Founded in 2011 by Artistic Director Louise Howlett, ReAction Theatre is committed to creating bold, innovative performances that resonate with diverse audiences. Our work spans multimedia and minimalist forms, scripted and devised theatre, but always returns to our core values: multi-vocal collaboration, the body and voice as central storytelling tools, asking rather than answering, and the belief in theatre’s power to build collective experience and embodied citizenship.

We believe that theatre is so important that it needs to include all of us.

Our productions have included sold-out seasons of TOBY and La Souris Blanche at La Mama Theatre, the acclaimed short play series At the Water’s Edge…, the world premiere of Heart Thy Neighbour by Camilla Maxwell, and David Finnigan’s Appropriate Kissing for All Occasions, described by the AU Review as “utterly brilliant.” Most recently, we have been developing "Secret of the Raft," our most ambitious and technically complex project to date. This bilingual French/English performance blends projection mapping, installation, and live theatre to reimagine Géricault’s iconic painting The Raft of the Medusa in a powerful new way.

Secret of the Raft has attracted national and international recognition. Louise Howlett is one of only two trans-Tasman artists selected to present at World Stage Design 2025 in the UAE, the leading festival for sustainable performance design. She also recently presented a webinar on ReAction Theatre’s eco-focused, interdisciplinary methods for ScenoLab, the national OISTAT Centre for Performance and Spatial Design. In 2024, the project was showcased at the Prague Quadrennial and pitched at the Australian Performing Arts Exchange. In 2023, it was featured at Communicating the Arts in Singapore and nominated for a French-Australian Excellence Award by Le Courrier Australien.

Collaboration is central to our practice. In partnership with RMIT University, we have provided students and faculty with hands-on experience in performance design, storytelling, and digital innovation. Our work has been supported by grants and residencies, including Creative Victoria, the City of Melbourne, Arena Theatre Company, and an Odyssée Residency in France through the French Ministry of Culture. In 2023, Louise was one of eight artists nationally selected for Createch Digital Enterprise by REMIX/Creative Australia, a program focused on digital innovation in the arts.

Through all of this, ReAction Theatre continues to challenge conventions, amplify diverse voices, and expand the possibilities of live performance—positioning theatre as a vital space for dialogue, experimentation, and cross-sector exchange.

Industry Recognition

• 2025 - Artistic Director, Louise Howlett, will present Secret of the Raft at World Stage Design 2025 (WSD25) and Scenofest in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

• 2024 - Artistic Director, Louise Howlett, selected to present at the Prague Quadrennial Symposium in Prague.

• 2024 - Secret of the Raft selected for a pitch presentation at the Australian Performing Arts Exchange (APAX) conference.

• 2023 - Nominated for the French/Australian Excellence awards through Le Courrier Australien.

• 2023 - Artistic Director, Louise Howlett, presents Secret of the Raft at the Communicating the Arts conference in Singapore.

• 2023 - Recipient of Createch Digital Enterprise mentoring through REMIX and Creative Australia (Australia Council for the Arts).

• 2022 - Recipient of an Odyssée Residency through the Association des Centres culturels de rencontre (ACCR) and the French Ministry of Culture.

• 2021 - Presenter at the Children, Youth, and Performance Conference held in partnership with York University and Young People’s Theatre, Toronto.

• 2020 - Recipient of a City of Melbourne grant for TOBY.

• 2020 - Recipient of Creative Victoria funding for Secret of the Raft.

• 2017 - Recipient of MatchLab funding through Creative Partnerships Australia.

• 2016 - Secret of the Raft shortlisted for script development with Playwriting Australia (Australian Plays Transforms).

• 2016 - Recipient of an Arena Theatre Company Residency.

ReAction Theatre creates work on the traditional land of the people of the Kulin Nation. We give our respect to the Elders of these traditional lands and all First Nations people past, present, and emerging. ReAction Theatre acknowledges that this land was stolen and that sovereignty was never ceded.