Matt Reuben James Ward
Director
Director Matt Ward was born and raised in regional Western Australia and went on to study at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Opera/ Music Theatre) and the Royal College of Music London (Master of Performance, RCM Yvonne Wells Award).
Matt recently directed the first opera sung in the Noongar language, Koolbardi wer Wardong by Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, which premiered at His Majesty’s Theatre as part of the Awesome Festival produced by West Australia Opera. Other directing credits for West Australia Opera include Hansel & Gretel for Opera in the Park for an audience of 12,000, Joey’s Dream (writer & director) and The Nightingale at His Majesty’s Theatre and state tour (director & designer, WA Opera, Co3, WA Youth Orchestra, WA Young Voices & DADAA). In 2022 Matt will direct Koolbardi wer Wardong on a West Australian state tour, Fairy Queen (Albany Entertainment Centre) and the premiere of Our Little Inventor as part of the Awesome Festival produced by West Australia Opera.
Matt is currently Artistic Director of Breaksea and regularly directs new, innovative stage productions including: By Other Eyes, Caretaker of Lost Selves, Pilgrims of the Sea and Drift. Collaborating with other organizations on community engagement, Matt has been engaged by West Australia Opera, City of Joondalup, City of Perth, Royal College of Music Sparks Family Orchestra & Chorus London, BBC Symphony Family Orchestra & Chorus, BBC Proms Sing Plus and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Glyndebourne. As a performer, Matt has toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom to over 75 theatres in numerous five-star shows and as part of two Olivier Award-Winning productions.
