Ian Michael

Ian Michael (he/him) is a Noongar director, writer, and actor. A graduate of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Ian is currently the Resident Director at Sydney Theatre Company.

Malthouse Theatre: Acting credits include CLOUDSTREET and BLAK CABARET. Directing credits include TROY. Besen Family Artist, 2017. 

Other Theatre: Directing credits include BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY (Belvoir); SISTREN (Green Door Theatre / Griffin Theatre Company); THE BLEEDING TREE (The Blue Room/Black Swan State Theatre Company) and PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, STOLEN and CONSTELLATIONS (Sydney Theatre Company). Associate directing credits include SWEAT, THE PRESIDENT, DRACULA, THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE, THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, THE SEAGULL and THE 7 STAGES OF GRIEVING (Sydney Theatre Company). Writing credits include YORK (with Chris Isaacs), ANOTHER DAY IN THE COLONY and HART (with Seanna van Helten).

Awards & Nominations: PAWA Award for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Independent Production; The Blue Room Award for Best Direction and the Members Choice Award (THE BLEEDING TREE); Melbourne Fringe Award for Most Outstanding Indigenous Artist and Tour Ready Award (HART); Adelaide Fringe Award for Best Emerging Artist. Eight Sydney Theatre Award nominations including Best Direction of a Mainstage Play and Best Production (CONSTELLATIONS) and a Green Room Award nomination for Best Independent Production (HART).

Ian was the Richard Wherrett Fellow at Sydney Theatre Company from 2022-2023, Artistic Associate and Curator of the MAALI FESTIVAL for Black Swan State Theatre Company and was a Resident Artist with the company from 2018-2021. Ian was a Besen Family Artist at Malthouse Theatre during 2017.

@ianmichaelianmichael

Headshot: Marnya Rothe