Giema Contini
"Contini’s consistently engaging character work has always been typified by an open and expressive generosity of spirit."
- MJ O’Neill
"Contini is an exceptional performer, just magic to watch … Contini’s imaginative approach to storytelling, and her energy and originality is what live theatre is all about."
- Xanthe Coward, XS Entertainment
Biography
Giema Contini is an actor and theatre maker with experience across multiple disciplines including theatre, film, cabaret, puppetry, children’s theatre and physical theatre. Giema is an actor in the La Boite Theatre Artist Company having performed in Away (Daniel Evans) and Caesar (Sanja Simic) in 2021. She has worked with international companies such as Punchdrunk (UK) and Red Leap Theatre (NZ) and her solo cabaret show Awesome Ocean Party was nominated for Best Cabaret at 2016 Melbourne Fringe.
Giema has trained with national and international artists and companies including world-renowned acting coaches Larry Moss, Welker White & Damien Young (The Moving Frame), Carl Ford (Susan Batson Studio), Anne Bogart & SITI Company (Suzuki, Viewpoints & Composition), Second City Chicago (Comedy Improvisation), Dr. Brown (Gaulier Clown), Barney O’Hanlon (Body Mind Centering).
Giema also tutors as a sessional staff member at the Queensland University of Technology within the Bachelor of Theatre Studies degree.
Credits
Theatre
Leonie | Camper | Fairy Away La Boite Theatre Company, Daniel Evans
Calpurnia | Actor Caesar La Boite Theatre Company, Sanja Simic
Bluey Bluey's Big Play AKA Productions & Ludo, Rosemary Myers
Peabody The Lost Lending Library Punchdrunk, Imaginary Theatre & Brisbane Festival, Thom Browning
Bluey Bluey's Big Play AKA Production & Ludo, Rosemary Myers
Ensemble That's What She Said The Good Room, Daniel Evans
Chili (Mum) Bluey's Big Play (Creative Development) QPAC, Ludo, BBC & AKA Productions, Marc Parrett
Ensemble The Arrival Red Leap Theatre & QPAC, Julie Nolan
Peabody The Lost Lending Library Punchdrunk & Imaginary Theatre, Pete Higgins & Thom Browning
Kylie | Dean | Mel The Caped Crusader Camp Quality, Elleni Karagiannidis
Jill | Dragon King | Susan Shimchong: Daughter Overboard World Theatre Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Jeremy Neideck
Ratani The Children's Monologues Digi Youth Arts & Back Bone Youth Arts, Alethea Beetson
Bridesmaid Or Forever Hold Your Peace La Boite Theatre Company, Dave Sleswick, Motherboard Productions
Woman Six Women Standing In Front Of A White Wall Little Dove Theatre Art, Chenoeh Miller
Narrator | Hooded Man | Old Man The Harbinger (National Tour) Dead Puppet Society & Critical Stages, David Morton
Anna Shadow Thief LATT Children's Theatre Company (Seoul, South Korea), Paul Matthews
Tris Divergent Promo Hoodlum, Michael Griffin
TAB Punter Ladbrokes Campaign Kiosk, Ryan Renshaw
Princess Happy & Mister Somebody The Harbinger La Boite Theatre Company, Matt Ryan & David Morton
Clytemnestra iWar The Danger Ensemble, Queensland Theatre Company & Brisbane Festival, Steven Mitchell Wright
Ensemble | Birthday Girl The Flying Orchestra Out Of The Box, QPAC, Peter Wilson
Old Man The Harbinger Dead Puppet Society, David Morton
Candice Shit Two Hours Traffic, Morgan Rose
Gemma Several Words Associated With Revenge Metro Arts, Daniel Santangeli
Vampire Dracula Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre, Steven Mitchell Wright
Rehearsed Readings
Claire | Ensemble Return To The Dirt Queensland Theatre, QPDA, Daniel Evans
Stephanie Daylight Savings Queensland Theatre, Daniel Evans
Lisa The Parable People La Boite Theatre Company, Sanja Simic
Ensemble The First Ten Pages La Boite Theatre Company & Screen Queensland, Todd MacDonald
Cabaret
Lead Awesome Ocean Party Wonderland Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Self
Lead Awesome Ocean Party Melbourne Fringe & The Butterfly Club, Self
Lead Awesome Ocean Party Anywhere Theatre Festival, Self
GiGi Emma Dean & Her Imaginary Friends Harbour Agency, Dale Thorburn
Musical Theatre
Shadow Thief Shadow Thief LATT Children's Theatre Company (Seoul, South Korea), Paul Matthews
Street Rat Pennies & Beggars The Danger Ensemble, Steven Mitchell Wright
Dance
Bus Stop Dancer Fifteen La Boite Theatre Company, Liesel Zink
Ensemble A Collection of Various Selves Metro Arts, Liesel Zink
Music
Guest Vocalist Young Hearts Run Free Home Of The Arts, Tom Dickins & Band
Guest Vocalist Young Hearts Run Free Brisbane Festival & The Tivoli Brisbane, Tom Dickins & Band
Guest Vocalist 20th Anniversary Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet Melbourne Fringe & The Lithuanian Club, Tom Dickins & Band
Feature Film
Jack's Fan Girl That's Not Me Moccasin Film, Gregory Erdstein & Alice Foulcher
Short Film
Bougie Mum If I Were You Kiosk & Kate O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan
Lacey Cult Following Amy Parry & Sebastian Gonzalez, Amy Parry
Commercial
Fashion Designer Officeworks: Enabling Work From Home Life The Producers, Luke Bickley
Busy Mum (Hero) Terrywhite Chemmart Kiosk, Ryan Renshaw
Awesome Ocean Party
Awesome Ocean Party is a one-woman cabaret created and performed by Giema Contini and featuring original music by Nathan Stoneham (지하 Underground). It tells the story of a young woman who believes with all her heart that she is half-octopus.
This half-human/half-octopus host invites you into the depths of her three hearts. Through song, storytelling and an ocean-themed birthday party, she weaves together a tale of love, loss, longing and legends of amphibious family histories.
Awesome Ocean Party is an exploration into people’s ability to overcome pain and adversity through imagination, silliness and a genuine connection with others.
Awesome Ocean Party has been developed with the assistance of Australia Council’s JUMP Mentoring Program alongside leading UK theatre director Pia Furtado, Fresh Ground at The Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts and Metro Arts with creative provocation from Deborah Leiser-Moore.
In 2016 Awesome Ocean Party was nominated for Best Cabaret at Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Reviews
"As one of Brisbane’s more celebrated performers, Contini’s consistently engaging character work has always been typified by an open and expressive generosity of spirit. Her initial work as lead creative sees that same expressive generosity extended to an entire production – with additional lashings of colour, joy and a certain surreal silliness only adding to the work’s already-delightful energy. A promising debut.” – Matthew O’Neill.
"Contini is utterly engaging thanks to her original performance and spot-on timing, creating humour and suspense alike in the most minor of moments.” - Meredith Walker, Blue Curtains Brisbane
“Contini is an exceptional performer, just magic to watch … Contini’s imaginative approach to storytelling, and her energy and originality is what live theatre is all about” - Xanthe Coward, XS Entertainment
"Contini is hilariously awkward and extremely likeable. The story itself is touching and will make you laugh, then cry, then laugh again.” - Maddie Nixon, Anywhere Theatre Festival
“This is a gorgeous show, a surprisingly full-on show, and a warm experience of the cool ocean blues that I cannot recommend highly enough” - Johnathan O’Brien, Anywhere Theatre Festival
Creative Team
Creator and Performer: Giema Contini
Producer: Annie Bourke Hot Mess Productions
Composer: Nathan Stoneham
Designer: Genevieve Morrow Ganner
Dramaturg Support: Morgan Rose & Robbie O’Brien
Showreel
Voice Over Demos
General Voice Over Demo - Giema Contini
Corporate Voice Over Demo - Giema Contini