What We Do

The People Behind Interact Now

Meet the Team

From directors and actors to facilitators and educators — every member brings deep expertise and a shared passion for helping people grow through forum theatre.

Joy Stewart

A director, playwright, and psychotherapist. She designs and delivers forum theatre workshops aimed at developing social, emotional, and communication skills, with the goal of fostering meaningful change. 
More About Joy

Donna Brooks

began her creative career studying at the University of Tasmania, working as a voice-over artist for local TV and radio stations and developing her stage craft. She has since performed and worked across Australia and in Italy, Hong Kong and the UK.
More About Donna

Trudi Boatwright

is a theatre maker, experience designer, and actor with over 25 years of expertise in immersive and participatory storytelling. 
More About Trudi

Simon Bolton

studied drama at university and trained as an actor at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He acted for stage, screen and radio in the UK including several award-winning West End productions before focusing on devising and directing educational theatre projects.
More About Simon

Toby Blome

completed the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at NIDA. While studying, Toby played the roles of Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (dir. Iain Sinclair), and Charon in Jane Montgomery Griffiths’ Eurydike + Orpheus (dir. Priscilla Jackman), amongst others. 
More About Toby

Jess Spies

is an actor and educator based in Sydney. She completed a Diploma of Acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at NIDA.
More About Jess

Teo Vergara

is an actor, singer, dancer and a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Music Theatre. Teo made their screen debut in the ABC series, Crazy Fun Park (2023).
More About Teo

Teo Persechino

is a Sydney-based artist and performer completing Bachelor of Music Theatre Honour at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. They are a passionate singer, actor and musician who loves telling stories on stage and through music.
More About Teo

Megan Robinson

is an emerging actor, vocalist, and writer based in Sydney, working on Gadigal land. They made their professional debut in 2025, gaining recognition for their role as Maya in Converted! A Comedy Disco Musical at ATYP.
More About Megan
What We Do

Create Real-Time Solutions Through Interactive Training

At Interact Now, we help you see your world from a new perspective. By recreating real-life scenarios, we enable you to assess challenges differently and experiment with solutions in real time. Whether you direct actors or step in yourself, we ensure immediate feedback to refine approaches and enhance learning.

  • Real-time, interactive role-playing for effective problem-solving.
  • Immersive experiences that foster deeper learning and engagement.
  • Hands-on, director-led training that empowers participants to test solutions.
What We Do

Joy Stewart

Joy Stewart is a director, playwright, and psychotherapist. She designs and delivers forum theatre workshops aimed at developing social, emotional, and communication skills, with the goal of fostering meaningful change. Joy runs Interact Now and serves as a director of TBC Creative. In addition, she maintains a private psychotherapy practice.

Joy’s work with the Pam McLean Centre at the University of Sydney, gave her extensive experience in the healthcare sector, while her involvement with NRL teams, NUAA, various NGOs, Bradfield Senior College, ACPE and TAFE further developed her knowledge of educational institutions and organisations.

Career Highlights

She is deeply committed to harnessing the transformative power of theatre to help people develop agency and vision, empowering them to contribute to healthier social systems and happier lives.

Joy holds degrees in Dramatic Art, Psychology, and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy.

Donna Brooks

Donna Brooks began her creative career studying at the University of Tasmania, working as a voice-over artist for local TV and radio stations and developing her stage craft. She has since performed and worked across Australia and in Italy, Hong Kong and the UK.

Donna’s theatre credits include Beginner at Life, Beautiful, The Man Who Threw a Stone, Survival Instincts, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, The Vagina Monologues, Housebound, and Don Juan in Soho. On screen she has appeared in Australian and American TV series, short films, commercials and educational and corporate productions.

Career Highlights

Donna has performed in school curriculum productions of Hamlet and has toured regional NSW, VIC and SA performing as Tina Turbine, entertaining and educating children on the benefits of energy saving practices and renewable energy.

Part of Donna’s career as a performer involves her working in the corporate and medical sectors using improvisational forum theatre and scripted role-play for training, assessment and recruitment. She works closely with educators and facilitators to devise and execute interactive professional development role plays dealing with effective, challenging and empathetic communication.

Trudi Boatwright

Trudi Boatwright is a theatre maker, experience designer, and actor with over 25 years of expertise in immersive and participatory storytelling. As the Founder of TBC Creative, she specialises in immersive performances including as the producer and director of some of Melbourne’s largest independent immersive productions, including Mr Naismith’s Secret at Melbourne General Cemetery and RUST (midsummer festival).

Career Highlights

With a strong background in improvisation and forum theatre – Trudi is a certified Spolin coach- she has worked extensively in diverse communities, including Indigenous programs and hospitals as a Starlight Captain for the Starlight Children’s Foundation and schools, including 18 months touring to over 60,000 students across Australia and New Zealand.

She is currently preparing a children’s STEM show for a DFAT Osaka performance.

Her speciality is creating worlds for audience to move beyond the fourth wall.

Simon Bolton

Simon Bolton studied drama at university and trained as an actor at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He acted for stage, screen and radio in the UK including several award-winning West End productions before focusing on devising and directing educational theatre projects. He devised educational productions for many organisations including the British Association of Charitable Foundations, Newcastle Museum of Antiquities and Newcastle Art Gallery. He completed a Post-graduate Certificate of Education (the qualification required by all teachers in the UK) focusing on Drama as a Learning Medium and Process Drama and taught drama and performance for seven years in the further education sector.

Career Highlights

Since migrating to Australia in 1997, Simon has combined on-going work for film and stage as an actor with a career in educational leadership. He retires from his role as a Faculty Director in TAFE NSW in March 2025, to focus once more solely on creative projects.

Simon is also a qualified level 1 Aus Cycling coach and a ride leader with Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club, Australia’s largest community club.

Toby Blome

Toby Blome completed the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at NIDA. While studying, Toby played the roles of Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (dir. Iain Sinclair), and Charon in Jane Montgomery Griffiths’ Eurydike + Orpheus (dir. Priscilla Jackman), amongst others.

Since graduating he has appeared in ATYP’s Intersection 2019 – Arrival (dir. Sophie Kelly), as Tim in Red Line Production’s there will be a climax (dir. Alexander Berlage), Eddie in Jackrabbit’s A Little Piece of Ash (dir. Megan Wilding), Mark in Monkey Baa Theatre Company’s 2019 touring production of Hitler’s Daughter (dir. Sandra Eldridge), and as Private ‘Yank’ Akell in the Australian Vietnam War film Danger Close (dir. Kriv Stenders).

Career Highlights

He is also one half of the clowning duo Rudy & Cuthbert, who have performed extensively in Sydney and at Melbourne’s Southbank Theatre.

Jess Spies

Jess Spies is an actor and educator based in Sydney. She completed a Diploma of Acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at NIDA. Stage credits include The Power of Love (dir. Lucia Mastrantone and Amber McMahon), Much Stuff (dir. Ziggy Resnick, KXT), How to Defend Yourself (dir. Claudia Barrie, Outhouse Theatre Co, The Old Fitz).

Jess also appeared on screen on Netflix’s Heartbreak High and Gundam, Stan’s Critical Incident, and in short film Cut (Physical TV Company).

Beyond performing, Jess is interested in event curating.

Career Highlights

She most recently Executive Produced and performed in The Double Bill, an independent production at Flow Studios. She is currently developing an Auslan clowning show tailored for the d/DEAF and Hard of Hearing community, which will showcase in 2025.

Teo Vergara

Teo Vergara is an actor, singer, dancer and a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Music Theatre. Teo made their screen debut in the ABC series, Crazy Fun Park (2023) directed and created by Nick Verso, portraying the character, Bridget.  They followed this by starring in the queer and gender diverse series, Turn Up The Volume (ABC) playing Quinn.  They were also a member of the original Australian cast of Jagged Little Pill, directed by Leah Howard, which toured nationally. In 2023, they were key cast in the Greenroom nominated portrayal of ‘Songs for a New World’ with Soundworks productions.

Career Highlights

Teo has been involved in new Australian music theatre including leading Çonverted!’ by Vic Zerbst and Oliver John Cameron with ATYP, and ‘A transgender Woman on the Internet Crying’ by Cassie Hamilton with Homegrown. They will be part of a brand-new queer play ‘Storked!’by Myf Hocking with Antipodes early this year.  Teo can currently be seen as Laura in the animated adventure film, The Sloth Lane (2024) directed by Tania Vincent and Ricard Cusso.

Teo Persechino

Teo Persechino (he/they) is a Sydney-based artist and performer completing Bachelor of Music Theatre Honour at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. They are a passionate singer, actor and musician who loves telling stories on stage and through music. Teo most recently originated the character of Horace in ATYP’s ‘Converted!’ for Sydney Festival 2025. Previously, they performed as the Baker in the Conservatorium’s production of Sondheim’s ‘Into The Woods’ and as Mr Erlanson in the Liebeslieders for the Hayes Theatre Company’s production of A Little Night Music (dir. Dean Bryant).

Career Highlights

In June 2024, Teo was a part of the development workshop of Maverick Newman and Kohan Van Sambeeck’s new Australian musical ‘One Day In September’ (dir. Trudy Dunn) as a dancer and Damo. Teo is also an independent singer/songwriter, having released their original pop music, their debut studio EP ‘Hindsight’.

Megan Robinson

Megan Robinson is an emerging actor, vocalist, and writer based in Sydney, working on Gadigal land. They made their professional debut in 2025, gaining recognition for their role as Maya in Converted! A Comedy Disco Musical at ATYP, followed by a performance in Theys at Hayes Theatre Co.

With over a decade of experience in independent and community theatre, Megan is passionate about creating diverse, inclusive narratives through songwriting and storytelling. In 2024, their original musical Penpals – A New Queer Musical premiered, where they played the lead role of Callie.

Career Highlights

Megan is also the co-founder of The Little Big Theatre Co, an independent company dedicated to bold, innovative new works.