““A production team led by director Matt Reuben James Ward, ensures a visual feast of colour and whimsy, never stopping to change sets as the action flows through.” | Koolbardi wer Wardong, West Australian Opera”
Matt Reuben James Ward is an award-winning director based in Boorloo (Perth), Western Australia working across opera, music theatre and contemporary performance. Matt has created and directed numerous productions, with commissions ranging from plays to research and development programmes.
Matt is currently Chair of Music Theatre at the University of Western Australia's Conservatorium of Music and Artistic Director of Breaksea, a multi-artform performance company. He has previously collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Glyndebourne), Operasonic UK, the Royal College of Music Sparks Family Orchestra & Chorus London, the BBC Symphony Family Orchestra & Chorus, BBC Proms Sing Plus, West Australian Opera, Opera Queensland and Freeze Frame Opera.
For West Australian Opera, Matt has directed Wundig wer Wilura (Perth Festival), La Bohème (a co-production with Queensland Opera), The Nightingale (Co3, His Majesty’s Theatre & state tour), Hansel & Gretel (Perth Festival, City of Perth Opera in the Park), Koolbardi wer Wardong (His Majesty’s Theatre & state tour), Our Little Inventor (Awesome Festival), and Tosca (rehearsal director, co-production with Queensland Opera). He also directed Hansel & Gretel Reimagined for West Australian Opera’s education programme.
““When you see things like this done well, it’s what makes classic theatre captivating. It’s the craftsmanship of the creatives” | La Bohème, West Australian Opera”
In 2025, Matt will revive his recent production La Bohème for Opera Queensland and direct Aliwah Bardinar, a new production in Noongar language by Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse. For Breaksea, Matt has created and directed Fairy Queen, Magical Weedy Seadragon (Winner of Outstanding New Musical, Performing Arts WA Awards), Caretaker of Lost Selves, Thunderstorm, Drift, and By Other Eyes.
A former opera singer, Matt has performed at 75 theatres across the UK and Europe. His performance credits include the role of Western Union Boy in English Touring Opera’s Olivier Award-winning Paul Bunyan (Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House & UK tour), Messenger in Life to Come (written and directed by Stephen Fry, Britten Theatre), Andres/Cochenille/Frantz in Tales of Hoffmann (English Touring Opera), and Giacomo in L’assedio di Calais (Armel Operafesztivál Budapest, Arte TV live broadcast, English Touring Opera). For West Australian Opera, Matt performed numerous roles including Beadle in Sweeney Todd, Mercury in Orpheus in the Underworld, Schoolmaster in The Cunning Little Vixen, and Remendado in Carmen.
Matt studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Royal College of Music, London (Master of Performance, Yvonne Wells Award).