Alistair Ward
Originally hailing from Darug Country in the western suburbs of Sydney, Alistair spent his adolescence in Melbourne, beginning his artistic career with short courses at NIDA, 16th Street, and as a backing vocalist for the State’s School Spectacular.
At just eighteen he was accepted into the prestigious full-time program at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City where he then lived for the next three years. Upon graduating he was the recipient of the Max Fischer Award in recognition of being the student with the strongest transformation.
Post-graduation he worked on film and theatre projects, performing off-Broadway at the Hudson Guild Theatre (Waiting for the Sun) and the Manhattan Repertory Theatre
(Commuters, Life as she knows it).
At twenty-three he relocated to London to live for a year, working on set (One night of Ecstasy, the Real story of Goodfellas) as the first hints of his writing began.
Eventually returning home he realised he had to establish himself in Melbourne and find his creative community, having been overseas for the first half of his twenties. He went on to lead productions in Melbourne’s best independent theatres –
La Mama (Chronic, The Fly), Chapel off Chapel (You Look Like Your Father), and The
Butterfly Club (This moment in time).
At the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2019, Alistair debuted his inaugural play that he
wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. An autobiographical telling of the struggles of being a twenty something in a queer, ghosting world, ‘twenty-something’ received the People’s Choice Award after a sold-out season.
In 2021 he decided to launch his own production company, Pansy Productions,
inspired by the need to create more opportunities for emerging actors, and as a
platform for queer and contemporary new writing. Since then he has produced and staged three more original plays; Drama School: a play, and this moment in time, of which he wrote both; and Victory Lap, written by Mashaka Gunnulson.
Post-covid Alistair has diversified his abilities, working as an Assistant Director on award-winning short films (Take back, Thea and Lucia) and as a Director in theatre (The Consequence of Kindness, If Unicorns were Real), as well as featuring in commercials and TVC’s for global brands. He is currently in pre-production for his first short film and is writing his next play – as well as working on a pilot for a television anthology series.