Principal Consultant, Actor, Theatre Maker
Tony Weir has over 25 years of experience in both business consulting and theatre performance.
In his consulting work, Tony specialises in the use of applied theatre skills in business situations, and makes that the basis of the work of InPlay Arts. Tony also has a strong background in design thinking consultancy and brings this to his business expertise. Since 2014, he has brought these together formally to make InPlay Arts’ Working Live programs, filling a strong need he identified through his consulting work, which is for organisations to build capability in their people in order to be equipped for the unique strategic and innovative needs of the 21st Century.
In designing the Working Live curriculum for InPlay and designing those bespoke programs for our clients, Tony draws on his academic achievement of the University Medal in Education (Experiential Education) from Sydney University.
In Tony’s consulting projects, theatre techniques are used throughout his work, including: the technical practice of improvisation as a means of working with complex and unstable situations; role creation to create strong empathy for customer experience, aiding with innovation and strategy; and story as the basis of engagement for internal audiences as well as clients. Tony brings these practices together to mentor leaders in building personal and organisational presence and presentation, along with strategy and innovation capabilities.
Additionally, Tony has specialised in knowledge design work, using story telling and dramaturgy techniques to draw out and articulate the simple patterns in complex situations, documents and bodies of knowledge. For clients working with thorny issues and messy situations, Tony brings an ability to discern the core simplicity of patterns and relationships that work to bring clarity and a sure basis for action.
Tony’s business clients past and present have included the Australian Taxation Office, IAG, AMP, Commonwealth Bank, Infosys, Safework Australia, Comcare, Suncorp, Cars Guide, Evolve Housing, Living Care and Baptcare. In his many years working with the firm Second Road, clients included the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Telstra, Downer EDI, Rio Tinto, TAFE, Port Waratah, Silcar and Medibank Private, as well as a joint project with Deloitte for The NSW Department of Family and Community Services.
Having been active in performance and theatre making since the early 90s, Tony commenced theatre training in Sydney in 1997 and went on to advanced study in Paris and London. For a number of years, Tony focused solely on his acting and theatre work and, since 2008, he has successfully continued the challenging feat of straddling work in both consultancy and performance, bringing these practices together through InPlay Arts. Tony has worked as an actor and theatre maker in performances throughout Europe and in Sydney and continues to act in productions in Sydney’s vibrant independent theatre scene.
In recent years, Tony has performed in The Natural Conservatorium For Wise Women (Clockfire), The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You (Griffin Theatre and Riverside Theatres) which in 2015 won an AWGIE Award and was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award, Richard III (Carriageworks), As You Like It (Carriageworks), Queen C (Belvoir, B Sharp), The Crucible (Seymour Centre) and Between Sound and Space (Berbesee Festival, Germany), and devised, directed and performed in Walk Me (Sydney Fringe Festival), This Savage Parade (Darlinghurst Theatre) and The Life Inside (Sydney Fringe Festival). He has performed in short films including Goyte’s Coming Back official music video, plus corporate film work. He has also, in both Sydney and Paris, undertaken set and lighting design for various productions as well as partnering colleagues in the development period of devised works.