The director
Robert Durai
Director of the Annual Melbourne Passion Play since 2009
Professional Career
| Apr 2006 to current | Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Caroline Springs |
| Parish Secretary/Manager – Manage Parish Accounts. – Manage Parish Thanksgiving Programme. – Prepare rosters for different ministries in the Parish. – Respond to all queries from parishioners and school parents. | |
| Feb 1991 to Mar 2006 | Mediacorp Private Limited |
| Assistant Manager, Commercial Productions and Publicity – Manage a team of producers and cameramen. – Conceptualise storyboard and direct commercials. – Script and edit commercials and advertisements. |
Productions Involved In
1994 | A Family Christmas | Directed a group of youth and children in a musical Christmas pageant that was performed at the Christmas midnight mass |
| 1995 | God is Love | Conceptualised and scripted the history of salvation from Genesis to New Testament for the Christmas Midnight Mass Pageant. Directed a large cast and worked collaboratively with the main choir for the required music throughout the play. |
1996 | Mr Kiasu’s Christmas | Scripted and directed a Christmas play about a miser who had a change of heart after a ‘visit’ from the ‘devil’ in his dreams. |
1997 | A Bethany Christmas | Scripted and directed a group of retirees for a Christmas play about an individual’s involvement in and/or volunteering for various church activities. |
| 1998 | Lenten Vigil | Organised the programme for an overnight Lenten vigil (from Saturday night 8pm to Sunday morning 7am) incorporating a play on Lazarus rising from the dead and ending with Palm Sunday mass. Scripted and directed the play. |
| A Visit from Jesus | Co-directed the Christmas pageant for midnight mass about two ladies who receive a letter from Jesus in the morning stating that He is coming to visit them and they prepare for his visit in their separate ways, one in a selfish manner and the other in a more thoughtful selfless manner, giving the little she has to the poor and needy. | |
| 1999 | Lenten Vigil with Passion Play | Organised the programme for an overnight Lenten vigil which included a passion play Scripted and directed the play with the Assistant Parish Priest in the main role |
The Story of M | Directed the Parish Feast Day play/musical about Michael the Archangel leading the battle of the angels in heaven | |
| 2000 | The Sound of Angels | Scripted and coordinated a large scale musical for the Parish Feast Day featuring past and present choirs of the Parish. |
Nowhere to go on Christmas Eve | Co-directed the Christmas pageant for midnight mass about a Japanese couple who lost all their money in a taxi upon arriving in Singapore on Christmas Eve and had no place to stay for the night. They meet various unhelpful and busy people until a little boy convinces his parents to do what Jesus would do and give them a room for the night in their home. | |
| 2001 | Passion Play | Scripted, directed and acted in the Passion Play. The play was initially only for the overnight Lenten Vigil held on the eve of Palm Sunday. Based on numerous positive feedback received, the Parish requested that the play be repeated during the Good Friday Service. Minor changes were made to the script to adapt it to the Good Friday Service. |
Parish 40th Anniversary Feast Day Musical | Co-directed, participated and assisted in the conceptualisation of the 40th Anniversary Feast Day Musical. The musical was a reflection of 40 years of spiritual growth and church building, from a small local village community to the vibrant dynamic wider community it had become. | |
2002 | Passion Play | Adapted the 2001 Passion Play for the 2002 Good Friday Service at the request ofthe parishioners. Produced and directed a strictly audio version of the play. |
Metanoia | Co-scripted and co-directed a group of teenage girls in the Marymount Girls Home in a musical play about a wayward girl repenting and totally changing her life after discovering she is pregnant. Tickets for this play were sold to the public to raise funds for the Home. | |
2003 | Feast Day Skit for Church Fete | Scripted and directed a short comedy skit for the church fete. |
2004 | A Rock and Roll Story | Co-directed and co-scripted a charity project to raise funds for a group of teenage girls in the Tent. Tickets for this musical play acted by the girls were sold to the public. |
| 2009 – Current | Melbourne Passion Play | Directed the Melbourne Passion Play since 2009. A Promenade performance formerly in Ruffy Lake Park Doncaster and now at The Monastery, Holy Cross, Templestowe |