Ian Michael

Ian Michael is a Resident Director at Sydney Theatre Company and was the Richard Wherrett Fellow (2022-2023). A proud Noongar man, he has carved out a career as an actor, director and writer following his graduation from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. For STC, Ian made his directorial debut at Sydney Theatre Company with Constellations (2023) and directed Picnic at Hanging Rock (2025) and Stolen (2024). Ian is Associate Director on Kip Williams’ adaptations of Dracula (2024-2026), The Picture of Dorian Gray (2020-2025), and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2022) which also toured to Perth Festival and Adelaide Festival, Associate Director to Damien Ryan on An Iliad (2026) Zindzi Okenyo on Sweat, Tom Creed on The President (2024), Imara Savage on The Seagull (2023) and to Shari Sebbens for The 7 Stages of Grieving (2021). Ian has won numerous awards and nominations for his work, including thirteen nominations across Picnic at Hanging Rock, Big Girls Don’t Cry and Sistren at the 2025 Sydney Theatre Awards and winning Best Direction of an Independent Production, eight nominations for Stolen at the 2024 Sydney Theatre Awards, six nominations for Constellations, at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards including Best Direction of a Mainstage Play and Best Production, a nomination for Best Performer in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production at the 2022 Sydney Theatre Awards for City of Gold, The Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting (York), at the 2022 PAWA Awards Ian won Outstanding Direction of an Independent Production and Best Independent Production (The Bleeding Tree) and has been nominated for Best Actor for Our Town and Let the Right One In, at the 2021 The Blue Room Awards, he won the Award for Direction and Members Choice (The Bleeding Tree), CHASS Australia Prizes, Green Room Awards (HART), Melbourne Fringe Awards and Adelaide Fringe Awards.