The First Seeds Sown
Is infamy as powerful as fame? Or is fear a better weapon? Playing the role of Dolly Gray, Shylie Arzouan has stepped into the role with a combination of charm and terrifying charisma as the wife of one of Australia’s most iconic organised criminals of all time, it should perhaps be said that Squizzy Taylor was the husband of this truly formidable woman.
Vendetta 19 hits selected cinemas this October.
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.
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!
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!!
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.
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!
