We make extra-ordinary theatre
An observatory is a place to dream, to imagine, to behold new worlds and realities.
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We are searching for the unusual, curious and strange.
We seek theatrical encounters that are daring, inventive and imaginative.
We are interested in the big ideas and questions of our complicated world, and stories that challenge, provoke and inspire.
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"It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly" - Monet
The Team
Founder & Creative Producer
Lachlan Driscoll
Lachlan is a theatre director and producer. Credits include: As Director: DISNEY OFF ICE, PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, THE TURQUOISE ELEPHANT and PORTRAITS (all for Observatory Theatre); AS TOLD BY THE BOYS WHO FED ME APPLES (Anywhere Festival); WRITER’S BLOCK and AGE IS JUST A NUMBER (PIP Theatre Toucan Club); MIDNIGHT AT THE CEMETERY (Blue Roo Theatre Company); As Devisor: HANDLE WITH CARE (Ad Astra).
Lachlan has produced shows at Wynnum Fringe, Anywhere Festival, Fringe Brisbane and Backbone Festival. His 2021 show UTOPIA! was supported by Moreton Bay Regional Council and performed at the Redcliffe Museum. He is the Creative Director of Northside Studio, an arts hub dedicated to workshops and opportunities for artists.
Lachlan is passionate about new plays and performance work, and is involved in their development as a dramaturg and creative producer. Other experience includes: Member of Australian Theatre for Young People “Yabbies” (Youth Advisory Board), Residency at Lighthouse Arts, and Festival Director Internship at Anywhere Festival.
Lachlan has a Bachelor of Arts (Theatre & Performance) and a Certificate III in Performing Arts.
Associate Producer & Marketing Director
Lucy Rayner-Toy
Lucy is driven by a desire to create opportunities for people to engage with art and be changed by the experience. As an artist, she produces, directs, writes, and acts - mainly in theatre and occasionally on screen.
As an arts-worker, she advertises live performance, film, and events. Namely, Lucy is the Digital Content Lead at Brisbane Festival where she specialises in multi-channel social media management and copywriting for the 70+ show program. She’s also worked in arts marketing for Theatre Haus, Room To Play Kids, and most notably Observatory Theatre, where she is also Associate Producer. As an artist, her recent credits include performing at PIP Theatre's Toucan Club and co-writing and performing in an original production at Backbone Festival.
Lucy’s training highlights consist of a year of acting classes with Gareth Harris, La Boite’s Young Artist Company, and Physical Theatre workshops with Noa Rotem (formerly of Zen Zen Zo). Lucy also holds dual Bachelors in Business and Arts, with focuses in Marketing, Psychology, Drama, and Film (UQ).
During her time at university, she founded, co-directed, wrote, and performed in the institution's first — and now annual and award-winning — Business Revue (comedy sketch and musical parody show). This project epitomises her passion for creating opportunities in, and sharing the joy and impact of, the arts.
Artistic Associate
Emma Churchland
Emma Churchland is a passionate and versatile theatre educator, dramaturg, and practitioner dedicated to fostering creativity, connection, and community in the arts. As the co-founder of IMRSE, a theatre company specialising in immersive experiences, Emma creates bold, transformative work that captivates audiences and challenges perceptions. IMRSE is proudly the Company in Residence at Metro Arts for 2024/2025.
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Emma’s projects include CAKE, which she co-created and produced. Nominated for three Matilda Awards and presented twice to sold-out audiences, CAKE exemplifies Emma’s ability to craft compelling and immersive theatrical experiences. She is equally passionate about merging theatre and education, believing in their power to inspire and transform.
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Emma teaches at Queensland University of Technology, where she mentors emerging artists and collaborates with students on innovative projects. As a dramaturg, Emma collaborates with Brisbane playwrights, offering guidance to refine and elevate their work. She currently works as Education Manager for Shock Therapy Arts and has been elected to the Drama Queensland Committee in 2025.
Committed to building communities, Emma shares her expertise with independent theatre makers and emerging artists, ensuring that theatre remains a vital and transformative force in education and cultural engagement.
Values Statement
Observatory Theatre is built on the principles of collaboration, adventurousness, artistic boldness and innovation. We believe that theatre has the power to change lives, shift beliefs and perspectives, for both the audience and the artist. We strive to make work that is impactful, challenging and thought-provoking. With every project, we aim for professional quality with an independent spirit, using our limitations to create outstanding experiences. Our commitment ensures that our projects resonate with our audiences who watch and with artists who are involved. By providing a safe, radically encouraging and artistically freeing environment, we empower the artists we work with to create their best work, to experiment, explore, and go where they haven’t gone before.
Diversity & Inclusion Statement
We want to meaningfully contribute to Brisbane’s theatre scene and to the theatre itself. One of the many ways this is achieved is through inclusion and collaboration. When a broad array of voices and perspectives are included in our projects, stories become richer and more reflective of the world in which we live. We have endless seats at the table, and we invite artists of all backgrounds, experiences and walks of life to come play, explore, observe, listen, share, experiment, try, fail, not only in spite of, but because of, our differences.