Michelle Payne

Michelle is a director and published playwright from Essex, with extensive experience in making and directing new musicals and working at drama schools and conservatoires. This year she directed Pippin at Mountview with BA Musical Theatre and American Idiot at Chichester Conservatoire. She is also Associate Director on Errol's Garden (UK Tour 2024) and was Resident Director on the UK Tour & London run of Bugsy Malone (2022-23). 

Michelle was a 2019 recipient of the Regional Theatre Young Directors' Scheme completing a three month residency at the Mercury Theatre Colchester; she then went on to be short-listed as one of eight directors for RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2022 and for the Young Vic Genesis Future Director Award 2023.

​As a Director, she has worked on new musicals at Birmingham Hippodrome, The Bush, Mercury Theatre Colchester and the Vaults Festival. As a writer her work has been shown at The Other Palace, Victoria London, The Garrick West End and Tristan Bates Theatre.

Twitter: @chellesta / Insta: @chellestaa / Website: michelle-payne.co.uk

(Headshots by B Clarence Photography)