Wonderverse

Geoff Cobham is the Artistic Director of Patch Theatre and one of Australia’s leading culture professionals, with over 40 years’ experience collaborating in all forms of theatre.

His artistic reputation both nationally and internationally comes from an outstanding multi-award-winning career working with several of Australia’s foremost arts organisations and events. He spent ten years as Associate Director of dance theatre Force Majeure, five years as resident designer at State Theatre Company South Australia and has worked in senior management roles at Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival and WOMAD.

Geoff founded Bluebottle in 1998, an award-winning lighting design company which integrates outstanding lighting design into theatres, galleries, installations, architecture, exhibitions and music.

He has a long and notable history with Patch Theatre, having worked on a variety of productions including The Fastest Boy, Emily Loves to Bounce and Me & My Shadow before taking the reins as Artistic Director in 2018. While at Patch, Geoff has created in-theatre works ZOOOM, I Wish…, and Home and installation works The Lighthouse, Sea of Light, and Mirror Mirror.

Michelle ‘Maddog’ Delaney is a maker of things. Places, spaces, feelings and things – forests in disused buildings, themed bars and bespoke furniture, shattering plaster BMX wheels, Ediacaran based décor, rocket stands and giant cocoons, and more. She has worked as a designer, production manager, builder, scenic artist, stage manager, sourcer and sorcerer for major companies, festivals and independent artists. She likes nothing better than working in great teams to produce beautiful experiences. She is currently Creative Associate at Patch Theatre and, with Geoff Cobham, has co-designed all of Patch’s shows since 2019. Maddog’s design credits include Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2018–2021, Dark Mofo 2018 & 2019, Adelaide Festival 2013–2016, Darwin Festival 2010– 2015, Adelaide Fringe 2007–2009, Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2012, Red Sky Morning – State Theatre Company of South Australia (2016), and co-design with Meg Wilson on Life is Short and Long – Emma Beech and Vitalstatistix (2016).

Elisha Umuhuri is a member of DEM MOB, an Aboriginal hip hop group formed in Pukatja APY lands in northern South Australia. Young DEM MOB front men Elisha Umuhuri and Jontae Dare are the first rappers to perform and record in the ancient Pitjantjatjara language, challenging expectations and becoming community role models along the way.

Edgell Junior is a proud Ni-Vanuatu man (from Pentecost Island, Vanuatu). From 2011 until 2019, Edgell Junior was a core ensemble member of Vanuatu’s internationally renowned Wan Smolbag Theatre (WSB), who work year-round producing, performing, and touring plays, films, educational resources, and workshop. Alongside performing, Edgell also has extensive experience as a film and stage production crew member and assistant lighting designer.

Edgell has been based in Adelaide, SA since 2020 and undertaken various crew and site build positions for Bamboozled Productions, Gluttony, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide Festival and FEAST Festival.

From 2021–2023 Edgell was a member of Slingsby’s Flying Squad – creating and touring workshops and new works The Memoryologist, This Tree is a Story and Light Creatures across SA venues, schools, and festivals and most notably ‘The River That Ran Uphill’ which premiered as part of the 2023 Adelaide Festival and was based on Edgell’s story of his experience and survival of cyclone Pam that devastated Vanuatu in 2015.

Most recently, Edgell has been working with Patch Theatre on delivering their Sea of Light installation and new in-school touring work Glow & Tell. Edgell looks he forward to finding new projects and artistic collaborators where he can share and build on his experience, and proudly share Pacific Islander stories, perspective, and culture.

Alex is an Adelaide-based technician, working across lighting, sound, and av; specialising in technical/system design. Alex started tech at high school to try and skip class, but it ended up becoming something he fell in love with and eventually turned into a career. Since then, he has worked across theatre, film, live music and events for companies including Patch Theatre, Windmill Theatre Company, Australian Dance Theatre, Restless Dance Theatre, Gravity & Other Myths, Marvel Studios and more. He first worked with Patch during a high school work experience placement. He came in for a week of creative development on The Moon’s a Balloon and helped to build set and lighting elements of the show. After getting into the industry as an adult he found his way back to Patch and has become the System Designer, Touring Technician and Operator on most of Patch’s shows/productions.

Since graduating from Adelaide College of the Arts’ technical production course, Darian has gained valuable experience through his time working in local venues, for theatre and dance companies, festivals, installations, and events. Darian has worked as a head venue technician and electrician for the Adelaide Festival, assisted with the lighting of Adelaide Fringe Festival’s opening night parades, and toured with Anna Goldsworthy’s Piano Lessons. Recently he has worked on such productions as Windmill Theatre Co’s Beep, Slingsby Theatre Company’s Emil and the Detectives, Australian Dance Theatre’s Construct, and worked on interactive installations for Adelaide creative Sandpit.