Mitchell Butel is best known for his work in theatre, including musical and opera productions.
24 Facts About Mitchell Butel
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Mitchell Butel was the artistic director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia from 2019 to 2024 and will take up the position of artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company in November 2024.
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Mitchell Patrick Butel was born on 10 February 1970 and educated at Marcellin College Randwick.
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Mitchell Butel became interested in theatre as a child after seeing the musical Song and Dance and later Little Shop of Horrors.
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Mitchell Butel has since then worked for many theatre companies.
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Mitchell Butel has worked in a number of musical theatre productions, and as of 2018 was the voice of the Play School theme song.
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In 2017, Mitchell Butel played two characters, Mr Burns and Gibson, in Mr Burns, a post-electric play, a co-production between Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre and the State Theatre Company South Australia.
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Mitchell Butel's performance was met with good reviews, and won a Helpmann Award.
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Mitchell Butel's writing credits include Excellent Adventure and Killing Time and he wrote additional material for Meow Meow's Little Match Girl, Belvoir St Theatre's production of The Government Inspector and Opera Australia's production of The Mikado.
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Mitchell Butel's directing credits include Violet at the Hayes Theatre which was awarded Best Production of an Independent Musical at the 2015 Sydney Theatre Awards and for which he was awarded Best Director of a Musical.
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Mitchell Butel directed the winning play of the 2016 Lysicrates Prize for New Australian Playwriting, Mary Rachel Brown's Approximate Balance.
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In 2018 Mitchell Butel co-directed An Act of God for the Darlinghurst Theatre Company and directed the Australian premiere of Jordan Harrison's play, Marjorie Prime as part of the Ensemble Theatre's 60th Anniversary Season.
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In March 2019 Mitchell Butel was appointed artistic director of State Theatre Company South Australia, taking over from Geordie Brookman.
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Mitchell Butel oversaw a project called Decameron 2.0, a collaboration between STCSA and ActNow Theatre consisting of a series of 10 stories written, directed and acted by a diverse group of local talent.
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In 2024, Mitchell Butel was appointed as the artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company, replacing Kip Williams.
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Mitchell Butel has acted in a number of films, including Dark City ; Strange Fits of Passion ; The Bank ; Gettin' Square ; Dance Academy: The Movie ; and A Sunburnt Christmas, as well as many TV series, including Bordertown ; Janet King, Deep Water ; and Stateless.
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In May 2011, Mitchell Butel made his Opera Australia debut in the Gilbert and Sullivan production The Mikado where he played the comedic role of Ko-Ko.
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Later in 2013, Mitchell Butel performed the part of Luther Billis in Bartlett Sher's production of South Pacific for Opera Australia.
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Mitchell Butel can be heard on the original cast recordings of The Republic of Myopia, Meow Meow's Little Match Girl and Opera Australia's The Mikado.
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Mitchell Butel was a member of Actors Equity from 1988, and was deputy president of Actors Equity and vice president of superseding body the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance from 2009 to 2013.
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Mitchell Butel was a member of the National Performers Committee from 2007 to 2018, and on the board of Belvoir Theatre from 2012 to 2019.
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Mitchell Butel was awarded Best Actor in Play in the 2017 Broadway World Sydney Awards for Mr Burns, a post-electric play.
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Mitchell Butel received Helpmann nominations for Little Me, Summer Rain and The Republic of Myopia.
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Mitchell Butel was nominated for two Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film for Gettin' Square and Strange Fits of Passion.