Current Ensemble
Chiara has loved to tell stories through the arts from a young age, but it was only the beginning of her passion for theatre. She then went on to studying full time at Federation University Arts Academy. There she was given the opportunity to perform characters such as reviving the role of “Cutie Pie” in the Australian Musical rival of Tribe, written by Anthony Crowley, Bertha in Jane Eyre , directed by Dr. Ross Hall, and her graduating role of Ismene in ‘Welcome To Thebes by Moira Buffini, directed by Dr. Kim Durban. After graduating, she has played Marigold in an interactive experience called Packing by Eleni Telemachou which had the opportunity to be part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2023. Chiara also has been involved in student short films such as How to be Immortal by Elle Cruz, starring as Lucien the immortal. by the close of day is Chiara’s first collaboration with BYTE.
Oscar O’Brien (he/him) is an emerging creative based out of Melbourne (Naarm) who has been up to a lot of mischief acting and writing in 2023. Oscar studied at Federation University Arts Academy, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Performing Arts in 2022. Oscar has both written and performed for the regular Comedy on the Rocks shows across 2023 at the Motley Bauhaus and played Lachlan Green in A Zoom Group Project: The Musical, directed by Stephanie Lee. In late 2023, Oscar played the Hobo as part of the live theatre experience of The Polar Express, with the Bellarine Railway. Most recently Oscar played Vinnie in Op Shop Til You Drop, an original musical created by Victoria Mertzanidis for the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2024. Merry Wanderers of the Night is Oscar’s first collaboration with BYTE.
El Kiley is an English/ Australian actor living and working Naarm. Graduating with a BA from Fed Uni Arts Academy in 2020, she has performed with the Australian Shakespeare Company as Rosalind in As You Like It (2022), at Theatreworks in Wildefang Productions The Marvellous Life of Carlo Gatti (2022), Baggage Productions Mad Women Monologues (2022) and Five by Five Theatres Ohio! (2023). Her screen credits include Audrey (2022) with RMIT, The Red Symphony (2023) with SAE and Unpalatable (2023) with Deakin. She is also trained in Improv, Shakespeare performance and Le Coq technique. Fractured Love is El’s first production with BYTE.
Elsa is an actor, singer and writer born and bred in Melbourne. From a young age, she was drawn to the stage and stuck to it as she grew. Elsa performed in many productions throughout her younger years and beyond, including two international theatre tours of Europe and Asia. Some of these productions include: Lysistrata, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Juan, Noises Off, Under Milkwood, and Joachim Matschoss’ Star of Wormwood and Night Duty. Elsa took a hiatus from the stage to work as a creative in the advertising industry. However, she is now working solely on completing her first novel, Divine Power, and in 2024 will join BYTE’s production of Merry Wanderers Of The Night. In 2025 Elsa will appear in by the close of day.
Jess is a graduate from Federation University with a Bachelor of Performing Arts completed in 2021. Whilst training Jess performed roles such as Packer and Sprenger in Vinegar Tom, Emma in Made in Dagenham and was a key Player in Exquisite Corpse, a self-devised theatre piece. Since University Jess has worked in Dogfight (Theatrical), as Jay (lead) in the short film I Fought the Love, and other commercial work. Merry Wanderers of the Night will be her first collaboration with BYTE, followed by a new piece, by the close of day.
Born and raised in Bangkok Thailand, Georgina has been involved in many mediums of performing arts. She studied in Bangkok and got her first taste of the stage in a production of Beauty and The Beast and Little Shop of Horrors. She was a stage manager and appeared in multiple theatre showcases throughout her teenage years, devising original work. Georgina graduated through the International Baccalaureate, during this time she learned ballet and contemporary dance at the Dance Center School of Performing Arts where she was a part of many performances, ranging from group to solo material. She also has been a member of Bangkok Aerial Space for 8 years, familiarizing herself with aerial silks and hoops, performing as a part of their team as well. Georgina was working under Rachadalai Theatre for a period of time in 2020 as a supervisor for their summer camp. She helped monitor workshops while managing backstage during performances. She then took an acting course at the National Institute for Dramatic Arts in Sydney and is currently doing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology at the University of Melbourne. Georgina collaborated with BYTE on the Shakespeare-mash-up Merry Wanderers of the Night. She is also involved in the mono drama before I knew her and the piece by the close of day.
Stevie McKeon (she/they) graduated from 16th Street Actors Studio in 2021 and since then Stevie has been lucky enough to perform across a range of creative projects. This includes performing an original cabaret at Chapel off Chapel, recording a successful audiobook, touring nationally with a children’s theatre company and performing at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Stevie is a queer performer and is passionate about the power of storytelling and performance as a tool to elevate and represent marginalized voices and communities. It’s not your fault you’re my weakness is Stevie’s first collaboration with BYTE. Fractured Love will be a further production with BYTE.
Talya discovered her interest in acting during her years studying at her local Melbourne High School. Performing major roles in her school’s productions of Hairspray, Grease, Dags and Metamorphose, while engaging in smaller drama projects throughout this time; Talya found her passion for performing.
After graduating in 2019, Talya took some time away from the stage, and is excited to be exploring the creative arts again working with BYTE. Talya made her debut performance with BYTE in the 2022 show Drama School and is currently exploring the material for the international touring piece The Problem is the Ending (2023/24). She will also appear in Merry Wanderers of the Night in 2024. In 2025 Talya will appear in by the close of day.
Joachim Matschoss was born in Germany and now lives in Melbourne. He is a playwright, poet and Theatre-maker. Joachim is the Artistic Director of BYTE and has created theatre in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, India, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Taiwan, Switzerland and China. His poetry is published in Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USA. In recent years Joachim has worked with street kids and underprivileged youth in Jakarta/Indonesia. He was involved in a performance project dealing with Human Rights and a project about racial harmony in Germany. Joachim wrote and directed over 50 productions for BYTE and enjoys the collaboration with other artists.
Joachim published a travel journal in Australia, Away with me and a novel in the USA, Dead River Oaks. A book about theatre and travel, Rain Overnight was published in India. More recent collections of poetry include: Travel with Myself, Sidewalk Theatre, dew on mornings. past, stolpersteine and in 2023: The value of things.
Ben is an independent theatre maker based in Melbourne. Ben is one of BYTE’s associate directors. He also works to create his own theatre under Contiguous Productions a name for his slowly forming production company. His performance history includes; Star of Wormwood, an international tour (2013/14) with BYTE. Cosi with Burwood Student Theatre Company, in which he won a Lyrebird award for his commended performance for the role of Zac. Roadwork Ahead and Teaching and Learning with BYTE. Contiguous: The Original Stories & Contiguous Evolves: Sitting in the Now with Contiguous Productions. Dirty Sexy Opera with BK Opera. Ben has also assisted directed with BYTE on their production of By the End of the Year. Ordinary Australians for BYTE (2019). Ben has appeared in BYTE’s project Drama School in 2022 and was assistant director and stage manager for shadowfall (2023) in its La Mama season.
Huw is a graduate of the National Theatre Drama School and the RADA Acting Shakespeare course. He was acknowledged for outstanding achievement in VCE theatre, drama and filmmaking, featuring in the VCAA Top Acts and Top Screen. He’s played major roles in Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, Abigail’s Party, Chekov At The House Of Special Purpose and toured nationally playing the lead role in The Gizmo. As well as creating several short film projects, he appears in features That's Not Me, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears and popular web series Love Songs. Huw’s first performance with BYTE was on original piece, Smith Street, working closely with the ensemble and shifting from character to character to create am immersive experience for the audience. Huw has appeared in BYTE’s project Drama School (2022). Huw will also appear in Merry Wanderers of the Night in 2024.
Amalia’s passion for acting began at a young age when she found no greater joy than being on stage. Moving from Adelaide to Melbourne in 2018, Amalia has found a love for the screen as well as the stage, having worked on several projects, including short films and features. Her most recent being a lead role in ‘The Desperate’ which debuted at HorrorHound Film Festival in America, where Amalia placed as runner up for best actress. Amalia is an Alumni of the Howard Fine Acting Studio. She was appearing in Hedda, Nora, Julie and Me on its international tour in 2021/22. Amalia also appeared in BYTE’s Shakespeare exploration The Twelfth of Love (2022) and shadowfall (La Mama 2023). Amalia will next appear in Merry Wanderers of the Night in 2024. Fractured Love will be a further production with BYTE.
Giacinta is a 23-year-old actor from Melbourne. Since completing a Bachelor’s degree in Acting from Federation University (formally BAPA), she has been involved in a variety of short films and screen projects, as well as a number of theatre shows, including Agamemnon, Blue Stockings and Margaret of Anjou. With training in Greek Theatre, Shakespeare, Stanislavski, devising and stage combat, she is interested in exploring the diverse facets of performance and storytelling.
Giacinta has joined the BYTE community, working within the ensemble in Smith Street. She also appeared in shadowfall (2023). Giacinta will next appear in Merry Wanderers of the Night in 2024.
Verity Wood is an actor born and raised in Melbourne. Verity is one of BYTE’s associate directors. She completed her BA in acting at Federation University and is currently practising Clowning, Le Jeu and Fitzmaurice Voice with Fabio Motta. After completing her Bachelor, Verity travelled to Japan in 2017 where she was fortunate to workshop with Butoh artist Ima Tenko, who has been practising her craft for over thirty years. In 2019 Verity spent a month in the Berkshires (Lenox, Massachusetts) where she participated in the Summer Training Intensive at Shakespeare and Company.
Verity has been working with BYTE on various projects including: dew on mornings. past, Smith Street (2021), On a Bridge North From Here (2022), Hedda, Nora, Julie and me (2022), Drama School (2022) , The Twelfth of Love (2022) and ophelia.maybe (2022/23). Verity has discovered the importance of play and hopes to bring magic to any future project. Verity’s next project with BYTE is Merry Wanderers of the Night in 2024.
Ariani is a photographer and videographer who has been part of the arts and music industry since 2013. Ariani started out by photographing live music and ventured into dance and theatre not long after. She has become a part of the BYTE family very quickly – creating promotional photos and trailers for productions in collaboration with the team. Her past works with BYTE includes trailers for Missing in Me, What Country Friends is this? The Deep Freeze Option, By the end of the year, ophelia. maybe, Hedda, Nora, Julie and Me, the problem is the ending, Merry Wanderers of the Night, before she knew me, fractured love. Ariani continues to capture life on stage, hoping to constantly be inspired people and things around her.