about DAVID BUTLER (HE/HIM)

David is an award winning musical director, freelance performer and vocal coach based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia.

David can regularly be found on the cabaret and independent theatre circuit; often as drag alter-ego Peppy Smears. Highlights include ongoing touring with Tash York in their award-winning shows HAPPY HOUR, the choose your own adventure cabaret IT’S UP TO YOU: TASH YORK, TASH YORK; and their new - already award-winning - show DROP RED GORGEOUS, which premiered at Fringeworld Perth in 2026. Peppy is a regular host at Speakeasy Theatre for their VAUDEVILLE REVUE, and at The 86 Cabaret Bar for their LATE NIGHT SHOW; as well as contributing to numerous projects in the Melbourne International Comedy, Midsumma, and national Fringe Festivals. David has performed in multiple seasons of the Australian premiere production of GHOST QUARTET (2019, 2021 & 2025) - garnering multiple Green Room and Sydney Theatre Award nominations; two seasons of MAD WORLD; and is the voice of “Dad Brad” in Conor Beaumont’s concept album THE ROMANTICS.

Musical direction highlights include William Finn’s FALSETTOS (StageArt) – for which he received a Green Room nomination, Stephen Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS (Bottled Snail Productions), the new Australian work MAD WORLD (DBS), three seasons of the Australian premiere of Dave Malloy’s GHOST QUARTET (Antipodes Theatre Company) - for which he also received Green Room nominations. More recently David won the Green Room Award for Best Musical Direction for Antipodes Theatre Company’s highly regarded production of GUYS & DOLLS, and was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical Direction of the Hayes Theatre season of GHOST QUARTET. He also received a Green Room nomination for his Musical Direction of Bradley Storer’s EXHUMED (Melbourne Fringe); and continues his work on Tash York’s HAPPY HOUR, IT’S UP TO YOU: TASH YORK, TASH YORK and DROP RED GOREGOUS as they continue to tour nationally. David was also the resident musical director for Brooklyn Runaways’ online series CONTAGIOUS CABARET (2020-2021) and has written original music for Mel & Peppy’s #REALLY?!, Tash York’s HAPPY HOUR, and co-wrote the music for LOVE THAT FOR YOU.

A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (Voice), David works on a consulting basis as a vocal coach with actors, singers and theatre companies; he is also a referred voice teacher with the Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre. David has worked as a casual voice tutor and lecturer in Musical Theatre for Theatre Blacks, Transit Dance, and the University of Melbourne, Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts. Through his studio, David has produced various concerts, events and productions; with highlights including the national tour of ELABORATE LIVES (2014), hosting audition workshops and masterclasses with director Chuck Hudson (USA), a comedy fundraiser for Thorne Harbour Health, two seasons of MAD WORLD: The Immersive Theatrical Experience, and co-producing with Big Hair Productions the Tasmanian premiere of IT’S UP TO YOU: TASH YORK, TASH YORK.

David is a founding member of Antipodes Theatre Company, and is passionate about developing voice and arts practice in Australia with a primary focus on wellbeing, sustainability, and representation diversity. David respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and all First Nations people as the traditional custodians of the unceded land on which he lives and works. He pays his respect to Elders past and present, and to our shared future.

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

BACHELOR of MUSICAL PERFORMANCE (Voice)
Victorian College of the Arts

18 YEARS PRIVATE TUTORING EXPERIENCE
12 Years Specialised in Voice

CONSULTING TUTOR IN VOICE
University of Melbourne (2015 to 2019)
Theatre Blacks (2019 - 2022)
Transit Dance (2022 - 2023)

CASUAL LECTURER in VOICE & MUSICAL THEATRE
University of Melbourne (2017 to 2019)

REFERRED VOICE TEACHER
Gary May (Gary May Voice Studio)
Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre

MUSICAL DIRECTION CREDITS

2026

Tash York is “DROP RED GORGEOUS” (Big Hair Productions, Weekly Award & Best Cabaret Award WINNER, Fringeworld Perth)

2025
Tash York’s “HAPPY HOUR” (Big Hair Productions)
Dave Malloy’s “GHOST QUARTET” (Antipodes Theatre Company & Hayes Theatre Company)
Tash York’s “LOVE THAT FOR YOU” (Big Hair Productions; Midsumma Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Mt. Gambier Fringe seasons)

2024
Tash York’s “HAPPY HOUR” (Big Hair Productions, Regional Victorian Tour)
Tash York’s “IT’S UP TO YOU: TASH YORK, TASH YORK!” (Big Hair Productions & David Butler Studio)
Tash York’s “LOVE THAT FOR YOU” (Big Hair Productions; Midsumma Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Mt. Gambier Fringe seasons)
Dolly Diamond’s “HOT SUMMER ROAST” (Midsumma Festival)
Bradley Storer’s “EXHUMED” (Chapel Off Chapel)
Jodie Stubbs-Sullivan’s “MIDLIFE” (Adelaide Fringe, and P&O Cruises seasons)

2023
Tash York’s “HAPPY HOUR” (Big Hair Productions, Fringe World Perth and Bondi Festival seasons)
Midsumma Festival’s “BOWIE BALL” (Brooklyn Runaways)
Antipodes Theatre Company’s “UNSUNG” (Festival of the Unseen)
Dolly Diamond’s “RATHER LARGE VARIETY NIGHT” (Victorian Pride Centre)
Tash York’s “IT’S UP TO YOU: TASH YORK, TASH YORK!” (Big Hair Productions)
Antipodes Theatre Company’s “GUYS & DOLLS” (Chapel Off Chapel, Best Musical Direction WINNER)
Bradley Storer’s “EXHUMED” (Melbourne Fringe, Best Musical Direction nomination)
Scott Hollingsworth’s “OLDER THAN I EVER INTENDED TO BE” (MC Showroom)

2022
Midsumma Festival’s “BOWIE BALL” (Brooklyn Runaways)
Club Clocktower’s “AN EVENING WITH PEPPY SMEARS” (Clocktower Theatre)
Bradley Storer’s ”THE DARK PRINCE” (The Hare Hole)
Tash York’s “ADULTING” (Motley Bauhaus)
Cameron Stewart’s “CINEMASONG” (Melbourne Fringe season)
Tash York’s “HAPPY HOUR” (Big Hair Productions, Best Cabaret Award nomination, Market-Ready Award WINNER)
Antipodes Theatre Company’s “UNSUNG” (Brunswick Ballroom)
Tash York & Dolly Diamond’s “A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS” (Butterfly Club)

2021
Online Series “CONTAGIOUS CABARET” (Brooklyn Runaways)
Mel & Peppy’s “#REALLY?!” (Brooklyn Runaways, Melbourne International Comedy Festival & Midsumma Festival seasons)
Dave Malloy’s “GHOST QUARTET” (Antipodes Theatre Company)

2020
Midsumma Festival’s “BOWIE BALL” (Brooklyn Runaways)
Online Series “CONTAGIOUS CABARET” (Brooklyn Runaways)

2019
Independent season of ”MAD WORLD: The Return Season” (David Butler Studio & Richard Taki)
Jodie Stubbs-Sullivan’s “WOMAN: It’s a Mother of a Cabaret” (Adelaide Fringe season)
Melissa David’s “FROM: NEW YORK, FOR: HIM” (Brooklyn Runaways; Adelaide Fringe season)
Australian Premiere “GHOST QUARTET” (Antipodes Theatre Company, Best Musical Direction and Best Ensemble nominations)
Courtney Glass’s “HEROINE” (Brooklyn Runaways)

2018
William Finn's "FALSETTOS" (StageArt, Best Musical Direction nomination)
Stephen Sondheim's "INTO THE WOODS" (BottledSnail Productions)
Isabella Valette’s "HI-VISABELLA” (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)
Jodie Stubbs-Sullivan’s ”WOMAN: It’s a Mother of a Cabaret” (Melbourne Cabaret Festival)
Melissa David’s "FROM: NEW YORK, FOR: HIM” (Brooklyn Runaways)
Independent season of ”MAD WORLD” (David Butler Studio)

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

“GHOST QUARTET” 2019, 2021, and 2025 seasons
Australian Premiere
- Antipodes Theatre Company
Best Ensemble and Best Musical Direction nominations

“GUYS & DOLLS” 2023
- Antipodes Theatre Company
Best Ensemble nomination and Best Musical Direction WINNER

Geraldine Quinn’s “BROAD” 2024
- Adelaide Fringe, and Festival of Voices seasons

The Local Lesbian’s “LESBIAN LOVE STORIES” 2024
- Adelaide Fringe season

Jodie Stubbs-Sullivan’s “MIDLIFE” 2024
- Adelaide Fringe, and P&O Cruises

Tash York is “DROP RED GORGEOUS” 2026
- Big Hair Productions; Fringeworld Perth (Weekly Award & Best Cabaret Award WINNER), Adelaide Fringe, National tour dates ongoing.

Tash York’s “HAPPY HOUR” 2022 - 2025
- Big Hair Productions; Best Cabaret nomination, Market-Ready Award WINNER; Melbourne Fringe, Fringeworld Perth, Bondi Festival, and Wynnum Fringe seasons; Regional Victorian Tour)

Tash York’s “LOVE THAT FOR YOU” 2024
- Big Hair Productions; original music co-writer; Midsumma, Adelaide Fringe, and Mt Gambier Fringe

Tash York’s “IT’S UP TO YOU: TASH YORK, TASH YORK”
(2023 - 2024) as Peppy Smears
- Big Hair Productions & David Butler Studio

Dolly Diamond’s “HOT SUMMER ROAST” 2024
- Midsumma Festival

Dolly Diamond’s “RATHER LARGE VARIETY NIGHT” 2023
- Victorian Pride Centre

“A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS” 2022
- Butterfly Club

“UNSUNG” 2022 - 2023
- Antipodes Theatre Company

Cameron Stewart’s “CINEMASONG” 2022
- Melbourne Fringe

Tash York’s “ADULTING” 2022
- Motley Bauhaus

“AN EVENING WITH PEPPY SMEARS” 2022 & 2024
- Clocktower Theatre & The Round

Mel & Peppy’s “#REALLY?!” 2021
- Brooklyn Runaways; Melbourne International Comedy Festival & Midsumma Festival

“CONTAGIOUS CABARET” 2020-2021
- Brooklyn Runaways; Online Series

“BOWIE BALL” 2020 - 2023
- Brooklyn Runaways; Midsumma Festival

Mel & Peppy’s “ALL HOWLERS EVE” 2019
- Brooklyn Runaways

“THE COUNTDOWN” 2019
- Midsumma Festival

Mel & Peppy’s “CHRISTMAS SPECIAL” 2018
- Brooklyn Runaways

“THIS IS HALLOWEEN” 2018
- Brooklyn Runaways

“MAD WORLD” 2018 - 2019
- David Butler Studio

Melissa David’s “FROM: NEW YORK, FOR: HIM” 2018 - 2019
- Brooklyn Runaways

Offenbach’s “LA BELLE HELENE” ensemble

Bizet’s “CARMEN” ensemble

Faure’s “REQUIEM”soloist

Handel’s “MESSIAH” soloist

Rossini’s “PETITE MESSE SOLENELLE” soloist

Purcell’s “DIDO & AENEAS” soloist

Purcell’s “KING ARTHUR” soloist