In Conversation with Lauren Wiley, Casting Director and Helen Dallimore

Host(s)

• 

  Lauren Wiley

  Lauren Wiley is one of Australia’s most accomplished Casting Directors, bringing more than two decades of experience. She is currently the Casting Director for the forthcoming Australian premiere of A Beautiful Noise – The Neil Diamond Musical (TEG Dainty/Ken Davenport). Her extensive credits include MJ The Musical (Michael Cassel Group), Gaslight (Newtheatricals/Queensland Theatre), Hamilton (International Tour) and Hamilton (Australia) (Michael Cassel Group), Come From Away (Junkyard Dog/Newtheatricals), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Michael Cassel Group), and Kinky Boots (Michael Cassel Group). Lauren also served as Consulting Casting Director for Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (TEG Dainty/Stage Entertainment) and was Casting Administrator for Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables (Michael Cassel Group). Lauren began her theatrical casting career at Sydney Theatre Company in 2009, appointed Casting Coordinator to Co-Artistic Directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton. She later returned to Sydney Theatre Company as in-house Casting Director under Artistic Director Kip Williams, a role she held until 2019. A graduate of Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Theatre/Media), Lauren spent two years based in London, where she worked as Casting Assistant to Jina Jay on major feature films including The Lovely Bones (Dir. Peter Jackson), Body of Lies (Dir. Ridley Scott), Agora (Dir. Alejandro Amenábar), and The Adventures of Tintin (Dir. Steven Spielberg) as well as time working for London’s most established talent agencies.
• 

  Helen Dallimore

  Helen Dallimore is an actress, singer, director and writer. A NIDA graduate, she has enjoyed a successful career in theatre, musical theatre, film and television both in Australia and in the UK. She created the role of ‘Glinda’ in the West End production of Wicked opposite Idina Menzel and played ‘Cinderella’ in the Olivier Award Winning Regent’s Park production of Into the Woods. She won the Helpmann Award for her performance in Legally Blonde the Musical. Her recent stage roles include Girl From the North Country for GWB Entertainment, The Wharf Revue, Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical for the Sydney Theatre Company, as well as ‘Judy Garland’ in End of the Rainbow for State Theatre Company South Australia, garnering critical acclaim. Her many screen credits include Mr Accident, Russian Doll, Secret Bridesmaid’s Business, Midsomer Murders, Postcard Bandit, The Day of the Roses, Two Heads Creek, North Shore, The Moodys, House Husbands, and the Emmy Award winning Hardball. Helen played ‘Olivia O’Neill’ in Jungle/Channel Nine’s Here Come the Habibs, for which she was also a writer. Other writing credits include the ABC comedy, Sando. She has been directing theatre for over twenty years, most recent credits including A Life in the Theatre for Darlinghurst Theatre and High Society, The Fantasticks, and Everybody Loves Lucy at Hayes Theatre Company.