I had a chat with acclaimed director Dean Drieberg to discuss his place in the performing arts and his upcoming show, NINE the Musical with NIDA. 

Dean is a renowned director, producer and creative with over two decades of experience in the industry. His notable work includes directing a sold-out season of Promises, Promises, the Australian Premiere of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (nominated for 5 Green Room Awards), and was the resident director of the Hamilton international tour as well as the AUS/NZ return. 

Currently, he is in the midst of his latest project, NINE the Musical, the Tony Award-winning production set in a glamourous 1960’s Italy. We follow the trials and tribulations of Guido Contini, Italy’s most celebrated filmmaker, when his creative streak suddenly runs dry. With his next film looming, his world begins to unravel as he is forced to reflect on the women who have defined his past, and may just be his only way forward. This show is inspired by the Federico Fellini film, 8½ (1963), and boasts incredible choreography, complex personal crisis, an inspiring ensemble, and turmoil in all its wonderfully dreamy forms in this tribute to la dolce vita.  

Coming from the first full run-through with a limited audience, Dean had the composure and calmness of a director not only on track with his work but clearly enjoying it too. Just a day away from opening night, he was kind enough to give some insight into his professional world. For Dean, the road to directing was a windy one and admitted “it took a long time” to find the role he would eventually settle into after years of involvement in other production jobs. For aspiring directors, he gave the advice to “try as many different styles as possible,” and “don’t say no to any opportunities.” There is no value to “cherry-picking your projects” he says as it only “pigeonholes you into a genre”. Dean himself confessed that he started out rigidly concerned with purely dramatic theatre until his eventual epiphanic branching out into the joys of comedy. To him, “there is no rule book, no recipe for success,” after all, you won’t know unless you try. 

A well-known advocate for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour and LGBTQ+ individuals in performance industries, Dean has been part of initiatives that aim to provide guidelines for creatives to ensure better inclusion and representation. Dean acknowledged that in the Australian industry, “we’ve made progress” in our awareness of inclusive casting decisions and in deciding what stories we should be telling; however, there is still a lot of work to be done.” As he stressed, “It’s not just about the bodies we see on stage,” referring, of course, to the people we don’t interact with in the creation of performances, the technicians, lighting, sound designers, musicians, producers, executive teams and the rest who allow shows to be brought to reality for an audience. “We are still seeing a lot of all-white, male-dominated teams,” he stated passionately, “We need to have this representation in all levels of management.” It is not entirely bad news, though, as Dean is undoubtedly grateful to have been working amongst the “incredible diversity of the cast and crew” throughout the lead-up to NINE.  

Rehearsals for NINE the Musical (Photo from NIDA)

His upcoming show is facilitated by NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art), which also means it utilises an impressive mixture of students and professionals. It is clear that he believes in the importance of established industry professionals like himself working with prospective and up-and-coming creatives, because we shouldn’t be working solely within our comfort zones, he says, and in NINE, “Everyone is stepping up into unfamiliar territory.” 

This show has been on Dean’s radar for a long time, and now the stars have aligned so that he is finally able to bring it to the stage. Part of the reason why he felt that this should be his next project is because NINE the Musical is “rarely performed” in Australia. Aside from smaller, independent theatres, the only other major performance of NINE the Musical we have had was the 1987 premiere in Melbourne. When asked what he finds most compelling about this production, Dean commented on a “beautifully written” musical arrangement, referring to its dramatic ballads and infusions of jazz and Italian influence.  

However, the show’s beauty lies also in its writing, as Dean’s own life draws parallels to the creative experiences of the main character, Guido. Both have a profound interest in the relationship between life and art, and the cost of conflating the two. As he put it, “I have experience in throwing myself into my work,” which gives him the connection and “insight into the character” that is sure to give his production an intellectual and stylistic edge. For Dean, this is a personal journey, writing in his director's note that “NINE has been a meta journey into the creative process – a reflection on what it means to be an artist.” 

NINE the Musical is running 6th - 14th June at NIDA, and with Dean Drieberg at the helm, our high hopes can be justified knowing the immaculate musicality and choreography combined with grippingly dramatic scenes of Italy are sure to be unforgettable.  

Tully is a Creative Writing and Film student in his second year at UNSW. He is happiest while reading Vonnegut or Carver and backpacking through exotic, mountainous countries without a return ticket. Often seen with headphones on, one can only guess whether he is immersed in Italian opera or hardcore punk.