Lead Cast
JUDY
Maia Abas
is an Iraqi-born Australian actor and filmmaker based in Melbourne. She will be starring opposite Katherine Langford in the upcoming ABC crime thriller series, Savage River (2022).
Some of Maia's credits include the ABC mini-series Fires (2021), Seven Studios' Secret Bridesmaids' Business (2020), and The Fall (2020), which was a finalist at the 2020 Sydney Film Festival Dendy Awards for Australian Shorts.
Maia will also appear as Jeanne D'Arc in the upcoming French period piece, Land of Nod (2022), produced by Exodus Films.
LIVIA
Taj Aldeeb
fell in love with the performing arts in early childhood, taking part in the international piano competitions, and training at the National Ballet Academy in her hometown in Syria. In 2014, Taj fled the Syrian war with her family and settled in Melbourne / Narrm, finished a degree in Digital Media, and currently studying Music Performance. Motivated by her own journey, Taj is committed to telling stories that demonstrate the challenges, triumphs, and diverse experiences of forced migration. She has played lead roles in the short films Nour (2018, dir. Suzy Sainovski) and The Fall (2019, dir. Mert Berdilek), which was a finalist for the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films category at the Sydney Film Festival 2020 and İzmir Kısa Film Festival.
Taj was granted the "Young Leader Award" by the Victorian Multicultural Commission 2021 as she employs her talents as a storyteller in advocacy work for human rights, leading multiple projects for not-for-profit organizations Road to Refuge and Red Cross, and giving talks for the community. Taj has a distinguished interest in doing one too many things at once.
Supporting Cast
KASIM
Majid Shokor
Majid is an Iraqi Australian actor. He has been acting for over 30 years. He also directed whilst teaching drama in Lebanon for four years and written his own works.
He has won many awards in his home country of Iraq and has been a member of the Iraqi National Theatre Company and was a long-time member of the Iraqi Artists Syndicate.
Since arriving in Australia in September 2001, Majid has appeared in many plays in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide including, Kan Yama Kan directed by Robin Laurie. Subclass26A directed by Bagryana Popov at 45 Downstaires for which he got Green Room Best Actor Award nomination 2005, Carrying Shoes Into The Unknown at LaMam, Homebody /Kabul by Tony Kushner directed by Chris Bendal , Theatre@ Risk company and The Cove Season 8, short plays by Daniel Keen and directed by Matt Scholton presented at the Dog Theatre, for which he got another Green Room Best Actor Award nomination 2009. Majid was also seen at Belvoir St Theatre in The Cool Room which was presented by Performing Lines and In Our Name, a play Written and directed by Nigel Jamieson
and was presented by company B.
His TV and screen credits include a role in City Homicide and Rush and Getting in directed by Jean-Pierre Mignon. His film credits include an actor and cultural consultant in the feature films Lucky Miles 2006 and Ali's Wedding 2017. He was last seen in Stateless, a TV series produced by ABC and on LaMama in the sold-out production Tales of a City by the Sea in Melbourne and Malaysia.
Majid was one of the Ambassadors in Connect program for 2014 and 2015 between Multicultural Arts Victoria and Melbourne Theatre Company. He holds a master’s degree with honour in Community Cultural Development from VCA / Melbourne University.