Our Team

Our training programs are taught by leading industry experts who are celebrated for their knowledge, talent and expertise. They include professional actors, casting directors, talent managers, filmmakers, writers and directors who hold degrees from the most prestigious universities around the world.

David Cuthbertson – Acting coach 

David is a graduate of The McDonald College of Performing Arts Acting Stream. Upon graduating he travelled the globe with The Cartoon Network live and landed in the UK where he continued his training at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and the prestigious Atlantic Acting School, New York. He has worked in casting for the Disney corporation and played the role of agent, mentor and acting coach to some of the industry’s leading young talent throughout the world. David was employed by the Brightstars group to re-ignite the creative development of agency members. Within 12 months he had written and produced the most successful young actor training and talent development program in the history of the country.

As an actor he has appeared in ‘Police Rescue’, ‘GP’ and ‘Rake’ for the ABC, ‘Mr Punch of London’ for the BBC, ‘Home and Away’ & ‘All Saints’ for the Seven Network, ‘Deadly Women’ for Beyond Productions, ‘Rise’ for Pinnacle Films and ‘Deadline Gallipoli’ for Matchbox Films/Foxtel. Some of his theatre credits include ‘Me & My Girl’ (Gordon Frost), ‘Pan ‘(Jewel), ‘Turandot’ (Opera Australia), ‘Go West’ (Griffin), ‘Star Wars’ (Millennium Int.), ‘Stickled’ (Edinburgh Fest), ‘Sinbad’ (Zenith Theatre), ‘Red Light Winter’ (Atlantic NYC) and played the title role of the fiddler in ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ (TML) at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney. 

David is also the artistic director of ‘The Actors Assembly’, ‘Kids Act Up’ and the writer and creator of the ‘Line of Truth’ acting syllabus, a weekly young actor training manual rolling out in public schools.

Ezekiel Simat – Screen acting coach

Ezekiel Simat (Zeke to his friends) was one of the top 10 finalist in the highly competitive Heath Ledger Scholarship in 2018.

Onscreen, he has appeared in The High Life (9NOW), as well as the award winning web-series’ SYD2030 & The Auditions. Zeke’s love for comedy has seen him appears on Australia’s ABC (iview) as various characters in ‘Fresh Blood Pilot: Too Pretty to be Witty’ as well as ABC comedies ‘The Housemate’, and ‘Sheilas’. He has also appeared in International brand campaigns for Nike, Adidas, Hyundai, Amazon, Myer, Iconic & Samsung (to name a few).

Recently, Zeke led ScreenQLD-funded short film ‘No Friends in the Forest’ which premiered in Los Angeles as an official selection of ScreamfestLA, and played Jeremiah in the record-setting series ‘Lambs of God’ starring Emmy-winner Ann Dowd (Handmaid’s Tale) Aacta Award Winner Essie Davis (The Babadook & Game of Thrones) & Jessica Barden (End of the F*cking World). In 2019, he starred in Dollhouse Pictures’ Chlorine, one of four recipients of the prestigious Lexus Fellowship at Sydney Film Festival (where it had its world premiere), Claudia Pickering’s (Screen Australia & Create NSW funded) comedy Wanderbust, and has begun an ongoing collaboration as actor and writer for SBS’ wildly popular comedy sketch program “The Feed”.

In 2021, Zeke starred as the romantic lead in the US/AUS co-production Dog Days of Christmas; Guest Star as Justin on Amazon Prime’s Back to the Rafters; Ari in Playmaker and Channel Nine’s Amazing Grace & is currently shooting an upcoming Hulu miniseries that can’t yet be announced.

Tahlia Merlino – Young Screen Actor coach 

Tahlia Merlino is a NIDA trained actor and graduate of 16th Street’s Full Time Program 2020.
Her theatre credits include New Theatre’s ‘The Park’ (2022), Factory Space Theatre Companies ‘A Peculiar River’ (2019) and The House That Dan Built’s ‘Tender Young Creatures’ (2017/18).
Following her NIDA graduation in 2018, Tahlia was also a full time performer at Luna Park Sydney. She has a great love for devising and working with young people and recently worked as an assistant director on ATYP’s production of ‘Shack’ alongside Hayden Tonazzi. Currently Tahlia is working on KXT’s production of ‘Cherry Smoke’ with CrissCross productions as an assistant director and assistant producer.

Katherine Beck – Accent & voice coach

Katherine Beck has taken the voiceover industry by storm with her versatility, talent and professionalism. With over 15 years experience in the biz Katherine’s voice is high in demand both locally and overseas in the United States, U.K., Canada, and the Asia Pacific market. Her versatility in developing characters started years ago when she had the privilege to study with one of the greatest voices in Animation, Bob Bergen. With his guidance she’s developed a diverse and creative character range that’s helped her stay very busy in the animation world. Katherine Beck is known for her work on Sea Princesses (2008), Gasp! (2010) and The Scrying.

 

Adam Marks – Stage & screen acting coach

Adam graduated from WAAPA 3 Year Bachelor of Acting in 2018.
Adam just finished performing in Slaughterhouse at Belvoir St Theatre right off the back of touring to Brisbane in the show Puffs as a magical boy wizard. At WAAPA he played Allen Fitzgerald in The Bling Giant Is Dancing, Egon Schiele in Self Portrait Masturbating and Vice President Dick Cheney in Stuff Happens. He recently wrapped on the AFTRS film Now, Then, After and last year appeared in the SBS film Black Lips, which premiered at Mardi Gras and travelled to Palm Springs International Film Fest Adam is a proud member of MEAA and loves playing guitar.

 

Kat Hoyos – Screen acting & audition technique

Kat is an accomplished actor, singer and dancer starring as Layla Habib in Channel Nine’s comedy series – Here Come The Habibs. In 2017 she was nominated for Best New Talent at the TVWeek Logie Awards and nominated again in 2018 for Most Popular Actress. She starred in the Australian feature film Chasing Comets alongside Isobel Lucas, Dan Ewing, Rhys Muldoon, Justin Melvey and Peter Phelps and has co-starred in the feature film A Suburban Love Story alongside Luke Ford. Kat was part of the stellar cast of The Road Home, which won awards at The St Kilda Festival, The Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sarasota Festival, WOW Film Festival also receiving an academy accredited Flickerfest nomination. Some of Kat’s onstage credits include Jersey Boys the Musical  – Australian and NZ tour, Hairspray the Musical – Australian Tour, Bring it On the Musical  – Australian Tour and Xanadu: The Musical. Kat has made TV appearances including the MTV and Aria Awards, Mornings, The Australian Open Tennis final, The Helpmann Awards, Sunrise, Hey Hey its Saturday, Dancing with The Stars and sung on the nationally televised Carols by Candlelight on Channel 9.Since the success of Here come the Habibs she has appeared on numerous radio stations interstate as well as the prominent Today Show, Today Extra and the Easter Appeal in Adelaide, Starlight foundation Appeal (The Footy Show) and Channel 9’s Annual Gold Telethon. Kat also appeared this year as a recurring personality on popular TV show, 20-1 (Channel 9).

 

Young Actors Assembly acknowledges the original storytellers, the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as the nation's first inhabitants and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.