Riley is a director and dramaturg based in Sydney. He runs big gay independent theatre company bub with frequent-collaborator Phoebe Pilcher. For bub, recent directing credits include the sold-out, critically-acclaimed THE ITALIANS by Danny Ball (Belvoir 25A, Sydney Theatre Award Nomination – Best Direction), AUSTRALIAN OPEN by Angus Cameron (Kings Cross Theatre), THIS BITTER EARTH by Chris Edwards (Theatre Works, Green Room Award – Best Ensemble), and multiple creative developments of HUBRIS AND HUMILIATION by Lewis Treston (which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in February). Riley was the assistant director on Belvoir’s Helpmann Award-winning smash-hit rock musical BARBARA AND THE CAMP DOGS which toured to Malthouse Theatre and Queensland Theatre. Later this year, Riley’s production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES starring Paul Capsis and Michael Cormick will tour Australia playing venues including the Capitol Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre and the Star Casino. He is currently turning the Australian cult classic film RAZZLE DAZZLE into a stage musical with original screenwriter Carolyn Wilson and executive producer Darren Ashton. Riley is a graduate of WAAPA and NIDA. Riley is thrilled to be making his debut with New Zealand Opera at the invitation of Thomas de Mallet Burgess and to the delight of the writers – the divine Livi Reihana, Amanda Kennedy and Luke Di Somma. Working with such talent hasn’t been a hardship. He would like to thank them for taking (most of) his notes.