Matthew is a theatre director, opera director, artistic director, and festival director.
He is currently the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival. Prior to this he was the Artistic Director and Co-CE0 of Malthouse Theatre, Australia’s most daring professional theatre company. He founded and led his own theatre company, ThinIce, in Perth from 2001 to 2011, and previously held the position of Associate Director at Black Swan State Theatre Company and Associate Director at Malthouse Theatre.
As a director many of his productions have premiered internationally, including Picnic at Hanging Rock at the Barbican London and Royal Lyceum Theatre (Edinburgh) after its premiere at Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. He has directed co-productions with international companies such as the Lyric Hammersmith (London) and Royal Lyceum Theatre (Edinburgh) with the adaptation of the Stanislaw Lem’s novel, Solaris. He directed the Australian premiere of the Tom Waits musical The Black Rider: Casting of the Magic Bullets at Melbourne International Arts Festival with Victorian Opera, a new production of Australian epic Cloudstreet for Malthouse Theatre and Perth Festival, and numerous new Australian works including John Harvey’s The Return with RISING. During the pandemic, Matthew directed and created Australia’s largest immersive theatre production, Because the Night, a performance that played for over 9-months at Malthouse Theatre. Matthew has directed over 40 productions in Australia with companies including Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, Griffin Theatre Company, and Black Swan State Theatre Company.
His opera credits include Strauss’ Elektra with Opera Australia, West Australian Opera, and the Perth International Arts Festival, the new contemporary opera Make No Noise at the Bavarian State Opera in Munch, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman for New Zealand Opera, and Kurt Weill’s Happy End of Victorian Opera.
In 2023 Matthew was awarded an OAM for his services to the arts as a director.