Gough’s work crosses cultures conventions, and continents: During the Bosnian War, he entered Sarajevo through a sewage tunnel to co-direct the Opera Èuropa with Nigel Osborne and the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra. He directed The African Julius Caesar, which toured East and Central Africa, directed Kylie Minogue in The Caribbean Tempest on a beach in Barbados. Other works include The Whale Rider in New Zealand and Dreamtime, a performance in the red deserts of Uluru (Ayers Rock) with indigenous performers of Australia and New Zealand. He has received Five Scotsman First Prize awards at The Edinburgh Festival, and the Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.

Cuba’s rich culture, fascinating history and intoxicating cocktails hold a strong fascination for him. Toby is the writer director for the hugely successful Lady Salsa, The Bar at Buena Vista, which have toured throughout Australia Asia and Europe and recently the smash hit of this years Edinburgh Festival, Havana Rumba-the next generation. Hemingways Havana and The Sons of Salsa with Tiempo Libre, in the Carnival Centre in Miami.

This year Toby has created Born to Samba, from Brazil, The Monks of Tibet, The Gypsies with Philarmonika Romanes of Romania. He is developing The Aboriginal Peter Pan as part of Australia 2020 in collaboration with Australia centre for Peace and conflict studies and Descendance – Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Dance Company.

He co-produced The CD The Zawose Family ‘Small things from the Baobab Tree, with Peter Gabriel and John Simpson which received a nomination for a Grammy award for 2008.

Toby spent much of 2005/6 working in Sri Lanka, Thailand on the Children of the Sea project, running theatre projects and music workshops for victims of the Tsunami and the Civil War.

It is now Bollywood past and present that fires his fertile imagination. During the research for the Merchants of Bollywood he discovered that his own family have roots in India. A certain rogue seaman Johan Hoogewerf set sail from Holland, to travel the seas, and finally arrived in in Trivandrum to fall for and marry an Indian bride. Hence Tobys itinerant spirit and love for India runs deep in his veins. And long may it continue!