Our Staff
MEET THE SPORT FOR JOVE TEAM
SPORT FOR JOVE Staff
Damien Ryan
Managing Director & Artistic Director
Damien Ryan is a multi award winning director at the forefront of directing classical and contemporary theatre in Australia.
Damien Ryan is a multi award winning director at the forefront of directing classical and contemporary theatre in Australia. He founded the Sydney Hills Shakespeare in the Park and The Leura Shakespeare Festival. He has acted and directed many plays across Australia, celebrating over 20 years in the industry.
Bernadette Ryan
Wardrobe Manager, Director & Administrator
Bernadette is a founding member of Sport for Jove and her recent acting credits include the feature film Venus and Adonis (Agnes Hathaway), Queen Elizabeth in Rose Riot: Shakespeare’s History Cycle, Cyrano de Bergerac and the 2018/2019 Education season.
​Bernadette is a founding member of Sport for Jove and her recent acting credits include the feature film Venus and Adonis (Agnes Hathaway), Queen Elizabeth in Rose Riot: Shakespeare’s History Cycle, Cyrano de Bergerac and the 2018/2019 Education season. She has a lifelong love of costumes and is also the Wardrobe Manager at Sport for Jove. Costume design credits include the feature film Venus and Adonis, Romeo and Juliet 2019/2020 and Macbeth for our 2020/2021 Education season.
Robert Jago
Producer & Company Manager
Rob began his career as an actor graduating from NIDA (2003) and has been Sport forJove’s Producer and Company Manager since the beginning of 2022. Throughout this time he has overseen productions of Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry IV and Richard III.
Rob began his career as an actor graduating from NIDA (2003) and has been Sport for Jove’s Producer and Company Manager since the beginning of 2022. Throughout this time, he has overseen productions of Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry IV and Richard III. Rob also managed Sport for Jove’s latest tours which included travelling to Orange with our Symposium series and of Romeo and Juliet which travelled to Parramatta, Gold Coast, Bathurst and Seymour Centre. Prior producing experience includes Year of the Rabbit Films where he won an AACTA for Best Short Film in 2013 for Matthew Moore’s Julian. Rob has a huge love of Shakespeare. Before working for Sport for Jove Rob was the Workshop Manager at Australian Theatre for Young People from 2015-2019.
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David Soncin
Marketing Manager
David graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting). David has a decade of experience in the Sydney theatre scene, and has been in multiple Jove productions. He's delivered successful marketing campaigns for Venus & Adonis, Timon of Athens and our Education Season.
David graduated in 2013 from Queensland University of Technology's Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting). With a decade of experience in the Sydney theatre scene, he has been in multiple Jove productions. David has led successful marketing campaigns for Venus & Adonis, Timon of Athens and our Education Season.
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His theatre credits include The Players and Macbeth (Bell Shakespeare, 2014); The House of Ramon Iglesia (Mop Head, 2015); Infinity Taster (Old Fitz Theatre, 2015); The Judas Kiss (Red Line Productions, 2017); Sydney Theatre Award and Glugs Award-winning A View From The Bridge (Red Line Productions, 2017-2019, and Ensemble Theatre, 2019); The Shifting Heart (White Box Theatre, 2018); Romeo And Julien (Wildcard Productions, 2019); The House At Boundary Road, Liverpool (Bontom, 2019); Twelfth Night (Sport for Jove, 2020); Taming Of The Shrew (Queensland Theatre, 2021); A Doll’s House (Ensemble Theatre, 2022); Romeo And Juliet (Sport for Jove, 2019/20, 2022, 2023); and I Hate People; or Timon of Athens (Sport for Jove, 2024). 
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David’s film and television credits include: River (2015, Toronto Film Festival Official Selection); Love Child (2017); On The Move (2018); The Secrets She Keeps (2022); and Queen of Oz (2023). His voiceover credits include audiobook narrator for Black Lives, White Law by Russell Marks (2023). David’s performance of Marco in A View From The Bridge earned him a 2017 Glugs Award nomination for “Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role”.
Christopher Tomkinson
Shakespeare Carnival Director
Christopher has worked as an actor, director, producer and writer in theatre, radio, TV & film. He has worked with Sport for Jove in over a dozen productions.
Christopher has worked as an actor, director, producer and writer in theatre, radio, TV & film. He has worked with Sport for Jove in over a dozen productions, and performed with STC, Bell Shakespeare, Monkey Baa, Sydney Opera House, CDP, Ensemble, Pinchgut Opera, and in the musical Eureka.
Sorie Bangura
Production Manager
Sorie has worked in the industry on and off-stage for over 15 years in various roles. He has previously worked with ATYP as a Production Manager/Coordinator & Stage Manager on various productions, and Stage Manager for the NSW State Public Schools Arts Unit on OnStage & the State Drama Festival.
Sorie has worked in the industry on-stage &behind the scenes for over 15 years in various roles. Currently Sport for Jove’s Production Manager; he has previously worked with the Australian Theatre for Young People as a Production Manager/Coordinator & Stage Manager on various productions such as: War Crimes (2015), Dignity of Risk (2017), Charlie Pilgrim (2018), Bathory Begins (2019), Follow Me Home (2019, 2021) & M.Rock (2022). He has also been Stage Manager for the NSW State Public Schools Arts Unit (2012 to present) on OnStage & the State Drama Festival.
George Banders
Education Coordinator
George began with Sport for Jove in 2013. He has been an arts educator for 14 years. Travelled all over Australia, teaching in rural communities, the corporate workforce, juvenile detention centres and schools all over the country.
George began with Sport for Jove in 2013. He has been an arts educator for 14 years. Travelled all over Australia, teaching in rural communities, the corporate workforce, juvenile detention centres and schools all over the country.
Our Board
SPORT FOR JOVE'S Board
Gordon Stalley
Chairman
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Gordon is an engineer and the owner and CEO of Premier Fire Protection which operates from five offices in NSW and Queensland. He is a long time supporter and contributor to Sport for Jove.
Gai Strouthos
Finance Director
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Gai has a Bachelor of Business Major in Law and Accounting, CPA with over 22 years industry experience gained as a Corporate Accountant, Company Secretary, Finance Director, Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director of national and multi-national corporations, including TCN Channel 9 Sydney & Melbourne & TV production companies Burke's Back Yard, Studio Sets and TVC
Terry Karabelas
Director
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Terry Karabelas is Co-Artistic Director of Sport For Jove theatre. In 2011, Terry co-directed The Libertine at the Darlinghurst Theatre, which was nominated for 5 Sydney Theatre Awards, winning Best Production, Best Actor and Best Actress, along with Winning Timeout People’s Choice Award for Best Production.
Also on the board:
Damien Ryan & Bernadette Ryan