Author: Roy

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All Hands on Traps!

Meet Our Officers

We have been so incredibly lucky to have landed. The cast of actors we have landed who will play the prison offices in Vendetta 19. In the group photo below, from left is an inspirational young man named Tom Kay, next to an incredibly generous historian of the race track named Steve Caroll. Next to Steve is our head officer, and the man who inspired us to write prison offices into the script, Matt Jackson. Adding a final compliment to the crew is none other than AFL and Carlton Football Club legend, Anthony Koutoufides.

Initial script of Vendetta 19 certainly had a Pentridge prison officer present in it, however, they were restricted to visible roles that had no speaking dialogue. During the interview process though, when we auditioned Matt Jackson, his performance was so impressive that we realised the strength and potency he could bring if given the opportunity to shine properly. Once Matt was secured and he had signed his papers, we were easily able to convince Roy Maloy to embellish the importance of the Pentridge officers in the narrative.

A late arrival in the casting process was Tom Kay. As the youngest member of the Prison officers, he is an amazing candidate. Outside of his stunning looks, piercing eyes and chiselled features, he is a real life FitnessGuru and Mental Health advocate. His stoic and strong disposition in real life adds to an incredible depth of character as a prison officer in the screenplay.

As typical in real life prisons, the role of prison officers is one of the longest lasting job types in the country today. The average duration of an officer in a Gaol is between 20 to 30 years in the job. As a favour to the author, Steve Carroll agreed to play the role of a longtime prison officer with a short temper. As an expert in Australian harness racing and horse racing history, Steve and Roy have been good friends for quite some time. Steve brings to the role the typical look of a prison officer who had returned from any number of 20th Century wars and found their way into a similar role in a prison.

Bringing in the last part of our team is none other than Carlton Football Club legend, Anthony Koutoufides. Anthony’s willingness and generosity to participate in this role as a favour to longtime supporter and patron of the arts, Ricky Nixon, has gone on to create what we will become some of the most memorable scenes in Vendetta 19. During the fight choreography in the screenplay, they could be no question that the Italian superman is still every bit as powerful as he ever was.

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BOSS WOMAN – DOLLY GRAY

One of the most untold stories in Australian History is that of the women who ran Melbourne’s Underworld in the lead up to the 1919 Fitzroy Vendetta.

In a time when women were enslaved and victimised openly, Dolly Gray organised a landscape that would support her ability to support and empower working girls to have slightly more control over their industry and fates. Her role through the story of the 1919 Vendetta is such that if she were not a part of it, the Vendetta would never have escalated to the bloodbath it became. The role of people like Dolly in our community is as important as the suffragette movement and it has been imperative therefor that we were able to find and cast an actor who could do justice to the role. And we can proudly say that we have found the perfect candidate in Shylie Arzouan.

Enchanted by the magic of storytelling, Shylie Arzouan first fell in love with theatre as a little girl. This early passion grew into a dedicated pursuit, leading her to become a dynamic actor.

Reviews describe Shylie as an “actor that brings all her characters to vivid life regardless of stage time”, “one of the evening’s highlights” and “the most startling, unexpected impact”, and we look forward to seeing high praising reviews of her work in Vendetta 19.

Shylie has embodied a variety of roles in the independent theatre scene, playing the lead as Cleo in “Cleo’s Stratos” (2023) and Lola in “Hunger” (2023), presented by She Writes at Theatre Works. Shylie showcased her versatility with a one-woman performance as Ros, playing multiple characters in Cracked Actors Theatre Script in Development Award-winning production of “Happy Ever After” (2022).

Her supporting roles include Emmylou in “Rain Falling on the Abattoir” (2022), as well as Rosa in “The Family Tree” (2022) and the comedic caricature of mother in “The Fly” (2022). Shylie also played Throat in “Kill All Climate Deniers” (2022), written by Greenroom award winner, David Finnigan.

Outside of acting, Shylie is studying psychology, enjoys working with children as a nanny, a high school musical director as well as making art in her spare time. Her creative heart and passion for learning enrich both her personal and professional life.

Vendetta 19 drops in October 2024.

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DOLLY’S GIRLS – Amber Louka

Staying true to the narrative of Dolly Gray’s life is equally as important to us in the production of Vendetta 19 as the casting of the characters in the screenplay. The story of Dolly Gray travels alongside a number of women from all walks of life. As is the case in the modern era, working girls come from all walks of life, and it was important to us to depict the truth as seen in the bordello scenes to show a variety of women who were filling these roles.

Joining the cast is an impressive actor named Amber Louka, who will be representing the women who take on such work, while finding it extremely difficult to do so. No easy fete, and her acting skills have been put to the test throughout the rehearsal period to bring magic to the screen.

Amber Louka is an Egyptian-Australian actress and creative based in Naarm/Melbourne.

Graduate from the National Theatre Drama School (Australia) with an Advanced Diploma of Acting, she was also the recipient of the Cybec Scholarship Award in her final year of study. She has studied at other highly acclaimed acting institutions, including; The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), The Australian Film & Television Academy and 16th Street Actors Studios.

Since her graduation, Amber has performed in a number of stage and screen productions; Colony, a passion film project with Lilydale Films (directed by Ric Forster), A Tomb With A View, a theatrical production which received rave reviews at the Essendon Theatre Company (directed by Les Morley-Hart), Jinx, a short film that made its debut on the Melbourne International Film Festival streaming service MIFF Play (directed by Harry Brakha), and Cabin 217, which received several film festival nominations (directed by Julia Sammut & Stacey-Lea Clark).

Amber’s always had an immense dedication to the arts and a passion for bringing truthful stories and relationships to audiences. Her next endeavour on the highly anticipated Vendetta 19 series will be no different.

Award winning author Roy Maloy will make his directional debut, with Gotcha Productions, in the infamous world of Squizzy Taylor. The pilot episode drops in October 2024, and is not one to be missed!

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SQUIZZY TAYLOR – Tom Levi

The casting of Vendetta 19 was never going to be easy. Critical to the production was the casting of the role of none other than Squizzy Taylor. It was also a difficult casting project for the sake that the role was casting a young Squizzy Taylor. However, as fate would have it, we were lucky enough to land an actor who we think is the absolutely ideal candidate for the role.

Tom Levi was born and raised in the countryside of Ballarat, Victoria and has resided there ever since. Tom first came into the acting scene at the age of 15 when he began studying with an international acting coach.

Two years later came Tom’s first acting role in a bit part for the feature film ‘The Dealer’. Ever since then Tom has acted in many short films, small parts in multiple indie feature films, commercials and many other projects. In the last year and a half however, things have started to go on the rise for Tom as he’s been cast in two feature films in major roles. One being the role of Harry Osborn in ‘Spider-Man: Seasons of Fate’ which is currently in production, the other being a horror slasher film currently in pre production. And to add to that list, Tom is now playing one of the most infamous gangsters of all time, as Squizzy Taylor.

Besides acting, Tom has co-created a small indie production company with two friends called Melbourne Underground Cinema Kollective (MUCK) where they are currently working on multiple short films and will eventually branch into feature films.

Production began a week ago, and we can now say that Tom’s acting skills are far above and beyond those we were expecting, and we are blown away by how well suited to this role he is.

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THE LONG ROAD BESIDE DOLLY

HETTIE WILLIAMS – Sophie Graham

In the biography of Dolly Gray we see a character glance off by the main story that unfolds in Bendigo in 1905 when Dolly and Hettie Williams are arrested for selling sly grog. Later we see Hettie re-emerge alongside equally infamous gangster Minnie Clark, who would go on to become Squizzy Taylor’s enemy.

Hettie is one of a number of working girls whose story has never truly been told, until now.

Playing the role of Hettie Williams will be an unusually talented actor named Sophie Graham. She hails from Aotearoa (New Zealand), where she completed a BPA and a BA in Theatres at the University of Otago. During her time at university and the years following, Sophie was involved in the performing arts scenes in both Dunedin, and Wellington NZ, and a highlight from this time was playing the role of Bernadette in Arcade Theatre Company’s production of “Lemon Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons” in 2019. In 2022, Sophie relocated to Melbourne to attend the Full Time Professional Actors Programme at 16th Street Actors Studio, as well as the Postgraduate Programme “The American Way.” Since graduating, Sophie has continued to develop her craft by completing a variety of short courses for the stage and the screen, including a MasterClass with Miranda Harcourt. In 2023, she worked on several short films, as well as the web series “My Personal Lycan King.” In 2024 so far, Sophie has played the role of Cariola in Arrant Knaves Theatre Company’s production of “The Duchess of Malfi” by John Webster, as well as the role of Tiffany in CG Production Company’s production of “Blackrock” by Nick Enright. Her commercial credits include campaigns with Schweppes, Savers and Pure Blonde. Sophie is currently shooting the web series “Let Me Taste Your Husband,” has a role in the upcoming feature film “It’s Showtime, Dan,” and is rehearsing for the role of Kayleen in an upcoming production of “Gruesome Playground Injuries” by Rajiv Joseph. Alongside her acting pursuits, Sophie teaches drama with Stage School Australia and studies Youth Work.

We are extremely keen to see Sophie in this role, which she has even committed to a Hair colour change for!!

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DOLLY’S GIRLS – Bernadette Hart

Taking to the set of Vendetta 19, actor Bernadette Hart will be playing a key role as one of Dolly’s Girls in Vendetta 19.

Although she has always dabbled in acting classes here and there, it wasn’t until I she was 33 that she decided to go back to acting, wnd we are glad she did.

Since making that decision she has appeared in several commercials both online and on television. In 2016 Bernadette won the “Best Actress“ Award for Crash Test Drama Geelong for her role as a Waitress in the play “What’s New Pussy Cat”

In 2018 she traveled to Los Angeles and studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting for the Summer Conservatory Program. Later that same year she got landed the role of Cornwell in the all female production of King Lear; simply titled “Lear”. This was a large production with a 4-month rehearsal period.

The production took place at the Geelong Gaol Museum. In February 2020, just before the first lockdown, she had the privilege of playing the character of Renee in her first ever feature film called “These Two Hands” the story of Tom Bowen. Tom Bowen was one of the greatest healers that ever lived, and Renee played a pivotal role in his life as his receptionist and best friend essentially.

She is excited to be part of Vendetta 19 and has met some awesome people so far and getting a free history lessons from Roy every time she see him… which she absolutely loves.

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Can You Spot What’s Missing?

Coming at you live from the set of Vendetta 19, we have worked on a shoestring budget to get to where we are. And without the advantage of digital effects we have had to go old school when it comes to amputation survivors and representing missing limbs.

Taking you behind the scenes will give you a small insight into how we’ve managed this.

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FIRST DAY OF FILMING

With the first day of filming complete, what an amazing epic journey. All the actors were on at 5am and they put in an enormous effort. Thank you to the Geelong Gaol Museum for your amazing support yet again, and all of our amazing cast, crew, and all of your beautiful supporters. As we grow head towards the date when Vendetta 19 drops: please remember to share these posts and help us meet new people who can get excited about this incredible project.

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DOLLY’S GIRLS – Ally Burnie

It’s an unavoidable truth that along with the stories of the people who became embroiled in the 1919 Fitzroy Vendetta, a number of them were highly vulnerable women and children. Among them was a cast of working girls who were often subjected to slavery and situations that even animals wouldn’t have to tolerate. Yet in that mix, Dolly Gray manages to create small pockets of safety and empowerment in that industry for her working girls.

Playing the role of one of Dolly’sgirla is none other than actor Ally Burnie. As a performer she is lighting up the acting world, having found her professional groove later in life. With a lifelong passion for storytelling and a knack for writing, she discovered a second love for bringing stories to life on the big screen.

Ally has starred in several major national TV commercials, as well as short films like “Unhinged” (2024) and “Thoughts Alone” (2023). You might also recognise her as the “Juice Bar Girl” on Home & Away (2022) or from her cheeky appearance in a major national Step One TVC (2022).

Since moving from Sydney to Melbourne in late 2023, Ally has been sharpening her acting skills at the elite Howard Fine Studio. She’s stoked to be part of the Vendetta 19 production, bringing Melbourne’s underground scene to life with her captivating performance.

Keep an eye on this redheaded star – Ally Burnie is just getting started!

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INDIAN DICK – Jackson Howe

The cast of Vendetta 19 has got some truly big shoes to fill as we try and depict some of the most unusual true crime figures from history. In the case of Indian Dick, no truer word could be said.

As far as criminals go, Indian Dick wasn’t a high achiever. He was a low-level crook from the Melbourne area who occasionally branched out to the odd safe heist. Yet it was his fighting technique that separated him out from the pack. As a street brawler, Indian Dick, whose real name was John George Woolpert, had a signature move that resulted in him obtaining the infamous nickname while inflicting a particular gruesome fate on his victims. Where Hulk Hogan used the “Big Leg”, and Mario Milano relied on the abdominal stretch to finish their fights, Indian Dick’s finishing move involved a swift and powerful kick to the groin of whoever he was fighting. His talent for this move resulted in at least one man losing one of his family jewels, and another being hospitalised.

So when we were casting the role, we needed an artist who could act incredibly well, but who could also manage the heavy fight sequence in the pilot episode. Despite some false starts, we couldn’t be happier with our selection, and can now announce that we have secured the incredibly talented Jackson Howe!

Originally from Queensland, Jackson brought the sunshine to the Sunshine State. He is no stranger to stage lights and cameras, and having discovered a love for singing, dancing and acting early, he made his stage debut at the age of 8 as Oliver. And the people said, ‘please sir, can we have some more?’

Then began a relentless passion for musical theatre that would see him play eleventy-million roles before he’d even finished high school. Serious about pursuing a career in musical theatre, he trained at the Australian Dancing Performance Institute where he completed an Advanced Diploma in Musical Theatre and Dance. Developing his acting skills, he worked on a range of projects including feature film pilots, short films, commercials and music videos.

In 2018, he made the move to Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). Whilst at the VCA, Jackson performed in ‘On The Town – The Musical Comedy Classic’ (directed by Adam Mitchell) and ‘Morning Melodies 2019’ at Hamer Hall (directed by Jayde Kirchert). In 2020 Jackson featured in the ensemble of ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ (directed by Jason Langley) and played a leading role, Joe’s Dad, in the musical ‘Our House’ (directed by Tyran Parke).

In 2023, Jackson played a leading role Linus, in the musical ‘You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown’ (directed by Cameron O’Reilly) and played ensemble in ‘Kinky Boots the Musical’ (directed by Martin Croft), receiving a Green Room Award for Best Professional Independent Musical in 2023.

After delving into the world of Music Theatre, Jackson now is keen to pursue acting in film. In 2024, he has played leading roles in ‘Building Houses’ (directed by Alekh Chapman), ‘Elise and George’ (directed by Stephanie Bosshard) and Let’s be Frank’ (directed by Lily & Quynh Dinh and playing a supporting role in ‘Just Kids’ (directed by Helen Turton).

Jackson often swaps his tap shoes for running boots and when the camera’s off, you’ll find him teaching Drama in the classroom or cheering on his ultimate frisbee team. With a personal passion for filmmaking and cinematography, Jackson is incredibly eager to bring his skills to Vendetta 19 playing the role of Indian Dick.

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