Our Story

Ignite Theatre Company is a performing arts company that is dedicated to igniting the talent of musical theatre performers and creatives who want to take the next step towards a professional career in the performing arts. The company was co-founded in 2022 with the goal to create an environment that champions diverse, emerging performers as well as creatives through ambitious, quality, independent theatre.

With an abundance of talented, professionally trained performers, and a dramatic scarcity of work, the Australian entertainment scene proves to be segmented and difficult to break into across the board. In few other professions do you find such a large pool of trained, certified, and experienced individuals spending so much time out of work and struggling to make ends meet yet it is the harsh reality for many emerging performers. With very little opportunity presented between the large commercial sector and the amateur circuit, our goal is to create accessible independent theatre that works within the day-to-day schedule of a performer or creative and can be seen as a viable stepping stone into the world of professional entertainment.

Aden Abeleda (he/him) | Company Director & Producer

Aden is a director, producer and performer holding a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Arts Industries and Management from Macquarie University. Aden co-produced, directed and choreographed Ignite Theatre Company’s inaugural and sold-out production, Carrie: The Musical (2023) as well as co-produced, co-hosted and performed in Ignite Before Christmas: A Christmas Cabaret (2024). Aden also directed the company’s most recent production Monty Python’s Spamalot (2025).

Aden has performed as Donkey in Shrek the Musical (Sydney Youth Musical Theatre, 2024). Aden has also performed as Marvel and Cinna in Definitely NOT a Hungry Game: A Parody Musical (Dramafreak Productions, 2024 & 2025) as part of Sydney Fringe Festival and Adelaide Fringe Festival. Aden went on to co-direct the show in its third iteration at the Eternity Playhouse for Sydney Fringe Festival (Dramafreak Productions, 2025).

Aden has also directed excerpts of new Australian works including Tommy Blue is Afraid of his Sister by Izzy Morrissey as part of Scene Dating (2025) with the Old Fitz Theatre and Red Herring by Julia Faragher as part of Horsing Around (2026) with Slanted Theatre in association with the National Theatre of Parramatta. Aden has previously worked at Hayes Theatre Co as an Associate Producer for Festival of New Work.

Aden is currently the Assistant Director for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Redfern Lane Productions which will be staged at Hayes Theatre Co and Riverside Theatres. He is also currently the Associate Director and Associate Producer for Islander with the Australian Theatre for Young People as well as the Director and Co-Producer of Imelda with Sapatos Angels Collective at KXT.

Acknowledgement of Country

Ignite Theatre Company acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

Inclusivity Statement

Acknowledgement of Country

Ignite Theatre Company is committed to showcasing the talents of a diverse range of people both on and off the stage, to better reflect the world in which we live. We welcome performers of all backgrounds to audition for whichever role they wish to portray.

To assist the company in removing as many barriers as possible, we also invite you to share any accessibility requirements you may have with us and we will work to accomodate you to the best of our ability.

Our Story

Aden Abeleda (he/him) | Company Director & Producer

Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledgement of Country

Inclusivity Statement

Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledgement of Country

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