Qld. She is excited to join Mashed Theatre to combine her love of touring and live theatre.
Aleisha Smart
Youth Engagement Co-ordinator
Aleisha Smart is a Toowoomba based actress and facilitator. Aleisha has performed in various shows, including; Bertolt Brecht’s Round Heads and Pointed Heads, directed by Emily and David Burton (2018), A Dream Play by August Strindberg, adapted and directed by Shake & Stir’s Nelle Lee, The Crucible (2021) and The Hanging (2021). After graduating with a Bachelor of Creative Arts, Majoring in Theatre (Acting), Aleisha has continued to explore the use of the creative arts in education. Using skills obtained through working with The Starlight Foundation and The Travelling Sisters she is now undertaking a Masters in Education (Primary) in order to expand the field of creative arts
Jennifer Laycock
Art For Earthlings/Collaborative Partner
Jennifer Anne Laycock is a Brisbane based creative. She is a graduate of Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Frances, as well as the Bachelor of Creative Arts majoring in Theatre at the University of Southern Queensland. She works as a freelance theatre and film performer, as well as visual artist, model and filmmaker.
She is the Artistic Director of Art for Earthlings. A new platform dedicated to using art forms to excite and inspire people of all ages about environmental conservation. Art for Earthlings will be touring their shows to regional schools throughout QLD and NSW. She believes that real change can be made by using art as a device for sharing these important messages.