Matthew grew up in the Tudor village of Coggeshall, England, until the age of 12 when his family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia. After studying horticulture and managing his own landscape design business, he moved back to Europe and studied drama the Gaiety School of Acting. For a decade Matthew worked as an actor in Irish theatre and TV. In 2013 he founded Speckintime, a company dedicated to developing and producing exciting new drama in theatre and film.

Aside from his involvement in the arts, Matthew works as qualified Executive Coach. His private practice In the Round specialises in providing career and life coaching in the Arts Industry. 

Matthew lives with his family in County Kildare.

Director

As well as being Artistic Director of Speckintime, Matthew enjoys working as a freelance director. He specialises in directing new or rarely produced writing and welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded theatre practitioners.

2023 - 2020

In July 2023 Matthew directed his own writing, a commissioned piece for Bewley’s Theatre WALKABOUT series. There resulting script, The Tree Whisperer, was staged in The National Botanic Gardens to a sold out audience.

In 2022 Matthew worked as Assitant Director to Caitríona McLaughlin in The Abbey’s production of The Weir.

In November 2021 Matthew facilitated a four day workshop to further the development of Finding Love in an Abattoir by Melissa Nolan & Matthew Ralli. This involved a large creative team of designers and actors.

Matthew directed development workshops of Philip St John’s script The Occupant and also worked with artists Karen Gleeson, Philip St John and Michael McCabe to develop the multidisciplinary piece His Left, Her Right.

2019 - 2014

In February Matthew directed the re-staging of Temptress by Philip St John which was performed in The Viking Theatre and Whale Theatre, Greystones. In the same month he directed the re-staging of The Harvest by Jane McCarthy which played in The New Theatre, Dublin before touring nationally.

In January of 2019 Matthew directed and wrote monologues and scenes as part of Dáil 100 Experience in Leinster House.

Matthew directed The Harvest, a new play by Jane McCarthy and an in-house production for The New Theatre, Dublin, in June 2018. The play received critical acclaim with Emer O'Kelly - Sunday Independent claiming 'All Hail the Harvest' and '...directed with precision and controlled force'.  

In November Matthew directed The Signalman, an adaptation by Jane McCarthy of the Charles Dickens ghost story. It was received critical acclaim - ‘The production is an absolute corker, with meticulously true acting from both actors and cracking direction from Matthew Ralli.’ - Emer O’Kelly, Sunday Independent.

In February 2017, Matthew directed the full length version of The Curse of the Button Accordion by Sharon Mannion at the Roscommon Arts Centre. In November he continued his collaboration with Philip St John by directing and co-producing The Restoration of Hope, St John's second play in his 'Eerie Trilogy'. 

In 2016 Matthew directed The Crown and the Red Cross, a new play by Jennifer Laverty and Eilis O'Donnell exploring the events inside Dublin Castle during the week of the 1916 Easter Rising. An OPW initiative, the play was staged throughout the Dublin Castle State Apartments. In the same year he also directed the premiere of Revolver by Seanan McDonnell in Theatre Upstairs during May/June for Sugar Coat Theatre Company. 

In February 2015, Matthew directed One is Not Oneself, a new play by Gerard Lee for Cadence Theatre Company. Starring Paula Lee Garvey and Mark O'Regan, it played in The New Theatre for a two week run. 

Throughout 2015 Matthew collaborated with writer, Philip St John, to develop and produce his new play Temptress. This was staged in The New Theatre for two weeks during October and received critical acclaim. 

In 2014 Matthew directed a series of one-act plays under the title The Art of Wedlock. Directing five separate plays, with an ensemble cast of ten, proved an ambitious task. The resulting production was staged in Chancery Lane in February and played to sell out audiences.

In July that year, Matthew directed his own writing in the production of Deeds of Deceit at the Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle. A cast of eight actors were involved and the play received critical acclaim.

Writer

Bewley’s Cafe Theatre commissioned Matthew to write a play for their 2023 season of Walkabout plays. The Tree Whisperer, was staged in The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, June 14th - 24th 2023. In this family friendly, promenade style play, the audience are introduced to some of the historic Garden’s vast collection of trees as they follow a practising druid and self-designated tree whisperer and her mysterious new client on an arboreal treasure hunt where secrets whisper through the leaves. (“We find ourselves enrolled as trainee tree bonders and set out on a journey through the gardens, meeting and connecting with some of their gracious trees as a plot unfolds. Joe snaps ‘are in a little pantomime’ and truthfully, writer and director Matthew Ralli has written one – a clever one.” - No More Workhorse)

As part of the Dáil 100 Commemoration, in 2019 Matthew was commissioned by the Houses of the Oireachtas to write five historical dramatic pieces that illustrated how the ordinary Irish citizen has helped grow and strengthen Ireland’s parliamentary democracy. These scenes/monologues were performed in Leinster House.

In 2016 Matthew was awarded a Tyrone Guthrie Residency Bursary Award from Kildare County Council Arts Office to develop a new play based on the perilous world of rhinoceros horn poaching.  

In 2014 Matthew was commissioned by Dublin Castle to write a play encompassing the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels. The result, Deeds of Deceit, was produced by Speckintime and premiered during July 2014 in the Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle.

In 2013, Matthew was asked to write a series of historical monologues for the Dublin Castle's Culture Night event. These were performed in St Patrick's Hall as the main attraction for the evening. Due to the positive response, Dublin Castle commissioned Matthew to write and direct the Castle's inaugural audio guide.

Actor

Matthew graduated from the Gaiety School of Acting and has performed throughout Ireland with theatre companies including: Pan Pan, Decandant, Hurricane, Duggan/Logue, Barnstorm, Peer to Peer, Mouth on Fire, The Jack Burdell Experience, and Pageant Wagon.

He performed in Jody O’Neill’s What I (Don’t) Know About Autism - Peacock Stage of the Abbey Theatre; The Granary, Cork & Mermaid Theatre, Bray, Co. Wicklow.

He was cast as 'Cuthred's Spy' in the fifth series of Vikings (Octagon Films & Take 5 Productions)

He toured to Tokyo, Japan, to perform in Samuel Beckett's Play for Mouth on Fire Theatre Company. Matthew played the multiple roles of Oberon/Theseus/Snug in Mouth on Fire's sell out outdoor production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Dublin Castle Gardens.

His film and TV credits include: Vikings V; Titanic – Blood and Steel; King Arthur; Love is a Drug; Fair City; and The Inquiry.