Acting for Adults

Annie and David McCubbin are a rare creative force – professional actors, writers and directors who bring the power of performance into business. Together, they’ve helped thousands of people across Australia move, speak, and show up with more confidence, clarity and presence.

David trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Australia’s most prestigious acting school, and worked across stage, film and television as an actor and director winning an Logie and hosting Playschool. His TEDx talk, Power Games, explores how people use psychological action to influence decisions and behaviour. He’s known for helping leaders cut through complexity, build presence, and connect in ways that move people to action.

Annie trained at the Actors’ Centre and with internationally recognised teachers in acting technique. She built a rich career in theatre and screen before turning her creative lens to writing, coaching, and speaking. Her bestselling books – Why Smart Women Make Bad Decisions and Why Smart Women Buy the Lies – have resonated with thousands of readers seeking to better understand the psychological traps that affect our choices. She’s also the creator and host of the hit podcast Why Smart Women.

What sets Annie and David apart is their ability to bring the rigour of performance – voice work, movement, emotional truth, status and psychological action – into the real-world challenges of work and life. They’ve worked with senior executives, government teams, frontline workers and emerging leaders across industries including banking, law, healthcare, infrastructure, mining, energy and education. Their programs don’t just ‘inspire’ – they teach skills people can actually use. 

As teachers, Annie and David create spaces that are playful, structured, and disarmingly human. People laugh, move, stretch and surprise themselves. They learn how to embody ideas – not just understand them intellectually. This is where change happens. In everything they do – whether working with board directors or running weekly adult acting classes – their purpose is the same:

• To help people show up as more of who they are.
• To help them build real conviction, not just pretend.
• To communicate with impact, not just speak.
• To collaborate with others in ways that feel genuine and effective.

In a world that often demands performance without giving people the tools to perform, Annie and David offer something different: A place to learn the craft of showing up. Not just for the stage. But for life.