Hello!
My name is Tom Backhaus, I’m a theatre and music producer living in Naarm. You might know me as a sound designer for theatre or maybe as the producer of Dazza and Keif
I’ve been playing music since I was 7 years old, I started with alto saxophone before moving to piano and guitar. I studied a Bachelor of Music Technology at the Queensland Conservatorium before moving to Melbourne in 2013 and getting started in theatre.
Since then I’ve had a broad range of experience working with independent and mainstage companies such as: Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Red Stitch, Voice in My Hands, Lab Kelpie, Hot Department, Griffin Theatre, New Working Group, 15 Minutes from Anywhere and more!
In 2018 I began producing theatre and was awareded Best Emerging Producer at the Melbourne Fringe Festival for my debut show Dazza and Keif Go Viral. Dazza and Keif Go Viral has gone on to have sell-out seasons in Adelaide, Sydney and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Our sophomore show Dazza and Keif Go Viral in Space with Ya Mum was awarded the Queensland Tour Ready Award in 2020. In 2019 I produced new collective DI ANGle’s debut work Dark Points, a site-specific contemporary dance work. Recently I wrote and produced Dazza and Keif’s debut single Sossie Sizzle Sundays as YNGSNDBOI (you can watch the video here).
Outside of Dazza and Keif I have been working with Justin Nott as Hams & Mandro. We produce a suite of one-off events, most notably Get Bent Fest; a one-night festivalette celebrating diversity and intersectionality across the rainbow community. We debuted Get Bent Fest in 2021 at the Midsumma Festival to combat COVID-19’s culture of isolation by creating a space for LGBTQIA+ artists and audience to be entertained and inspired. We followed it up in 2022 with a bigger lineup and a greater focus on accessibility for neurodiverse people. In 2021 I worked as the Club Fringe Producer at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Sadly the program was cancelled due to extended lockdown in Naarm but I am thrilled to have been able to work such a fantastic organisation.
In 2023 I was the sound designer for The Grief Trilogy - a series of 3 plays that explore transformational encounters between women in public spaces. The plays all feature live music played by me and my co-designer Hannah McKittrick. In October, I produced the debut of Dazza and Keif Reenact the Romeo + Juliet Movie Playing All the Roles as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival. The show was nominated for Best Comedy and was completely sold out a week prior to opening. Outside of my freelance work, I was engaged as the Production and Events Coordinator at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School where I produced and production managed the school’s calendar of events.
Recently I have been engaged as a stage manager on Inheritance by Matthew Lopez and as sound designer on Every Lovely Terrible Thing by Adam Fawcett.