Tom Gleisner has worn pretty much all the hats in terms of writing and performing during his 30 years at Working Dog, but Bloom marks his first foray into the art of writing for a musical. His love for the stage, and comedy, began while at the University of Melbourne, where he completed a law degree. Since then, as a partner in the Working Dog production company, he has written, directed, produced, and hosted TV shows such as Have You Been Paying Attention?, Thank God You’re Here, A River Somewhere and Utopia. On the big screen, he co-wrote The Castle and The Dish. Away from the entertainment world, Tom passionately supports many charities, including Learning for Life, which he established with his wife Mary to help families access specialised autism treatment. He also chairs Challenge, which is dedicated to supporting children with cancer. It was the combination of both these areas of dedication that lead to Tom being honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (General Division).