About Doug Mann
Doug Mann has worked as a theatre practitioner for over three decades. He graduated from Deakin University, majoring in Dramatic Techniques, Literature and Creative Writing.
As a theatre director he has worked with amateur and pro-am groups, and created production company Black Ibis. Highlights include Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd for Geelong Lyric, winning six Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Awards (incl. Best Direction). He re-contextualised Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Midsummer Night’s Dream and his Antigone won two GPAC Kudos Awards, (incl. Best Direction). He has produced and directed works by writers as varied as Dylan Thomas, Arthur Miller, Wilde, Bolt, Dario Fo, and Stoppard as well as Australian writers Matt Cameron and Debra Oswald.
As a commissioned writer/director of adapted and original works he has produced history plays, dramas, comedies, musicals and film documentary. His musical Taxidermy was first produced in Portland along with the historical drama Wreck of the Admella, centre-piece of that city’s 175th celebrations. His musical The Tribe has been produced by numerous Australian schools. His adaptation of family favourite Wind in the Willows with Black Ibis Productions enjoyed successful seasons in Melbourne and Geelong, setting attendance records which still stand. He has adapted Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince for junior performance. He combined Coleridge’s Rime with dance and other epic verse to produce the innovative Fire in the Mariner’s Eye, winner of GPAC’s Best Production award. This was one of many for Geelong High School, where Doug spent two decades developing next generation artists as head of Shenton Performing Arts Centre.
As company director of Black Ibis he has combined the roles of writer, actor, designer, director and producer. Black Ibis co-sponsored with Montsalvat Players an all star cast performance of Under Milkwood. The company has forged unique partnerships with the National Trust, Barwon Water, City of Greater Geelong and other organisations to present theatrical events, including the original family entertainment Peta and the Wolves for Barwon Grange’s sesquicentennial celebrations.
As a performer Doug played Fagin in Lyric Theatre’s Oliver!, Friar Lawrence in Doorstep’s Romeo and Juliet and numerous roles in comedy, historical drama and music review. Some of his earliest acting was with Geelong Repertory and in recent years he renewed the association, directing productions of Matt Cameron’s Ruby Moon and Debra Oswald’s Mr. Bailey’s Minder.
He has written historical documentary for Australian television and has produced concerts and fundraisers for a variety of organisations.