AbouT FRUITCAKE
Established in 2022, Fruitcake Productions is a new and dynamic Theatre Company based in both Melbourne and London. Fruitcake is dedicated to producing work by new and emerging artists. Focusing on text based and narrative driven projects, Fruitcake Productions is committed to showcasing compelling and previously untold stories on stage. Our mission is to nurture new theatre makers, celebrate diverse voices and create amazing theatre!
AbouT the team
Jaimee doyle
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jaimee Doyle is a queer actor, writer, and theatre maker from Naarm/Melbourne, now based in London. They are the founder and Artistic Director of Fruitcake Productions, a company committed to producing bold, queer, and feminist theatre across Australia and the UK.
Since founding Fruitcake Productions in 2022, Jaimee has written and produced all of the company’s original works, including 7 Minutes in Hell (The Butterfly Club), The Wilde Kind (Midsumma Festival, Melbourne Fringe, Theatre Works), and Fruitcake (Melbourne Fringe, Brighton Fringe, Camden Fringe). Under Jaimee’s direction, Fruitcake Productions has become known for its intimate, provocative storytelling and its dedication to accessible, diverse performance.
In London, Jaimee co-founded First Slice, an initiative nurturing emerging theatre artists and developing new writing. Through First Slice, they have produced multiple sold-out Scratch Nights and the company’s debut production Intimacies, alongside projects such as Let Me Know If You Feel Something (FreshFest), The Speech (Golden Goose Theatre), and In the AfterGlow (The Hope Theatre).
Both Fruitcake Productions and First Slice reflect Jaimee’s mission to create space for queer and underrepresented voices, connecting artists and audiences through brave, authentic storytelling.
AUSTRALIAN team
CHRIS PATRICK HANSEN
AUSTRALIAN PRODUCER
Chris Patrick Hansen (he/him) began working as an actor and theatre-maker in Brisbane before moving to Narrm/Melbourne in 2019. He is a graduate of the Queensland Theatre Youth Ensemble, the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries and the Victorian College of the Arts (BFA Theatre). He has worked with companies such as Brainstorm Productions, Gibber Australia, Frenzy Theatre Co., THAT Pro Co. and TDW.
Chris' Website
LONDON team
Zach Lonberg
London Producer
Zach is a British-Danish writer, director, and creative who grew up between Denmark, Lancashire and Scotland. Last year he graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in English, where he began writing and directing plays. He's looking forward to getting started with Fruitcake Productions and giving opportunities to fellow emerging writers.
Julia Sopher
London Funding CO-ORDINATOR
Julia is an American director, writer, and producer. After moving from Ohio to London to pursue her Master's in Directing at ALRA, she has rapidly developed her craft across multiple London venues. Her post-graduate work began with the Drayton Arms Theatre production of Plaything. She has directed the historical comedy Lady Montagu Unveiled at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, has served as Assistant Director for Othello with Acting Gymnasium at the Network Theatre and directed the world premiere of Mermaids Have No Tears, for a three-week run at Baron's Court.
PHOEBE-RAE LEVENE
FIRST SLICE INITIATIVE MANAGER
Phoebe Rae Levene (she/her) is a performer and creative from London, dedicated to generating exciting and diverse new theatre that pushes the boundaries of what art can be. Phoebe was previously involved in two First Slice shows as a performer before stepping into this role, and brings a deep understanding of the program alongside a passion for nurturing bold new work and emerging artists.
Tori Rudkowsky
Literary ManaGER
Tori Rudkowsky is an Australian writer and researcher based in London, producing writing on themes of queerness, gender and place. They are especially interested in the ways genre and tropes are used, moulded and subverted within the queer community to discuss themselves within discourses that seek to marginalise queer bodies. Their work can be found across the independent theatre scene in London. Alongside their writing they are deeply involved in the harm reduction and drug user advocacy spaces and can be found volunteering with a wide array of organizations across the city.