IAN MICHAEL

​Director/Writer

Ian Michael is an award winning Noongar director, writer, and actor. A graduate of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Ian is currently the Richard Wherett Fellow at Sydney Theatre Company.
 
In 2023, Ian made his Sydney Theatre Company directorial debut with a sold out and critically acclaimed production of Nick Payne’s CONSTELLATIONS. His award-winning production of Angus Cerini’s THE BLEEDING TREE staged at The Blue Room was remounted by Black Swan Theatre Company as part of their 2023 season. Ian won Outstanding Direction of an Independent Production at the 2022 PAWA Awards for his direction of THE BLEEDING TREE which also won Best Independent Production.
 
As a writer, Ian’s credits include: YORK (Black Swan State Theatre Company) with Chris Isaacs; ANOTHER DAY IN THE COLONY (Critical Stages/Paines Plough); HART (She Said Theatre) with Seanna van Helten.  YORK was shortlisted for the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.
 
For Sydney Theatre Company, Ian was associate director to Kip Williams for THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY and STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE which also toured to Perth Festival and Adelaide Festival, assistant director to Shari Sebbens for THE 7 STAGES OF GRIEVING, and assistant director to Imara Savage on THE SEAGULL. For Black Swan State Theatre Company, Ian was assistant director to Clare Watson for THE CHERRY ORCHARD and assistant director to Kyle Morrison for SKYLAB (with Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company).
 
Ian’s acting credits include: THE TEMPEST, CITY OF GOLD, OUR TOWN, CLOUDSTREET, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Black Swan State Theatre Company); CLOUDSTREET, BLAK CABARET (Malthouse); THE KID (Melbourne Theatre Company and Melbourne Ring Cycle); THE NOONGAR SHAKESPEARE PROJECT (Yirra Yaakin); HART (She Said Theatre); NORTHWEST OF NOWHERE (Ilbijerri Theatre Company).
 
Other awards include: The Blue Room Award for Best Direction and the Members Choice Award for the THE BLEEDING TREE, a Green Room Award nomination for Best Independent Production for HART, Melbourne Fringe Awards for Most Outstanding Indigenous Artist and Tour Ready Awards for HART, CHASS Australia Prizes, and the Adelaide Fringe Award for Best Emerging Artist. Ian received a Sydney Theatre Award nomination for Best Performer in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production for CITY OF GOLD, and PAWA Award nominations for Best Actor for OUR TOWN and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.  In 2019, he was a finalist for Western Australian of the Year.
 
Ian was Curator and Artistic Associate of the Maali Festival for Black Swan State Theatre Company and was a Resident Artist with the company from 2018-2020.  Ian was a Besen Family Artist at Malthouse Theatre during 2017.