Neil Gooding is an international theatre Director, Producer and Writer. He was the originating Chairman and one of the founding members of Hayes Theatre Co in Sydney, is the head of New Musicals Australia and in 2002 established his company, Neil Gooding Productions (NGP). Neil has been awarded a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Law, both from the University of Queensland.
As a director, Neil was nominated for a 2009 Helpmann Award and a 2009 Green Room Award for the Australian premiere of Gutenberg! The Musical. He has also been nominated for a Sydney Theatre Critics Award for his direction of the Australian premiere of Dogfight. Other directing highlights include the Australian premiere of Stalking The Bogeyman (Old Fitz Theatre), the World Premiere concert version of Paris, the World Premiere of The Red Tree, Church And State (Asst. Director - New World Stages), Passion (Arts Centre Melbourne for Life Like Touring), the World Premiere of The Hatpin starring Caroline O'Connor which went on to perform at the New York Music Theatre Festival (as Asst. Director), Truth Beauty And A Picture Of You and High Fidelity (Hayes Theatre Co); the national tour of Thank You for Being A Friend; as well as Side by Side by Sondheim and Diciasette (starring Mark Vincent)
As a producer, Neil's work internationally includes: Back to the Future the Musical at Manchester Opera House; the New York production of Handle with Care starring Carol Lawrence; The 39 Steps (Union Square Theatre in New York); Alan Cumming's one-man version of Macbeth which ran for a special 14-week limited season on Broadway; Church And State (New World Stages, NYC) as well as being a financial investor in the Broadway productions of It's Only A Play; The Empire Strips Back and The Ferryman, directed by Sam Mendes. In London's West End, Neil was a producer of the hit Australian play, Holding the Man.
His producing credits in Australia include: 33 Variations starring Ellen Burstyn; High Fidelity at Hayes Theatre Co; the multi Helpmann Award winning Sweet Charity (Hayes Theatre Co & national tour); Sing on Through Tomorrow (Matthew Robinson); LOVEBiTES (Peter Rutherford & James Millar); Love Letters starring Ian Stenlake and Rachael Beck and the original tour of Breast Wishes - a new Australian musical which went on to complete a six-month regional tour in 2011.
He has also produced and directed cabaret shows for some of Australia's best talent including Lucy Maunder, Mitchell Butel, Queenie van de Zandt, Toby Francis, Catherine Alcorn, Blake Erickson, Kerrie Anne Greenland, Marika Aubrey and Nicholas Christo. His production of Queenie van de Zandt's multi-award-winning show, BLUE: The Songs of Joni Mitchell was nominated for the 2018 Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Awards for Best Cabaret Production. Nick Christo's cabaret show The Fabulous Frances Faye, which was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Critics Award, and was presented in New York in 2009.
Early in his career, Neil was employed by Jacobsen Entertainment, where he was responsible for the financial administration of the Arena Productions of The Man from Snowy River Arena Spectacular, the Long Way to The Top concert series, De La Guarda and Dirty Dancing, as well as being the tour accountant on the road with Ja Rule & Ashanti in 2003. In 2005, Neil also worked for Delta Goodrem and toured Australia as her Tour Accountant on her Visualise Tour.
Neil is also the author of the musical Back to the 80's which is now produced hundreds of times around the world every year, as well as the newly released Popstars.