Michelle Payne
Michelle is a director and writer from Essex, currently working as Co-Director on the UK Tour of The Good Enough Mums Club. Michelle is also Resident Director on the UK Tour of The House With Chicken Legs (Les Enfants Terribles). Later this year, Michelle will be directing Pippin at Mountview.
Michelle was a 2019 recipient of the Regional Theatre Young Directors' Scheme completing a three-month residency at the Mercury Theatre Colchester. Here she assisted Ryan McBryde on Cinderella which was nominated for Best Pantomime at the Great British Panto Awards. She also worked on artist-led programme Future Forms with the Donmar Warehouse under the guidance of Sacha Wares.
Her immersive play Squad Goals at Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. in 2020 received multiple 4- & 5-star reviews and features from theatre and national press including The Stage & The Guardian before being published by Salamander Street in April 2021.
Michelle has written and directed a number of projects at Edinburgh, Camden & Brighton Fringe Festivals as well as at VAULT festival. She won Best in Fringe for her play Full Circle about mental health at the Brewery Fringe Festival in 2018.
Recent Directing Credits: American Idiot (Chichester University); Pippin (Mountview); Pigs Might Fly (UK Tour – Associate); Bugsy Malone (UK Tour - resident director); To Have & To Hold (The Bush/Mercury Theatre); Man Enough (Writer & Director; Mind over Matter – R&D of new musical, Theatre Peckham); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (University of Chichester); Dear Dead Jason by Jen Moss (R&D) Bruised Sky Productions, The Liberators (Writer & Director PPA 3rd Year Acting for Stage & Screen), My Three Sisters by Holly Rose Hawgood (R&D) at The Bush, Jess by Stephanie Silver (digital theatre) with The Space UK Online which received an ONCOMM for Digital Theatre, The Offies, Squad Goals by Michelle Payne (immersive/new writing/dance) at Dagenham & Redbridge FC, Find Me by No Fixed Address at VAULT Festival and Ordinary Days (musical) at Rose & Crown.
Further Writing Credits: Memory Box (winner: Mercury Monologues), Sad About the Cows (Tristan Bates Theatre).
Michelle is currently developing two new musicals. Enthusiastically, Yes! about sexual consent with singer-songwriter Craig Webb with the support of Harlow Playhouse. A song from the show was performed at The Garrick (West End) in Oct 2021 as part of Adam Lenson Productions & Aria Entertainment’s The Chamber Musical Sessions. Man Enough produced by mental health organisation Mind Over Matter will be in R&D in Feb 2022 at Theatre Peckham supported by Arts Council England.
