Our Staff

The Blue Room employs a team of highly skilled, passionate,
dedicated and hardworking professionals.

From left: Kerry O'Sullivan; Sally Martin; Louise Coles; Dianah Star, Karen Connolly; and Roger Miller

Louise Coles - Executive Director

Louise spent her formative years in Middle Swan, Perth, before moving to the UK with her parents. After graduating from London University with a BA Humanities in History and Classics, and with experience running the college’s Theatre Playhouse, Louise embarked on a professional career in the performing arts sector which has now spanned over 20 years. This has included working in London’s West End as a dresser; managing the Canal Café Fringe Theatre; the formation of her own theatre company (Kazzum); co-directing the International Workshop Festival - an annual festival dedicated to the professional development of performing artists; and strategic development for two large theatres (The Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and The Rose Theatre, Kingston).

Before returning to Perth in September 2009, Louise was the Administrative Director of high profile UK theatre company Hoipolloi, touring new work nationally and internationally.

Louise is excited to be part of The Blue Room – an organisation she sees as having a fundamental role to play in the development of emerging artists from WA at a local, national and international level.

If Louise could be an animal she would be a koala.

Roger Miller - Venue & Operations Manager

After completing a year 12 certificate in Canberra in 1979 and attending the Victorian College of Arts in 1981, Roger worked as a stage manager for the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney for 2 years where his work included lighting and sound design and operation as well as stage management. In between operating sound for touring productions he worked as a lighting operator at the Sydney Opera House until 1985.

After national tours as sound operator, he returned to the Sydney Opera House as a Sound operator and worked with companies like the Australian Opera, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Roger moved to Perth in 1994. Since relocating to Perth he has worked as a lighting operator and designer, sound operator and designer, and stage manager at venues including His Majesty's Theatre, Playhouse, Concert Hall, Subiaco Theatre Centre, Regal Theatre, Pica, Rechabites' Hall and for companies such as Black Swan, Perth Theatre Company, Yirri Yaaken, Tura New Music Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Barking Gecko, Awesome festival and Skadada. Roger has also taken tours to Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne as well as to Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Shanghai (China).

If Roger could be an animal, he would be a wombat.

Kerry O'Sullivan - Producer

Since graduating from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2002, Kerry has been involved in the independent theatre arts and comedy scene in Perth as a producer, director, writer, performer, publicist and stage manager. With experience in many different aspects of theatre, Kerry has been interested in learning every part of production and hopefully that knowledge can be of benefit to emerging independent producers who come through The Blue Room Theatre. She produced and directed Five Unenviable Lives, (Winner, The Blue Room Theatre Members’ Choice Award) and Starkers (Wild West Comedy Festival), as well as producing Risky Lunar Love written and directed by Luke Milton at The Rechabites’ Hall.

As a production manager and stage manager Kerry has worked on Perth Theatre Company’s Umbrella production of Hamlet; has been Venue Manager of The Bakery for the ARTRAGE festival; and has worked with Red Ryder Productions on Dealer’s Choice. She has also been a member of the improvisational comedy troupe The Big Hoo-Haa! for seven years and was a state finalist in the Triple J Raw Comedy competition for two consecutive years.

If Kerry could be any animal she would be a monkey that lived near a Marula tree in Africa.

Dianah Star - Communications Manager

Dianah has been a Blue Room member since 2003, when she began a 5 year stint as the elected Event Coordinator for the Laugh Resort Comedy Club. She started working at The Blue Room as front of house/bar/usher after returning from work at the Adelaide Fringe in 2004, having recently completed a BA Media Studies at Murdoch University. That same year she also began work as a freelance production assistant, marketing manager and publicist for a series of local independent theatre productions (mostly at The Blue Room) and touring comedians.

In 2006 Dianah moved into Admin at The Blue Room, and has been the Communications Manager since 2007, the year she also completed a post-graduate Arts Marketing unit at Deakin University. In 2008 she was elected President of Laugh Resort Inc.

If Dianah could be an animal, she would be a tiger.

Sally Martin - Office and Front-of-House Manager

Sally studied classics and languages at the University of Western Australia, became an Associate of the Trinity College of London and gained her Performer's Shield in dance before going on to do the theatre course at WAAPA.

After graduating, Sally worked extensively as an actor and wine promoter and formed the co-operative Actors Waiting and the all female, smoking, drinking and tap dancing group Veuve Click-O.

Sally finally got a proper job at Boffins Bookshop in 2000 but was enticed away by Jansis to join the Blue Room in 2007 where she lives happily ever after.

Sally also works one day a week at Planet Books and is a wine baron and a scrabble master.

If Sally could be an animal, she would be braised veal shank (in a red wine jus, on a creamy bed of garlic potato mash).

Karen Connolly - Accounts

Karen has been working as a freelance bookkeeper and administrative assistant since 2000. Karen is an arts graduate from UWA and a qualified secondary school teacher. As well as maintaining The Blue Room's accounts, Karen is a freelance proofreader; she also works part time as a graduate research assistant at the Centre for Integrated Human Studies at UWA.

Karen is inspired by laughter and would like to be (or let’s admit it, already is) a bookworm.

Casual Staff

The Blue Room employs between fifteen and twenty casual staff all year round, most of whom are working artists and Blue Room members. They contribute to the Blue Room by creating such a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. They work extremely hard with a smile on their face and we LOVE them! Especially Matt Penny who is magic with housekeeping and banking.