25 in 5

w. Kailan Tyler-Moss

by Bernadette Condren

1. How long were you associated with QSE and in what capacity?
I’ve been working with QSE in some form or another since 2016 when I was just 13 years old!! I was a part of their first intake of actors for their Young Active Shakespeare Intensive, which I then participated in for each subsequent year until 2020. I then was lucky enough to be an apprentice with them this year and get a more in depth experience of what I got a taste of as a teenager.

2. Favourite memory of your time at QSE?
Oh I couldn’t choose just one. I’d say it’s a tie for my first taste of performing as Juliet when I was 14 years of age at the YASI showcase. That was the first time I felt myself click as an actor and truly embrace what I was called to do. However, dare to share this year took that experience and amplified it by a million, and was made even better by being surrounded by the core ensemble members who I have been in awe of for years now!!

3. Why is QSE so important in Brisbane?
QSE is a vital to the blossoming of the performing arts in Brisbane. In a city, and country, where the arts is struggling now more than ever, a company like QSE that is focused on the collaboration, cultivation, and artistry of the people and the text is paramount to maintaining the integrity of what the arts does for society as a whole. 

4. How does your time at QSE continue to inform any aspect of your life e.g. current job/profession?
My time with QSE has taught me to embrace my passion and to work hard for what I believe in and are called to be. It has also taught me the importance of connection and unity with those who you work with, and allowing those connections to develop, regardless of how fast pace an environment you work in. 

5. What do you see as QSE’s legacy and why is Shakespeare still relevant in 2026?
QSE’s legacy at its core is its dedication to the artists who make up the ensemble. In a world that is only focused on making money, it holds its ground and defends its desire to slow down and focus on the quality and personal connection of what it makes. This also directly links to Shakespeare and his works. By allowing the artists the time and space to connect and dissect the text, it ensures that the relevance that is still embedded in the text space to flourish, and get the messages and innate humanity of Shakespeare’s work to thrive.