Shaun Rennie

Bio

Shaun Rennie is a versatile director celebrated for his work across opera, musicals, and theatre. He has been nominated three times for the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Director and has twice won the Broadway World Award for Best Direction.

Currently serving as Associate Director at Opera Australia, Shaun’s recent projects include Guys and Dolls on Sydney Harbour (Opera Australia), Switzerland (Ensemble Theatre), the Australian National Tour of Rent, and Gianni Schicchi (Opera Australia). He directed the world premiere of The Lovers (Bell Shakespeare) and the sold-out 25th Anniversary production of Rent at the Sydney Opera House in 2021.

For Opera Australia, Shaun has directed The New Year’s Eve Gala (2023), Opera Up Late for World Pride, Greatest Opera Hits, and Mad Scenes with Jessica Pratt. He has also served as Revival Director for La Bohème (2022–2023) and AIDA, Assistant Director for The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour, and Assistant Director for The Tales of Hoffmann and Il Trovatore.

Shaun’s contributions to Australian theatre include premieres such as Jess and Joe Forever (Belvoir’s 25A), Tennessee Williams’ Baby Doll (Ensemble Theatre), and I Am My Own Wife (Redline). Other notable credits include The View Upstairs (Hayes Theatre), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Darlinghurst Theatre), Suddenly Last Summer (Ensemble Theatre), and Only Heaven Knows, which received nine Sydney Theatre Award nominations.

He is currently the Australian Associate Director of the acclaimed Regent’s Park production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Shaun’s production of Rent will return to the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House, and he will close out 2025 in Lyon, France, reviving Damiano Michieletto’s award-winning production of The Tales of Hoffmann for Opera Lyon.

“Directed by Shaun Rennie, whose productions consistently understand and emphasise the bittersweet emotion of yearning.” - TIMEOUT