Executive leadership
Board-level communication and negotiation for senior management in international corporations.
24 years · stage, screen and live events
Artist
7 years · business and executive English
Teacher
Artist
Twenty-four years making work for stage, screen and live events.
Director · Producer · Art director · Designer · Dramaturge · Performer
Business & Executive English
English that performs under commercial pressure.
Duncan Maurice provides English language training to senior professionals, international students, postgraduate candidates and corporate teams. The work is built for people whose English is already functional and now has to deliver a result — in a boardroom, a negotiation, a viva or a scholarship panel.
Who the work is for
Professionals assessed on how they speak.
Senior people and high-achieving candidates who already operate in English and need it to hold under pressure.
Business and commerce
Managers, consultants, analysts and commercial teams working across borders and with international clients.
Engineering and technology
Technical leadership and product teams in construction, manufacturing and software, in distributed international organisations.
PhD and Masters candidates
Competing for funded international scholarships and overseas postgraduate places. Several placed successfully.
International students
University entrance, academic English and examination requirements for study abroad.
Legal and government
Cross-border practice, and officials operating in international forums and delegations.
Energy and infrastructure
Chief executives and senior technical staff in energy, utilities and the renewables transition.
Medical professionals
Clinicians presenting at conference, publishing, and working with international colleagues.
Approach
Three things that make the difference.
An established library, tailored to you
Hundreds of lessons across eight professional areas, calibrated A2 to C2, on The Maurice Method platform. Where it helps, lessons are also built around your own documents and situations.
Pitched at your expertise
Senior professionals should not be handed material designed for classrooms. The subject matter stays serious. Only the language is calibrated.
Delivery as well as accuracy
Precision matters, but so does authority. Structure, timing and composure under questioning are trained deliberately.
Sample material
Three lessons, open to anyone.
Complete lessons at three levels, no login and no sign-up. The full library is at The Maurice Method.
B1–B2 · Finance
Banking, credit and modern finance
How banks, credit and lending are discussed at work — and the language to do it accurately.
Open lesson B2 · BusinessBusiness finance
Budgets, costs, funding and financial reporting in everyday professional conversation.
Open lesson C1–C2 · ExecutiveLeadership, power and executive presence
The language of authority: how senior people signal power, persuade and hold a room.
Open lessonExperience
Seven years teaching full time, across every sector and five continents.
Private, public, international and online systems — from early years and international schools, through corporate executive programmes, to Masters-level university teaching and the training of other teachers. Students in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.
Business & Executive English2022 – present
An independent practice, working directly with companies and with private clients. Executives and professionals taught have included people at Mercedes-Benz, Google, Globant, Haskell and Learnship, among others.Online · France, Portugal, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, China
Sydney Opera House2018 – 2020
Teaching artist and trainer. Wrote and delivered State Education Department approved professional development to primary and secondary teachers across Sydney.Sydney, Australia
Australian College of Applied Psychology2017
Masters-level university teaching. Trained Masters of Social Work students to design and lead literacy programmes, supervising and assessing their professional placement.Sydney, Australia
Polyglot Language School2020
Adults, teenagers and children, in class and online. Curriculum development on the Cambridge system; trained and observed incoming teachers.Mexico City
Markham College2009 – 2010
British international school. Early Years English and special needs; curriculum design with the school psychologist; assessment team for all new enrolments.Lima, Peru
Shin Top English Academy2006 – 2007
ESL curriculum development and teaching across preschool, primary and secondary, including IELTS and TOEFL preparation. Trained and supervised new teachers.Seoul, South Korea
Queensland Arts Council2011
State Director of the largest arts-in-education touring programme in Australia. Directed 30+ teachers, artists and administrators delivering curriculum programmes into schools nationally.Australia
Credentials
Qualified, and appointed to train other teachers.
- Advanced Certificate in TESOL — College of Teachers, England
- Certificate in TEFL — English Business College
- Teacher trainer — Sydney Opera House education programme, delivering State Education Department approved professional development
- BA Writing, Media & Visual Arts — Southern Cross University, Australia
- Native English speaker — Australian, neutral international accent following private elocution training
- Spanish — intermediate, acquired in Latin America
Specialisms
What I am asked for, and the fields I teach it in.
01
Executive presence and authority
C1 – C2Register, precision and controlled delivery. The distance between correct English and commanding English.
02
Strategic negotiation
C1 – C2Framing a position, conceding without losing ground, and handling the moment a negotiation turns.
03
Presentation, conference and publication
C1 – C2Board-level presentation, adversarial questioning, conference delivery and writing for international publication.
04
Scholarship, postgraduate and university entrance
B2 – C2Funded international places and study abroad. Application, research proposal, viva and interview.
05
Examination preparation
A2 – C2IELTS, Cambridge English and TOEFL, prepared strategically rather than drilled.
06
Core business communication
B1 – B2Meetings, email, reporting and client-facing conversation.
Taught inside the field: finance and banking · medicine and clinical practice · engineering and construction · energy and environment · law and governance · technology · academic research · marketing and communications.
Examinations
Admission, migration and progression.
IELTS
Two years' validityHighly prestigious for university admission and immigration. Academic for study, General Training for work or migration.
Cambridge English
Valid for lifeA2 Key to C2 Proficiency. Certification never expires, making it the strongest long-term investment for career and academic progression.
TOEFL
Recognised worldwidePrimarily for admission to universities in the United States and Canada, and accepted internationally.
Individuals and organisations
Supply your material; it becomes the course.
Most clients already hold the content — the pitch deck, the compliance documents, the research proposal, the case notes. What is missing is someone who can turn it into language training worth a senior person's time.
Your content
Your documents and scenarios become the teaching material, whether that is a board pack or a doctoral thesis.
Individuals or cohorts
One-to-one programmes, or small groups from a single team. Online, across time zones.
Measured
Diagnostic assessment at intake, agreed targets, and written progress reporting.
The platform
The Maurice Method.
A purpose-built teaching platform holding the full lesson library across eight content areas, calibrated from A2 to C2.
For organisations, the platform can be deployed privately — your branding, your content, your cohort — so that staff work through material written for your business rather than a generic syllabus.
Eight content areas
- Business & Finance
- Leadership & Management
- Global Affairs
- Science, Tech & Environment
- Arts, Culture & Media
- Lifestyle & Behaviour
- Career Pathways Medicine, law, engineering, finance, technology
- Interview & Presentation
Method
How programmes run.
Diagnostic first
Assessment across speaking, listening and writing at intake, so the level and the target are agreed rather than assumed.
Written for the client
Material built around the industry, the documents and the situations in question. Nothing recycled between clients.
Measured throughout
Written feedback and periodic reassessment, so progress is demonstrable.
Background
Director, producer, writer, designer, art director, dramaturge, stage manager and performer.
Across television, film, immersive theatre, festivals, opera, musicals and large-scale live events.
Television and film
Senior Producer at Dirty Work Media in Guadalajara, delivering two documentary series, television pilots, a short film and online content. Assistant Art Director on ABC TV's daily children's programme Giggle and Hoot. Production Designer on a short film selected for the Cannes International Film Festival. Director of independent short films and documentaries.
Immersive and brand
Directed the immersive theatre element of Foxtel's national launch of Game of Thrones, winning a Golden Lion at the Cannes Industry Craft Lions. Directed immersive brand theatre for Jack Daniel's across four cities. Founded Mongrel Mouth in 2014, directing four critically acclaimed site-specific productions and headlining the Sydney Fringe Festival.
Institutions and scale
State Director of Australia's largest arts-in-education touring programme, leading 30+ staff and 16 productions. Education and Creative Director at the Sydney Festival. Stage and production management at the Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Props for Opera Australia. Costume on Moulin Rouge and the English National Ballet stadium tour.
Awards
Selected recognition.
2019
Golden LionCannes Industry Craft Lions
Immersive Theatre Director · live launch of Game of Thrones
2001
Official SelectionCannes International Film Festival
Production Designer · Martin Four
—
Official SelectionTroia International Film Festival and London Australian Film Festival
Martin Four
2019
Children's Event AwardPerth Fringe
Director and Co-Producer
2018
Touring AwardSan Diego International Fringe
Director and Co-Producer
2018
World Tour Ready AwardSydney Fringe
Director and Co-Producer
Roles
Director.
Immersive theatre, brand experiences, festivals and film — including a Golden Lion at Cannes.
Immersive Theatre Director, Foxtel'Game of Thrones' national launch · Golden Lion, Cannes
2019Education & Creative Director, Sydney Festival200+ participants, public parade
2019'Mr Gorski'Director, Co-Producer · Sydney & Perth Fringe, regional tour
2018–19Director, Co-Writer, 'Tasmanian Feast of Winter'Corporate tourism event · Sydney
2018Founder & Director, Mongrel MouthImmersive site-specific theatre company · Sydney
2014–17'Undertaking'Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · Headlining Sydney Fringe
2017'The Bee and the Tree'Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer
2016'Like Me'Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · The Rocks
2015'The Age of Entitlement'Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer
2014'The Silence Came'Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer
2014Creator and Director, 'Flamboyance Fundraiser'Cabaret · Sydney
2017Director, Designer, Co-Writer, Jack Daniel'sImmersive brand theatre · Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth
2016Creator and Director, 'Higgledy Piggledy'Street theatre · Greenpeace, Peoples Climate March
2014Director and Performer, 'Gale and Valance'Event entertainment · Sydney
2013–17'The Phobicos'Director, Co-Writer, Producer, Designer · Amnesty International
2013'Two Rooms'Director, Designer · Sydney
2013Director, multi-arts residency150 secondary students, 12 teachers · Brisbane
2011Multimedia Director, 'The Frocks'Mullumbimby
2005DirectorIndependent short films and documentaries · Australia
2000–05Co-Director, Tropical Fruits NYE Festival3,500 people, 250 volunteers, film festival · Lismore
2003–06Roles
Producer.
Television, festivals, touring theatre and arts-in-education at scale.
Senior Producer, Dirty Work MediaTwo documentary series, TV pilots, short film, online content · Guadalajara
2021–22Co-Producer, 'Mr Gorski'Sydney & Perth Fringe, regional tour · three Fringe awards
2018–19Co-Producer, Mongrel MouthFour site-specific productions · Sydney
2014–17Producer, 'The Phobicos'Amnesty International
2013State Director, Queensland Arts CouncilAustralia's largest arts-in-education touring programme · 30+ staff, 16 productions
2011Co-Producer, Tropical Fruits NYE Festival3,500 people, 250 volunteers, film festival · Lismore
2003–06Stage & Production ManagementSydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, MCA, major performing arts centres, national tours
1996–2019Roles
Designer.
Production design, art direction, installations, costume and props — for screen, stage and events.
Assistant Art Director, ABC TV'Giggle and Hoot' · Sydney
2018–19Theatre Designer, 'Roomba Nation'Sydney
2018Installation Designer, GetUp National SymposiumOutdoor interactive sculpture · Sydney
2017Designer, 'Equity Fest'NSW Health Department conference
2017Designer, Jack Daniel'sImmersive brand theatre · four cities
2016Designer, 'The Phobicos' and 'Two Rooms'Sydney
2013Props Maker, Buyer and Props On Stage, Opera Australia
2009–18Designer & Co-Creator, 'The Green House'Touring educational theatre and film
2005Costume Designer, 'Bin Ya' But Sea Creatures'Byron Bay
2003Production Designer, 'Martin Four'Short film · Cannes Official Selection · Melbourne
2000Costume, 'Moulin Rouge'Feature film
1996–2000CostumesEnglish National Ballet stadium tour, Nickelodeon, Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Theatre Company
1996–2000Roles
Writer.
Co-writing immersive and site-specific theatre, brand experiences and events; translation and editing.
Co-Writer, 'Colours'Roundabout Theatre · NSW Regional Arts Conference
2018Co-Writer, 'Tasmanian Feast of Winter'Corporate tourism event · Sydney
2018Co-Writer, 'Undertaking'Mongrel Mouth · Headlining Sydney Fringe
2017Co-Writer, 'The Bee and the Tree'Mongrel Mouth
2016Co-Writer, Jack Daniel'sImmersive brand theatre · four cities
2016Co-Writer, 'Like Me'Mongrel Mouth · The Rocks
2015Co-Writer, 'The Age of Entitlement'Mongrel Mouth
2014Co-Writer, 'The Silence Came'Mongrel Mouth
2014Translator and English Editor, '9 Vital Stories'Book and documentary on Latin American refugees
2013Co-Writer, 'The Phobicos'Amnesty International
2013Roles
Dramaturge.
Dramaturgy for site-specific theatre.
Dramaturge, 'Medea'Site-specific · Merida, Mexico
2019Roles
Performer.
Roving theatre, performance art and event entertainment.
Performer, 'La Pocha Nostra'Mexican performance art collective · Merida
2017Director and Performer, 'Gale and Valance'Event entertainment · Sydney
2013–17Performer, Woodford Folk Festival'Fly Cycle'
2013Performer, roving theatre'The Backpackers', 'The Clouds', 'The Slow Show'
2005–13Full credits
Thirty years of credits.
Television & film
- Senior Producer, Dirty Work Media Documentary series, TV pilots, short film, online content · Guadalajara, 2021–22
- Assistant Art Director, ABC TV 'Giggle and Hoot' · Sydney, 2018–19
- Production Designer, 'Martin Four' Short film · Cannes Official Selection · Melbourne, 2000
- Director Independent short films and documentaries · Australia, 2000–05
- Assistant Documentarian Amazonian International Leaders Conference · Iquitos, Peru, 2009
- Costume, 'Moulin Rouge' Feature film · 1996–2000
- Multimedia Director, 'The Frocks' Mullumbimby, 2005
Immersive, brand & corporate
- Immersive Theatre Director, Foxtel 'Game of Thrones' national launch · Golden Lion, Cannes · 2019
- Director, Designer, Co-Writer, Jack Daniel's Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth · 2016
- Director, Co-Writer, 'Tasmanian Feast of Winter' Corporate tourism event · Sydney, 2018
- Installation Designer, GetUp National Symposium Outdoor interactive sculpture · Sydney, 2017
- Designer, 'Equity Fest' NSW Health Department conference · 2017
- Director and Performer, 'Gale and Valance' Event entertainment · Sydney, 2013–17
Festivals & events
- Education & Creative Director, Sydney Festival 200+ participants, public parade · 2019
- Co-Producer, Co-Director, Tropical Fruits NYE Festival 3,500 people, 250 volunteers, film festival · Lismore, 2003–06
- Creator and Director, 'Flamboyance Fundraiser' Cabaret · Sydney, 2017
- Creator and Director, 'Higgledy Piggledy' Street theatre, Greenpeace, Peoples Climate March · 2014
- Performer, Woodford Folk Festival 'Fly Cycle' · 2013
Theatre — direction
- Founder & Director, Mongrel Mouth Immersive site-specific theatre company · Sydney, 2014–17
- 'Undertaking' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · Headlining Sydney Fringe, 2017
- 'The Bee and the Tree' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · 2016
- 'Like Me' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · The Rocks, 2015
- 'The Age of Entitlement' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · 2014
- 'The Silence Came' Director, Co-Writer, Co-Producer · 2014
- 'The Phobicos' Director, Co-Writer, Producer, Designer · Amnesty International, 2013
- 'Mr Gorski' Director, Co-Producer · Sydney & Perth Fringe, regional tour, 2018–19
- 'Two Rooms' Director, Designer · Sydney, 2013
- Dramaturge, 'Medea' Site-specific · Merida, Mexico, 2019
Design, performance & production
- Theatre Designer, 'Roomba Nation' Sydney, 2018
- Co-Writer, 'Colours' Roundabout Theatre, NSW Regional Arts Conference, 2018
- Performer, 'La Pocha Nostra' Mexican performance art collective · Merida, 2017
- Designer & Co-Creator, 'The Green House' Touring educational theatre and film · 2005
- Performer, roving theatre 'The Backpackers', 'The Clouds', 'The Slow Show' · 2005–13
- Costume Designer, 'Bin Ya' But Sea Creatures' Byron Bay, 2003
- Stage & Production Management Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, MCA, major performing arts centres, national tours · 1996–2019
- Props Maker, Buyer and Props On Stage, Opera Australia 2009–18
- Costumes English National Ballet stadium tour, Nickelodeon, Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Theatre Company · 1996–2000
Arts leadership & education
- State Director, Queensland Arts Council Australia's largest arts-in-education touring programme · 30+ staff, 16 productions · 2011
- Director, multi-arts residency 150 secondary students, 12 teachers · Brisbane, 2011
- Teacher & Artist in Residence, Argot Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico, 2017
- Translator and English Editor, '9 Vital Stories' Book and documentary on Latin American refugees · 2013
- Creative Consultant, Young People and The Arts Australia Brisbane, 2008
Press
“The best kind of theatre.”
The Brag, on Mongrel Mouth's 'The Silence Came', 2014.
Online
“Unforgettable.”
Suzy Goes See · 'Undertaking', Sydney Fringe Festival, 2017 · Read“a marvelous, beautiful production”
Lisa Thatcher · 'Undertaking', 2017 · ReadFoxtel's Game of Thrones national launch, 2019.
The Drum · Read
Selected quotes
“Mongrel Mouth Rocks The Rocks.”
The Daily Telegraph · Chris Hook, 2014“the best kind of theatre”
The Brag · Hannah Warren on 'The Silence Came', 2014 · four and a half stars“The theatrical marvel that is Like Me.”
Absolute Theatre · Emily Richardson on 'Like Me', 2015“This show is sold out for good reason.”
Stage Whispers · Maryann Wright, 2014“I was blown out of the water by this production.”
Sydney Weekend Notes · 2014“moving and deeply human”
Aussie Theatre · Jeannette Delamoir on 'Like Me', 2015Sam Baran on 'Like Me', 2015 — four and a half stars.
The Music“You really, really have to see this show!”
Sydney Arts Guide · Judith Greenaway on 'The Age of Entitlement', 2014Emily Richardson on 'Undertaking', 2017 — a dark, thriller-style experience.
Upstage Reviews“A must-experience, unique theatrical performance.”
What's On Sydney · Georgia Cassimatis on 'Undertaking', 2017“Enjoyable, enticing and fascinating.”
Weekend Notes · Erica Enriquez on 'Undertaking', 2017Tim Garratt on 'Undertaking', 2017 — fascinating to watch how audiences respond.
Theatre People“a fantastic hybrid exploration”
Theatre Unzipped · On 'The Age of Entitlement', 2014 · of audience, actor and storyOn 'The Bee and the Tree', 2016 — a shining reputation for creating experiential work.
Sydney Arts Guide
Interviews and broadcast
Elissa Blake, 2014 — feature interview on immersive theatre and audience agency.
The Sydney Morning Herald'Theatre Out Of Control', Books and Arts Daily with Michael Cathcart, 2015.
ABC Radio NationalKat Czornij, 2015 — director interview on immersive theatre and unpredictable audiences.
The AU ReviewDavid Molloy, 2015 — director interview on anarchic form in 'Like Me'.
The BragInterviews, April and November 2014.
2SER 107.3 FMSeason coverage and listings, 2014–17.
Broadway World · Concrete Playground · Alt Media · City Hub · North Shore Times
Print clippings and full articles available on request.
About
One career, two crafts.
Duncan Maurice has been working for almost thirty years: twenty-four of them in arts and media as a director, producer, art director and designer, and the last seven teaching English full time.
The two have never been separate. As a teaching artist at the Sydney Opera House he wrote and delivered State Education Department approved professional development for teachers across Sydney. Before that he was State Director of the Queensland Arts Council, leading Australia's largest arts-in-education touring programme.
The theatre shows in the teaching. Lessons are built like productions, with structure, rehearsal and a clear sense of audience, and students are trained in delivery and composure as well as accuracy.
Australian, based in Mexico City, working in English and Spanish, with work and students on five continents.
~30 yearsworking in total
24 yearsarts and media
7 yearsteaching full time
Golden LionCannes, 2019
Enquiries
Get in touch.
Arts and media: directing, producing, design and creative commissions for theatre, screen, brand and live events.
Teaching: individual tuition, corporate programmes, examination and scholarship preparation, and in-house content delivery.
Contact
Duncan Maurice · Mexico City
duncan@duncanmaurice.com Every teaching programme begins with a diagnostic assessment.Practical detail
The essentials.
- Based in Mexico City — teaching worldwide, online
- Instruction in English — native speaker; Spanish spoken
- Individual and small group — corporate cohorts by arrangement
- Levels B1 to C2 — most work at C1 and above
- References — available on request