A Transgender Woman on the Internet, Crying: In Concert

Cassie Hamilton (she/her) is a writer and performer based on Gadigal land. Her new musical, A Transgender Woman on the Internet Crying, was awarded the APRA Professional Development Award in 2025. The work has been developed with the Hayes Theatre, Homegrown, and last year at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Her play, Animal, was shortlisted for the 2023 Griffin Award and had its premiere with Brand X in 2024. Cassie was a co-writer on the drag, road-trip musical film Satranic Panic, which premiered at SXSW in 2023 and was recently released on Shudder. Her queer farce, Daddy Developed a Pill debuted at the Kings Cross Theatre in June of 2022, before touring to Theatre Works in 2023.

Blake Appelqvist (they/them) is a Māori (Ngāti Porou) and Swedish multidisciplinary artist who graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre).They played “Demetrius” in The Lovers (Bell Shakespeare), “Harry” in FANGIRLS (Belvoir) and “Clyde Barrow” in Bonnie & Clyde (Joshua Robson Productions) and annually produce “Theys at the Hayes” a variety event celebrating trans, gender diverse and nonbinary talent. Last year, Blake starred as “Romeo” in & Juliet (Michael Cassel Group) earning them a Green Room Award Nomination for Best Supporting Artist in a Musical for their portrayal of this iconic Shakespearean lover.

Rosie Rai (she/her) is an actor, singer, trained jazz pianist, self-styled queer disco-pop songwriter and party-starting DJ based in Naarm (Melbourne). A darling of the cabaret stage, Rosie is a consummate entertainer and multi-disciplinary artist. Graduating from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2015, she has performed at venues and festivals all over the world, including the Sydney Opera House, ABC studios for Triple J's Like A Version, Pitch music festival, Genstee Festen (Belgium), SingJazz (Singapore), and Splendour in the Grass. She was the music co-director of Gender Euphoria: Mighty Real at the Darlinghurst Theatre for World Pride in 2024 and again at the Melbourne Arts Centre later that year, and was also a member of the Green Room Award winning show FUTURE JOY CLUB presented by Finucane Smith. Her foray into DJing over the last 3 years has seen her become one of the most in-demand in her city, and she was awarded DJ Of The Year at the Melbourne Entertainment, Drag and Burlesque Awards 2025. She recently starred in Pablo Alfierri’s Short Film “1 NIGHT” and composed and recorded the score for Mark Gambino’s Film “SHADOWS”.

Teo Vergara (they/them) is a Naarm born performer who completed their final year of study at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2020, where they graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Music Theatre. Teo initially began their training in 2017 at Centrestage Performing Arts School’s full-time course. Since training in singing, dancing and acting, Teo has taken their skillset to work in areas of both stage and screen. From 2021-2022, they were a part of the Australian premiere production’s original cast of “Jagged Little Pill: The Alanis Morrissette Musical” dir. By Leah Howard, where they debuted in the ensemble and as understudy to the role of Jo. Earlier this year, Teo also made their screen debut in “Crazy Fun Park” directed and created by Nick Verso as Bridget. They then moved on to make their sophomore guest star debut in “Turn Up The Volume” as Quinn – another visible queer character for young audiences. 

Jean Tong (they/them) is an Associate Artist at Melbourne Theatre Company and will be directing the world premiere of Benjamin Law’s adaptation of DYING: A MEMOIR for the 2025 Season. Jean's TV writing credits include episodes on: Netflix’s HEARTBREAK HIGH (S2), SAFE HOME (SBS), anthology series EROTIC STORIES (SBS), and ABC’s 100% WOLF (S2). They were also the Script Co-ordinator for NEW GOLD MOUNTAIN (SBS). For theatre, they’ve written: FLAT-EARTHERS: THE MUSICAL (Griffin Theatre and Hayes Theatre Co), HUNGRY GHOSTS (Melbourne Theatre Company), CAESAR (La Boite Theatre), and ROMEO IS NOT THE ONLY FRUIT, a Best Writing & Best Ensemble nominee (Green Room Awards 2019).

Lillian Hearne (she/it) is a trans neuroqueer musical director, composer/arranger, and actor-musician living and working on stolen Gadigal land. Her theatre credits include Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); A Little Night Music (Hayes Theatre Co., Assistant Musical Director / Clarinets); No Love Songs for Lady Basses (Trans Theatre Collective, Co-composer / Musical Director / Keyboard / Clarinets); The Turn of the Screw (Hayes Theatre Co. and Craig Baldwin, Assistant Musical Director / Keyboard); A Transgender Woman on the Internet, Crying (in Concert) (Home Grown, Musical Director); and Theys at The Hayes (Hayes Theatre Co., Musical Director / Clarinet and Saxophone). Lillian is currently developing her new trans barbershop harmony rom-com musical Afterglow with co-creator Sheanna Russon, and recently musical directed a staged reading of a 20min musical she co-wrote with scriptwriter Kate Knott as part of Hayes Theatre Co.’s 2-Day Musical Challenge.

Since graduating from NIDA in 2022, Ruby Jenkins has received many nominations in recognition for her work. In 2026 Ruby was nominated for two Sydney Theatre Awards; Best Stage Design of an Independent Production for The Edit, and Best Costume Design for a Mainstage Production for The Player Kings. She has also previously received a nomination for the 2023 Australian Production Design Guild Award for Emerging Designer for a Live Performance or Event, and the 2024 KXT bAKEHOUSE Award for Design Excellence, for her set designs for Seven Days of Silence and dog respectively. Ruby’s recent theatre design credits include set and costume design for; Werkaholics dir. Nicole Pingon at Belvoir 25a (Purple Tape Productions, 2025), Misery Loves Company dir. Mathew Lee at KXT (Legit Theatre Co.,2024), dog, dir. Kim Hardwick at KXT (We Are Not Producers, 2024), [BLANK] dir. George Lazaris (NIDA Open, 2023), Banging Denmark! dir. Madeleine Withington at New Theatre, (2023), set design for The Edit dir. Gabrielle Scawthorn at Belvoir 25a (Legit Theatre Co., 2025), costume design for; Chapters 4, 5 & 6 of The Player Kings dir. Damien Ryan at the Seymour Centre (Sport for Jove, 2025), Furious Mattress dir. Margaret Thanos at Belvoir 25a (Legit Theatre Co., 2025) Tell Me on a Sunday dir. Blazey Best at Hayes Theatre Co (Michelle Guthrie Presents, 2024), and Turn Up Your Radio Exhibition as Exhibition Concept Designer/Drafter (Adelaide Festival Centre, 2023). Last year Ruby also worked as the Design Assistant in the Art Department on the hit Netflix television series Heartbreak High.

Rachel Rui Qian Lee (she/her) is a lighting designer and artist based in Naarm. She works primarily with new writing and is the co-creator of theatre collective MASHH (Mm And Something Happens Here).

Rachel designs across several companies and festivals including Dying: A Memoir, Topdog/Underdog, Never Have I Ever, I Wanna Be Yours , Laurinda and The Heartbreak Choir (Melbourne Theatre Company), Manifesto and Escalator (Stephanie Lake Company), Death of A Salesman (GWB Entertainment and Red Line), The Hate Race, Telethon Kid, Stay Woke and Hello, World! (Malthouse Theatre), Gender Euphoria (Mama Alto and Maude Davey), Peacemongers and Security (Darebin Speakeasy), Single Ladies and Ulster American (Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre), Easy Riders (APHIDS) and various installation works across Flash Forward (City of Melbourne). She has been nominated and awarded several Green Room Awards. MASHH is an award-winning collective that has been creating and presenting works since 2017. Recent works include I Am Seaweed and 《落叶归根》 (Luò yè guī gēn) Getting (Singapore M1 Fringe Festival & Melbourne Fringe Festival).

Nick Moloney is a lighting designer and programmer based in Naarm/Melbourne. They have worked across dance, theatre, circus and live music with clients such as Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc, Stephanie Lake Company, All the Queens Men and many more. As a design associate with Additive Lighting, they have worked on a wide range of projects including public art and architectural lighting installations with clients such as the City of Melbourne and Melbourne Museum. Nick is a graduate of Melbourne Polytechnic and the Victorian College of the Arts.

 Em-Jay Dwyer (they/she) is a Sydney-based sound designer, operator, performer, and composer. Their previous accolades include their award winning sound design for Hunchback of Notre Dame (Regals Musical Society), their performance as The Informant in the Sydney premiere of Spies Are Forever (North Shore Theatre Company), and their previous sound designs for Being Alive (Hayes Theatre Co), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pinwheel Productions), Holiday Inn (Well Done Creative), and Urinetown (Heart Strings Theatre Company). Additional notable roles include Sound Engineer for Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre Co), The Producers (Joshua Robson Productions). Pirates of Penzance (Hayes Theatre Co), Flat Earthers: The Musical (Griffin Theatre Company x Hayes Theatre Co), Little Women (Joshua Robson Productions), and Ride the Cyclone (Hayes Theatre Co). Em-Jay recently featured as a writer and a performer with Home Grown Musicals Australia both in Melbourne and Sydney.