Past Winners

2018 Rob Guest Endowment Award

ANNIE AITKEN


Finalists:
Ashleigh Rubenach, Joel Granger, Todd Jacobsson, Courtney Monsma, Lyndon Watts


2018 Musician Award

KATIE ROBINSON



2018 Technical Award in Honour of Sue Nattrass

BRITTANY COOMBS



2017 Rob Guest Endowment Award

GEORGINA HOPSON


Finalists:
Stefanie Caccamo, Jayme-Lee Hanekom, Thomas McGuane, Imogen Moore and Morgan Palmer


2017 Musician Award

Anthony Barnhill



2017 Technical Award in Honour of Sue Nattrass

Natalie Carige



2016 Rob Guest Endowment Award

LINDEN FURNELL

Since winning the Rob Guest Endowment Award in 2016, Linden’s roles include: Harry in Kinky Boots (Michael Cassel Group) in which he also covered the lead role of Charlie and he has just been cast as Johnny in American Idiot (Shake & Stir Theatre Company) which will be touring in 2018.

Previous Australian credits include: Roger in Rent (Hayes Theatre Company/Highway Run Productions); for which he was awarded the Glug Award for Best Performance by a Newcomer, Violet (Blue Saint Productions) and Fiyero in Wicked (Packemin Productions)

Theatre credits in Singapore include La Cage Aux Follies, The Cat in the Hat, Edges, Howie the Rookie, Next To Normal, A French Kiss, The Last Five Years, A Singaporean in Paris, 2 Houses, Great World Cabaret and Lucy Prebble’s play The Effect.

Linden is also an accomplished songwriter having released an EP under the name of Linden Charles in 2016 and is currently working on a new album.


Finalists:
Du Toit Bredenkamp, Hilary Cole, Stefanie Jones, Genevieve Kingsford and Matthew Predny.


2016 Musician Award

EMMA FORD



2016 Technical Award in honour of Sue Nattrass

ASH KURRLE



2015 Rob Guest Endowment Award

DANIEL ASSETTA

Daniel trained in all facets of performing arts from the age of 4 at the Glenda Yee School of Dance and then perfected his craft at ED5 International completing a Diploma of Performing Arts.

Daniel was offered professional representation with Jeep Management whilst still completing his full time training and almost immediately booked his first show with an ensemble role in Wicked touring NZ then Australia then Asia.

An incredible highlight of Daniel’s journey so far has been winning the enormously prestigious Rob Guest Endowment in 2015 after winning the ‘Playbill Future Prospect Award’ in 2014.

Part of his prize was a trip to New York to work with some of the industry’s most elite vocal coaches. Whilst on this trip he was invited to perform in ‘Elsie Fest’, a renowned musical theatre festival where he took to the stage in the company of some of the world’s greatest musical theatre stars.

Since then he has had approximately two days off in total as he moved from show to show, including Cats (reviving the role of Rum Tum Tugger for modern audiences), Curtains, Funny Girl, Follies and also originating a role in a new Australian musical, The Gathering.

Daniel is currently living his dream, playing Elder Young the Book of Mormon.

And now, the Industry and audiences eagerly await his next move as this is undoubtedly going to be a very special career to watch.


Finalists:
Blake Appelqvist, Hilary Cole, Georgina Hopson, Robert McDougall, Ashleigh Rubenach


2015 Musician Award

JACK EARLE



2015 Technical Award in honour of Sue Nattrass

DREW CIPOLLONE



2014 Rob Guest Endowment Award

JOSHUA ROBSON

Joshua graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Music Theatre in 2011. Since then, Joshua has forged a strong career and has established himself as a versatile stage performer, winning the Rob Guest Endowment Award in 2014. His credits include the Australian tour of Les Miserables, King Kong the Musical, Scooby Doo Live: Musical Mysteries, The Threepenny Opera, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown – The Musical, Dream Lover and most recently My Fair Lady.

Joshua is one of two Producers for the theatrical company Blue Saint Productions, whose credits include Guilty Pleasures, Violet the Musical and Songs for a New World. In 2015 Blue Saint Productions was awarded with three Sydney Theatre Award gongs for Best Production, Best Direction and Best Musical Direction for Violet the Musical. In 2018 Blue Saint Productions will bring Lin Manuel-Miranda’s Tony Award winning musical In the Heights to Sydney.


Finalists:
Ben Bennett, Andrew Cook, Angela Scundi, Monica Swayne, Karla Tonkich


2014 Musician Award

ISAAC HAYWARD



2014 Technical Award in honour of Sue Nattrass Winner

ISABELLA STADLER



2013 Rob Guest Endowment Award

Samantha Leigh Dodemaide

Since winning the Rob Guest Endowment Award in 2013, Samantha’s roles include: Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (GFO); the title role in Violet (Hayes Theatre Company/Blue Saint Productions) for which she was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Critics award for Best Actress in a Musical; Singin’ in the Rain (Dainty/Michael Cassel/Lunchbox/DAE) Kathy Seldon U/S; Anything Goes (GFO/Opera Australia) Erma & Reno U/S; Sweet Charity (Tinderbox/Neil Gooding/Luckiest Productions) Charity U/S and King Kong (Global Creatures):

Previous theatre credits include: A Chorus Line (TML) Cassie, Diana, Maggie, Sheila, Judy U/S; A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (GFO); Anything Goes (TPC); Wicked (USJ) and The Producers (TPC):

Samantha has trained privately with some of Australia’s finest teachers in acting, singing, voice and dialect. She has also studied at various performing arts studios including The Atlantic Acting School (NYC), 16th Street, The Hub Studio and Patrick Studios Australia.


Finalists:
Angelique Cassimatis, Elisa Colla, Euan Doidge, Edward Grey, Rob Mallett


2012 Rob Guest Endowment Award

Glenn Hill

Having trained from an early age at Rodwell’s Studio of Dance and the Brent Street School of Performing Arts in Sydney, Glenn began his career at the age of 16.

Professional theatre credits include; JOLSON – The Musical; Original Australian cast We Will Rock You; Pippin; Sweet Charity; Little Me; Monty Python’s Spamalot; Eurobeat – Almost Eurovision; MAMMA MIA! – 10th Anniversary Australian Tour; World Premiere Australian cast of Dr Zhivago; Aaron Schultz in Legally Blonde; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Frank Shultz in Showboat; Calvin Berger in Calvin Berger – The Musical; Escapologist / Magnus in Matilda The Musical.

In November 2012, Glenn was the proud recipient of the ANZ Trustees – Rob Guest Endowment Award.

This year, Glenn has performed in Jesus Christ Superstar!, starred as Vernon Gersh in New independent theatre company / Company Eleven’s They’re Playing Our Song, and as Cornelius Hack in The Production Company’s Hello Dolly!.


Finalists:
Kirby Burgess, Andrew Conaghan, Euan Doidge, Samm Hagen, Allyce Martins


2011 Rob Guest Endowment Award

Blake Bowden

Since winning the Rob Guest Endowment Award in 2011, Blake’s roles include: Standby Elder Price in The Book of Mormon (Watchtower/GFO), Lt. Joseph Cable in South Pacific (Opera Australia/GFO), Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof (TML), Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd (Victorian Opera), Edward Lyons in Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), Tony in Masterclass (LeftBauer Prods.), Anthony Pemberton in Beyond Desire (Neil Rutherford Prods.) and Pat Matthews in Moonshadow (Cat Stevens/Sue Farrelly Productions).

Previous theatre credits include: Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Belvoir); Snowboy in West Side Story (ATG); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (R.U.G); Jekyll and Hyde (TML); The Boy From Oz Arena Spectacular with Hugh Jackman (Gannon/Fox) and the original cast of Dirty Dancing (Jacobsen Entertainment).

In 2014 and 2016, Blake starred as Mario Lanza, alongside Phil Scott in the hit cabaret MARIO (Adelaide Cabaret Festival/Hayes Theatre/Canberra Theatre/Noosa Long Weekend Festival).


Finalists:
Ashlea Pyke, Gretel Scarlett, Kirby Lunn, Luigi Lucente, Jamie Ward


2010 Rob Guest Endowment Award

Francine Cain

Francine Cain is a Helpmann Award-nominated musical theatre star. She graduated from WAAPA Music Theatre in 2009 and soon after she landed her first professional Musical Theatre show. Francine was the winner of the 2010 Rob Guest Endowment Scholarship, which took her to New York, working with some of Broadway’s greatest performing arts tutors. Francine’s credits include ‘Regina’ in the Tony Award Winner Rock of Ages (Helpmann and Green Room Award nominations), understudying ‘Truly Scrumptious’ in the Australian tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and an 18-month national tour playing ‘Frenchy’ in Grease the Musical for GFO. An excellent character actress, Francine played the legendary Lucille Ball in Everybody Loves Lucy, a one-person show directed by Helen Dallimore. Following this, Francine played the role of ‘Calliope’ in Xanadu The Musical, to critical acclaim and was most recently seen in The Play That Goes Wrong for Lunchbox Theatrical Productions.


Finalists:
Drew Weston, Bree Langridge, Sarah Baker, Simon Brook Mclachlan, Nathan Derrick


2009 Rob Guest Endowment Award

Danielle Matthews

Danielle Matthews is a Graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts.

Notable theatre and concert credits include: Showboat, Where Do I Begin (The Voice of Shirley Bassey),  An Evening with Stephen Sondheim, Respect the Musical (Australia Tour), Big Band Beat (Tokyo Disney), Another Opening Another Show (Manilla St Productions), Ship of Fools (Gary Young), TRIBE (Anthony Crowley),  Twisted Broadway, Light the Night, Hats Off For Sondheim, Musical Melodies, Carols by Candlelight, Morning Melodies, Sing for a Cure, The Rob Guest Endowment Concert and The Helpmann Awards. Danielle has also performed live on TV shows including The Circle, Good Morning Australia, Mornings and the Today Show, and performed the Australian national anthem at the MCG for the opening of one-day Cricket Test Series.

Recently Danielle has recorded her debut album ‘Dream Song’ with Move Records and also recorded La Belle Epoque for the in-game soundtrack to one of the world’s most popular video game series – Assassins Creed Unity.


Finalists:
Ross Hannaford, Zack Anthony Curran, Sarah Bakker, Daniel Belle, Laura Page