THE MASK FAMILY
THE MASK FAMILY are an acclaimed ensemble of Queensland physical theatre performers, known for their spellbinding, non-verbal, roving acts, interactive installations, and stage performances. This dynamic ensemble, comprising specialist artists, excels in full-face nonverbal mask theatre, crafting performances that highlight the joy of human interaction and showcase the transformative power of kindness. Their art, which transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, deeply engages the hearts of audiences, connecting with them on a profound and visceral level. Renowned for enhancing the atmosphere at festivals, events, and venues across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, their ability to create a vibrant, engaging environment makes them a standout in physical theatre/comedy.
Acts are available individually or in combination, with the most effective presentation being as a trio. These acts can be booked throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Asia for festivals, shopping centres, product launches, parades, nightclubs, corporate events, and company Christmas parties…to name a few. Each act features an integrated sound system that plays music tailored to specific events, enhancing accessibility and audience enjoyment. This customization allows for themes such as German, French, Easter, Christmas, and more, fostering an atmosphere of joy, fun, engagement, laughter, and play.
For more details visit: https://www.clintbolster.com/themaskfamily
Australian Curriculum Connections – Grade P–12
A celebration of physical storytelling, emotional literacy, cultural inclusion, and joyful engagement.
P – YEAR 2
Learning Focus: Developing empathy, creativity, and expressive skills through movement, gesture, and roleplay.
The Arts – Drama
- ACADRM027: Explore role and dramatic action in dramatic play and improvisation.
→ Students observe and imitate The Mask Family’s use of gesture, facial expression, and body movement to portray emotion and character without words. - ACADRM028: Use voice, facial expression, movement and space to imagine and establish role and situation.
→ Students recreate characters from The Mask Family using movement games and mask-making. - ACADRR029: Respond to drama by expressing feelings about dramatic works.
→ Students draw or write about how different characters made them feel and why.
Health & Physical Education
- ACPPS005: Practise personal and social skills to interact with others.
→ Discuss how The Mask Family’s characters use kindness and cooperation to connect with each other and the audience. - ACPMP008: Perform fundamental movement skills in different movement situations.
→ Students copy physical comedy moves or choreographed sequences inspired by the performers.
English – Literacy & Literature
- ACELT1783: Share feelings and thoughts about the events and characters in texts.
→ Students describe the emotions behind a character’s actions, even without words. - ACELY1650: Explore different ways of showing ideas and emotions in multimodal texts.
→ Students compare verbal storytelling with The Mask Family’s physical storytelling.
YEARS 3 – 6
Learning Focus: Exploring symbolic meaning, emotional nuance, and performance craft.
The Arts – Drama
- ACADRM033 / ACADRM037: Plan, create and present dramatic works using role, movement, space and relationship.
→ Workshops can involve students creating their own silent mask characters and short scenes. - ACADRM034 / ACADRM038: Develop skills to convey meaning using performance conventions like mask, mime, gesture.
→ Students explore ‘show, don’t tell’ using mask theatre to represent emotions such as joy, fear, curiosity, frustration. - ACADRR035 / ACADRR039: Respond to drama performances, reflecting on character and audience engagement.
→ Use visual response charts and guided reflection after a performance by The Mask Family.
Personal and Social Capability
- Students explore empathy by interpreting how characters respond to problems without words.
- Group-devised performances based on inclusive themes such as kindness, celebration, and misunderstanding.
Cross-Curriculum Priority: Intercultural Understanding
- Mask theatre transcends language and fosters appreciation for other ways of expressing ideas.
- Students compare mask traditions from Italy (Commedia), Japan (Noh), and contemporary Australian practices.
YEARS 7 – 10
Learning Focus: Analysing style, technique, narrative structure, and the social function of performance.
The Arts – Drama
- Years 7–8
- ACADRM040: Develop roles and characters through interpretation of physicality and situation.
→ Students explore The Mask Family’s archetypes – the Buffoon, the Dreamer, the Disruptor – through mask character development workshops. - ACADRR043: Analyse how performance styles and conventions communicate meaning.
→ Students evaluate how The Mask Family’s work builds narrative through gesture, rhythm, sound, costume, and proximity.
- ACADRM040: Develop roles and characters through interpretation of physicality and situation.
- Years 9–10
- ACADRM048: Develop and refine expressive skills including movement and timing.
→ Use slow-motion, ensemble physical scores, and audience interaction to build short performance pieces. - ACADRR051: Evaluate how the elements of drama are manipulated to convey meaning in performance.
→ Assessment task: write a critical reflection comparing The Mask Family to other physical theatre artists (e.g. Jacques Lecoq, Complicité, Slava Polunin).
- ACADRM048: Develop and refine expressive skills including movement and timing.
English – Literacy & Language
- ACELY1745: Analyse and explain how visual and multimodal texts influence interpretations.
→ Use performance footage to explore how staging, silence, and visual cues communicate complex ideas. - ACELT1773: Explore and reflect on human experiences through different literary and performance forms.
→ Creative writing: students develop a diary entry or inner monologue for a silent mask character.
Critical and Creative Thinking
- Students analyse character behaviours and interpret meaning through physical clues.
- Devising tasks encourage innovation and group problem-solving.
YEARS 11–12 – SENIOR SECONDARY
Learning Focus: Deep analysis, production evaluation, and application of movement-based performance techniques.
Drama (Queensland Senior Syllabus or ACARA-aligned)
Unit 1 – Share
- Focus on storytelling through non-verbal and physical performance conventions.
- Analyse how The Mask Family manipulates gesture, space, tempo, and mask to create emotional resonance.
Unit 2 – Reflect
- Students explore how physical performance can reflect personal and cultural identity.
- Compare the mask character archetypes with contemporary issues – e.g., isolation, connection, community.
Unit 3 – Challenge
- Performance-making task: devise and present a site-specific work using mask and non-verbal interaction.
- Critically reflect on ethical considerations, audience accessibility, and emotional impact.
Unit 4 – Transform
- Students re-contextualise a traditional story or character using the visual language of The Mask Family.
- Apply Brechtian, Absurdist, or Bouffon techniques to mask-based narratives.
Styles, Themes & Contexts in Curriculum Terms
| Styles | Themes | Contexts |
| Non-Verbal Mask Theatre | Connection, Belonging | Festival Arts & Street Theatre |
| Physical Comedy | Playfulness, Celebration | Contemporary Australian Performance |
| Visual/Installation Art | Diversity, Kindness, Inclusion | Global Mask Traditions (Commedia, Noh) |
| Buffon & Bouffon | Absurdity, Empathy, Human Truth | Immersive, Roving, Site-Specific Theatre |
Suggested Learning Extensions & Activities
- F–6
-Create a mask and perform a silent scene using music.
-Reflect on what emotions were hardest to show without words. - 7–10
-Write a review or blog post responding to a live or recorded performance.
-Film a silent group sketch exploring a conflict and its resolution.
- 11–12
-Plan and execute a roving mask performance for a school community event.
-Conduct a comparative analysis between The Mask Family and European mask companies (e.g., Familie Flöz or Trestle Theatre).
PREVIOUS EVENTS
to name a few…
- The Palm Creek Cove Festival – (QLD), 2022
- The St Lawerence Wetland Weekend – (QLD), 2022
- Roma Easter In The Country – (QLD), 2022
- The Brookfield Show – (QLD), 2022, 2023, 2025
- Cairns Festival – (QLD), 2022
- Spark Ipswich Festival – (QLD), 2022
- The Roma Show – (QLD), 2021
- The Wynnum Fringe Festival – (QLD), 2020, 2021
- The Fraser Coast Agricultural Show – (QLD), 2021
- The 1770 Festival – (QLD), 2021
- The Australian Italian Festival – (QLD), 2021
- Hastings Street Christmas Celebrations NOOSA – (QLD), 2020
- Brisbane Festival – (QLD), 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Gold Coast Holiday Activations – (QLD), 2020
- The Stanthorpe Apple & Grape Harvest Festival – (QLD), 2020
- The Townsville Heritage Festival – (QLD), 2019
- The Big Pineapple Music Festival – (QLD), 2019
- The Australian Body Art Festival – (QLD), 2019
- The Gold Coast Marathon – (QLD), 2019
- Suncorp Stadium – The Broncos Game – (QLD) – 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024
- The Mary Poppins Festival – (QLD), 2019
- The Global Games – (QLD), 2019
- The 2018 Commonwealth Games – (QLD), 2018
- Woodford Folk Festival – (QLD), 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2022/2023, 2023/2024
- The Hervey Bay Whale Festival – (QLD), 2018
- The Port Douglas Carnivale Parade – (QLD), 2018
- Splendour In The Grass Festival – NSW), 2018
- The Bridge To Brisbane – (QLD), 2018
- The Brisbane Writers Festival -(QLD), 2018
- The Red Earth Arts Festival – (WA), 2018
- Sunfest at SUNPac – (QLD), 2018, 2022
- The Esperance Show – (WA), 2018
- Narangba State High School Arts Festival – (QLD), 2018
- The Blackbutt Avocado Festival – (QLD), 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
- The Food Truck Carnival – (QLD), 2018
- DFO Shopping Centre – (QLD), 2018
- AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things – (WA), 2019
- The Cooyar Show – (QLD), 2019
- Lords Hill College Arts Evening – (QLD), 2019
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Artistic Director, Producer & Co-Costume Designer: Clint Bolster
Creative Advisor: Allie Wilde
Production & Co-Costume Designer: Josh McIntosh
Costume Makers: Joanne Fraher & Jim Ioannides
Mask Theatre Performers: Clint Bolster, Allie Wilde, Nick Cilento, Ana Oertel, David Coombs, Penny Everingham, Chae Lindeman, Frans Vogels, Stefan Cooper Fox, Allen Laverty, Helen Cassidy, Serena Andreini and Scotia Monkivitch
Photographers: Justin Ma & Barbara Lowing
Videography: Tnee Dyer
Grant Support: Ann Mclean
Initial Creative Development Rehearsal Venue: SUNPAC Performing Arts Centre
Masks Designed and Made by: Russell Dean, Strangeface Theatre Company UK, for Vamos Theatre Company UK
THE MASK FAMILY have been assisted by the Queensland Government through the Arts Queensland Showcase Program & The Individual Professional Development Grant
THE LOLLY POP LADIES
“We were looking for a way to liven up our local street parade and booked The Lollypop Ladies. The Lollypop ladies were a big hit with the crowds and added that perfect unique edge the parade was lacking. The performers generously went above and beyond to interact with the crowd and stopped for many photos after the parade, something we were incredibly grateful for. A pleasure to work with and artistically unique -I’d recommend this world-class troupe for any public event!“
★★★★★ –Paul Smyth – Events Officer, CEO Unit Douglas Shire Council
THE LOLLY POP LADIES is a dynamic, interactive, visually impactful and endearing mask theatre act, specifically tailored for a wide array of events, festivals and occasions. Whatever your event or celebration, make sure you grab your audience’s attention and ignite their imagination with our genuinely wonderful LOLLY POP LADIES. These ladies engage in playful games with members of the crowd as they wander through your event areas.
Incredibly versatile and suitable for any event from entertaining children and posing for photos at family-friendly events, to mingling with delegates at a conference, or being mischievous with guests at gala dinners, right through to wowing audiences in nightclubs. Highly memorable and seriously funny!
REASONS TO BOOK THIS ACT
-COVID-19 plan approved with performers in costume from head to toe, providing a safe distance between them and attendees
-A phenomenal walkabout act that will captivate your audience
-Unique, eye-catching entertainment that stands out from the crowd
-An extraordinary strong visual aesthetic that will provide spectacular interactive entertainment
-Brisbane based yet available to travel throughout Australia and New Zealand.
For more information visit: https://www.themaskfamily.com/the-lolly-pop-ladies
THE ENGLISH BOBBIES
“The English Bobbies were an absolute hit with audiences! The performers were incredibly entertaining and engaging! Would highly recommend them for any event! World Class!”
★★★★★ – Johanna Clark, The 2018 Commonwealth Games
THE ENGLISH BOBBIES is a show-stopping, interactive and comical mask theatre walkabout act, specifically tailored for a wide array of festivals, events and occasions. THE ENGLISH BOBBIES, dressed in the iconic original English police constable uniforms, bring hilarious slapstick, comic timing and occasional buffoonery to keep the crowds laughing.
The perfect entertainment choice if you’re looking to bring some “order” to your next event. THE ENGLISH BOBBIES are guaranteed to delight and amuse guests whatever the occasion, creating fits of laughter wherever they appear. This unforgettable act is certain to leave a lasting impression – just what you need to make your event stand out from the crowd!
REASONS TO BOOK THIS ACT
-COVID-19 plan approved with performers in costume from head to toe, providing a safe distance between them and attendees
-Hilarious physical comedy routines and brilliant improvisation
-The perfect meet and greet characters, guest ‘movers’ (perfect for moving your guests throughout an event or from space-to-space)
-Fantastic photo opportunities with performers able to stage stunning and theatrical tableaux shots for that beautiful event keep-sake
-Based in Brisbane and available throughout Australia and New Zealand.
For more information visit: https://www.themaskfamily.com/the-english-bobbies
MADE TO MEASURE
MADE TO MEASURE are the quintessential tailors from a bygone era. Always in search of the perfect measurement, they engage in playful games with members of the crowd, and with their surroundings, as they wander through your event areas and captivate your audience. People will be queuing up to have their photos taken with them!
MADE TO MEASURE is an energetic, dynamic and interactive mask theatre act, specifically tailored for a wide array of events, festivals and occasions. This magnificent walkabout act will ensure that your guests have a brilliant time that puts a smile on their faces — a memorable experience for young and old.
REASONS TO BOOK THIS ACT
-COVID-19 plan approved with performers in costume from head to toe, providing a safe distance between them and attendees
-Amusing characters that provide playful, and slightly mischievous entertainment
-Fantastic roaming performers that will ensure there is never a dull moment at your event
-Family-friendly entertainment delivered by elite, professional roaming characters
-Brisbane based yet available to travel throughout Australia and New Zealand.
For more information visit: https://www.themaskfamily.com/the-donalds-are-made-to-measure
THE TAMBOURINE BAND
THE TAMBORINE BAND is an endearing, joyful, slightly unhinged mask theatre act, specifically tailored for a wide array of events, festivals and occasions. THE TAMBORINE BAND bring the essential ingredient of hilarious chaos with these seriously committed musicians, not entirely playing precisely in tune with each other, but continuing to perform their exclusive comic outtakes to the crowd’s amusement.
THE TAMBORINE BAND will have your guests wholly engaged and amazed, as well as leaving a lasting impression. They are an ideal photo opportunity where guests can take home a memory of the event to keep. Whatever your event or celebration, grab the audience’s attention and transfix their imagination with our incredible TAMBORINE BAND.
REASONS TO BOOK THIS ACT
-COVID-19 plan approved with performers in costume from head to toe, providing a safe distance between them and attendees
-An exceptional walkabout act that will amaze your audience.
-Family-friendly entertainment delivered by elite, professional roaming characters.
-Based in Brisbane and available throughout Australia and New Zealand.
For more infomration visit: https://www.themaskfamily.com/the-tamborine-band
THE TOURISTS
“The Mask Family were a huge hit at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Public Viewing Events (Race Walk, Cycling Time Trial and Cycling Road Race). Many of the spectators stopped the ‘tourists’ for happy snaps and enjoyed a chin wag, while the Lollypop Ladies had the crowds ‘laughing and hopping’ their way through the events, providing much entertainment for both the young and old (including myself)!”
★★★★★ – Jules Delemare – LOUD Events
THE TOURISTS is a vibrant, oversized, colourful and playful interactive mask theatre act, specifically tailored for a wide array of events, festivals and occasions. These roaming characters have a mischievous sense of humour and a general air of cheekiness that enables them to provide high-quality interactive entertainment that keeps audiences thrilled, and endlessly engaged.
From mingling with delegates at a conference, or being mischievous with guests at a gala dinner, to being naughty to parents and having fun with children at outdoor family events, THE TOURISTS have exceptional versatility. THE TOURISTS can accessorise their outfits and props with your event’s specific marketing collateral, or with your particular products – they can have your flyer in their bum-bag, your badge on their shirt, your camera in their hand!
REASONS TO BOOK THIS ACT
-COVID-19 plan approved with performers in costume from head to toe, providing a safe distance between them and attendees
-A phenomenal walkabout act that will amaze any audience – unforgettable and highly visually stimulating, they create a spectacle wherever they roam
-Highly structured, interactive entertainment that is eccentric, colourful, fun and guarantees a great time for all of your guests
-Brisbane based and available to travel throughout Australia and New Zealand.
For more infomration visit: https://www.themaskfamily.com/the-tourists
A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
It’s that time of year again… and we all know what that means…Christmas! What better way to celebrate the festive season than with THE MASK FAMILY. Vibrant, oversized colourful and playful interactive mask theatre, specifically tailored to spread the Christmas cheer at your next event!
With a bright soundscape of Christmas carols – these cheeky characters are eager to get their Christmas shopping done – with a general air of whimsy – that will connect directly to the hearts of your audience. From mingling with your colleagues at the company Christmas Party, being mischievous with guests at a gala dinner, or entertaining the masses at Christmas Carol events, A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL has exceptional versatility!
REASONS TO BOOK THIS ACT
-COVID-19 plan approved with performers in costume from head to toe, providing a safe distance between them and attendees
-A phenomenal walkabout act that will amaze any audience creating a spectacle wherever they roam
-Highly interactive entertainment that is eccentric, colourful, fun and guarantees a great time for all of your guests
-Brisbane based and available to travel throughout Australia, New Zealand & Asia.
For more nfomration visit: https://www.themaskfamily.com/the-mask-family-christmas-special
THE MAITRE D’S
THE MAITRE D’s are the perfect welcoming entertainment for a number of corporate events, private parties, gala dinners, wedding receptions, promotions, conferences and many more. Surprise your guests with our comedic trio who can serve various drinks that include wine, champagne, cocktails, or any other beverage/canapes/products of choice.
THE MAITRE D’s are guaranteed to delight and amuse guests whatever the occasion, creating fits of laughter wherever they appear. This unforgettable act is certain to leave a lasting impression – just what you need to make your event stand out from the crowd!
REASONS TO BOOK THIS ACT
-COVID-19 plan approved with performers in costume from head to toe, providing a safe distance between them and attendees
-Hilarious physical comedy routines and brilliant improvisation
-The perfect welcoming entertainment
-Fantastic photo opportunities with performers able to stage stunning and theatrical tableaux shots for that beautiful event keep-sake
-Based in Brisbane and available throughout Australia and New Zealand.
For more infomration visit: https://www.themaskfamily.com/the-maitre-d-s