A theatre polymath, NIDA graduate John Senczuk’s multi-award winning career as director, designer, playwright and dramaturg spans forty years, with his work seen nationally and internationally in commissions for opera, dance and drama. He worked concurrently as an academic, with fifteen years at the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong (creating and teaching courses in Scenography, Directing and Dramaturgy), before taking senior positions at Toi Whakaari, New Zealand Drama School, and WAAPA (Program Director—Production, Design and Arts Management; and Head of Design). 

John was associate director of Wollongong’s Theatre South (1989-1999) where his credits on over thirty productions as director/designer included Hamlet, After Dinner, and The Time is Not Yet Ripe. He has also directed drama, opera and musicals: Bony Anderson (Seymour Group); Flesh and Blood (Festival of Sydney); Irene (with Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds,) and the premieres of David Williamson’s When Dad Married Fury, Justin Fleming’s Kangaroo and John Aitken’s The Enchanters. 

Highlights of his career as a designer include L’Orfeo (Oslo Summer Festival) and Sons of Cain (West End). He collaborated on over twenty productions for the Sydney Theatre Company (including the Australian premiere of Into the Woods and David Williamson’s Dead White Males); and has worked extensively in both the commercial theatre nationally. 

Recent productions include Oklahoma!, High School Musical, Annie and Crazy for You (Grace Lutheran College); Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Two Gentlemen of Verona (JMC Academy), The Phantom of the Opera, Rose and Rodeo (Empire Theatre Toowoomba); Burning Want (with Peter Carrol, for Belvoir Downsstairs); the world premiere of David Williamson’s When Dad Married Fury. In 2008 he directed a revival of Irene at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth starring Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds.  

The inaugural S,B&W Foundation Research Fellow, his scholar interests include Australian theatre history, with a focus on Australian Scenography; Colonial Theatre 1843-1927; and female playwrights of the same period. He was a member of the ARC research team: 3D Visualisation and Cultural History of the Victoria Theatre, Newcastle (2022-23) and is currently Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University. A theatre polymath, NIDA graduate John Senczuk’s multi-award winning career as director, designer, playwright and dramaturg spans forty years, with his work seen nationally and internationally in commissions for opera, dance and drama. He worked concurrently as an academic, with fifteen years at the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong (creating and teaching courses in Scenography, Directing and Dramaturgy), before taking senior positions at Toi Whakaari, New Zealand Drama School, and WAAPA (Program Director—Production, Design and Arts Management; and Head of Design). 

John was associate director of Wollongong’s Theatre South (1989-1999) where his credits on over thirty productions as director/designer included Hamlet, After Dinner, and The Time is Not Yet Ripe. He has also directed drama, opera and musicals: Bony Anderson (Seymour Group); Flesh and Blood (Festival of Sydney); Irene (with Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds,) and the premieres of David Williamson’s When Dad Married Fury, Justin Fleming’s Kangaroo and John Aitken’s The Enchanters. 

Highlights of his career as a designer include L’Orfeo (Oslo Summer Festival) and Sons of Cain (West End). He collaborated on over twenty productions for the Sydney Theatre Company (including the Australian premiere of Into the Woods and David Williamson’s Dead White Males); and has worked extensively in both the commercial theatre nationally. 

Recent productions include Oklahoma!, High School Musical, Annie and Crazy for You (Grace Lutheran College); Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Two Gentlemen of Verona (JMC Academy), The Phantom of the Opera, Rose and Rodeo (Empire Theatre Toowoomba); Burning Want (with Peter Carrol, for Belvoir Downsstairs); the world premiere of David Williamson’s When Dad Married Fury. In 2008 he directed a revival of Irene at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth starring Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds.  

The inaugural S,B&W Foundation Research Fellow, his scholar interests include Australian theatre history, with a focus on Australian Scenography; Colonial Theatre 1843-1927; and female playwrights of the same period. He was a member of the ARC research team: 3D Visualisation and Cultural History of the Victoria Theatre, Newcastle (2022-23) and is currently Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University.