Leslie has produced, written, directed, and performed in over 150 professional projects in film, television, radio, and live theatre over the past thirty years.
From 2001 – 2010, Leslie was the Artistic Director of Kaleidoscope Theatre in Victoria. During this time, he led a renaissance of Kaleidoscope’s programming and profile in the community, setting attendance records for local in-house productions, as well as touring its productions nationally and internationally. He was also nominated for the following awards: Outstanding Adaptation (Macbeth), Outstanding Direction (Twelfth Night), Outstanding Production (Disney’s Aladdin), Favorite Play (The Hobbit), Outstanding Musical (Anne of Green Gables), Outstanding Production for Young Audiences (Gold Mountain Guest, The Hobbit), Favorite Production Concept (Peter Pan), Favorite Director (2003-2005, 2007, 2009).
Leslie was the co-founder and for 12 years was the Executive Producer of Edmonton’s Stage Polaris. During his time at Polaris, Leslie directed, performed, and produced over 100 professional productions and oversaw Polaris’ growth from an idea to becoming the second largest theatre company in Edmonton, with a budget of over 1 million dollars and an annual attendance in excess of 100,000.
Past productions he has directed have won numerous Edmonton Sterling Awards including Outstanding Musical for the Canadian Premiere of the Tony Award Winning Broadway Adaptation of The Secret Garden (1996) and Outstanding Production for Young Audiences for Anne of Green Gables (1995). During Leslie’s last year with Stage Polaris, it won more Sterling Awards than any other Edmonton Theatre.
In addition to a number of film/ TV credits (including the mini-series Impact) Leslie has also performed and directed for a number of other professional theatres across Canada including the National Arts Centre, the Citadel Theatre, Theatre Calgary, the Gateway Theatre, Theatre Network, Chemainus Theatre Festival, Playwrights Theatre Centre, the Ottawa Children’s Festival, and the Saskatchewan International Children’s Festival, among others. He has also directed productions at Concordia University (Montreal) and the University of Victoria. He is in the process of producing and directing Drama Camp Productions’ all female stand-up/ sketch comedy show She Kills Me for APTN, and a feature length documentary Gone South: How Canada Invented Hollywood for Super Channel.
He is a graduate of the University of Alberta BFA Conservatory Acting program, holds both his Instructor’s and Performer’s certification (ARCT) in Speech Arts and Drama with the Royal Conservatory of Music (University of Toronto), and received his MFA in Directing from the University of Victoria.
Leslie has lectured on his activities in both New York and Washington D.C. He has taught at Concordia University in Montreal, the University of Miami, and the Canadian College for Film and Acting. He is currently a Continuing Sessional Instructor with the University of Victoria Theatre Department, and has been instrumental in the launching of the careers of many artists including Erin Karpluk (Being Erica, Godiva’s), and Eric Johnson (Rookie Blues, Flash Gordon).