About

 Alexander Berlage is an award-winning director and lighting designer. He has won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Direction of a Musical two years in a row – for AMERICAN PSYCHO and CRY-BABY at Hayes Theatre Co, and most recently won the 2023 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Direction of an Independent Production for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at The Old Fitz Theatre. Alexander was Co-Artistic Director of Redline Productions at the Old Fitz Theatre from 2020 - 2023.

His smash-hit, sold-out production of AMERICAN PSYCHO won 9 Sydney Theatre Awards including Best Direction of a Musical and Best Production of a Musical and his sold-out productions of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and CRY-BABY both received rave reviews and also won 4 Sydney Theatre Awards each including Best Direction and Best Production. Alexander’s production of THERE WILL BE A CLIMAX, was also nominated for Best Direction of an Independent Production and Best Independent Production. 

As a lighting designer, Alexander has worked for Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, Queensland Ballet, Circa, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sydney Chamber Opera, Pinchgut Opera, Sydney Dance Company, Griffin Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Hayes Theatre Co., Australian Theatre for Young People, and Redline Productions.

Alexander has twice won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production – for his work on AMERICAN PSYCHO and on 4:48 PSYCHOSIS.  He received Sydney Theatre Award nominations for his lighting design on THE WHALE, THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT and DOUBT.

Alexander’s directing work includes: AMERICAN PSYCHO, CRY-BABY, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Hayes Theatre Co.); LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); HYPNOPOMPIA (OR THE EDGE OF THE UNKOWN) (Sydney Children’s Choir); EARTH. VOICE. BODY., FUTURE REMAINS (Sydney Chamber Opera/Sydney Festival); A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, HAND TO GOD (Redline Productions); PETER PAN (Sydney Chamber Opera/Gondwanna Choirs); GLORIA (Outhouse Theatre Co); THERE WILL BE A CLIMAX (Redline Productions/NIDA); HOME INVASION (An Assorted Few/Old 505); and THE VAN DE MAAR PAPERS (An Assorted Few/PACT).  He was also visual director for Sydney Chamber Opera’s RESONANT BODIES.  

Alexander’s lighting design work includes: for Sydney Theatre Company, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, RBG: OF MANY, ONE, JULIA, HUBRIS & HUMILIATION, LORD OF THE FLIES, CLOUD NINE, LETHAL INDIFFERENCE; for Birmingham Royal Ballet/Sadler’s Wells, A BRIEF NOSTALGIA; for Belvoir/STCSA: DANCE NATION; for Opera Queensland/Circa/Opera Australia, ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE; for Circa, DUCKPOND, PEEPSHOW: CLUB REMIX, for Griffin, DEAD CAT BOUNCE, GOOD COOK. FRIENDLY. CLEAN., NOSFERATU, THOMAS MURRAY AND THE UPSIDE DOWN RIVER; for Ensemble Theatre: MAJORIE PRIME, UNQUALIFIED, BUYER AND CELLAR, THE KITCHEN SINK; for Sydney Chamber Opera, ANTARCTICA, FUTURE REMAINS, BREAKING GLASS, LA PASSION DE SIMONE, RESONANT BODIES, VICTORY OVER THE SUN, AN INDEX OF METALS associate; for Pinchgut Opera, PLATEE; for Belvoir 25A, THE OVERCOAT; for Sydney Dance Company, NEW BREED 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, PPY 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023; at Old 505 Theatre, HOME INVASION, THE BLOCK UNIVERSE, HILT; for National Theatre of Parramatta, GROUNDED; for Australian Theatre for Young People, MOTH, WAR CRIMES, BETWEEN US, LUKE LLOYD: ALIENOID; at the Old Fitz, EXIT THE KING, THE EFFECT, STALKING THE BOOGEYMAN, THERE WILL BE A CLIMAX, VERTICAL DREAMING, 4:48 PSYCHOSIS, DOUBT, CRIMES OF THE HEART, THE JUDAS KISS, THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT, THE WHALE, MEN, FREAK WINDS, HOWIE THE ROOKIE; at Hayes Theatre Co, CAROLINE OR CHANGE, AMERICAN PSYCHO, CRY-BABY, HIGH FIDELITY, DOGFIGHT, EVERYBODY LOVES LUCY; for Critical Stages, SONGS FOR THE FALLEN, 4000 MILES, STONES IN HIS POCKETS.  

Alexander holds a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Production) and a Master of Fine Art (Directing) from the National Institute for Dramatic Art, Sydney.  In 2019, Alexander was awarded a Mike Walsh Fellowship.

Alexander is represented by Aurora Artist Management: http://www.auroraartists.com