Mitchell Patrick Butel (born 10 February 1970) is an Australian actor, singer, director and writer. He is best known for his work in theatre, including

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

and opera productions. He has been the artistic director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia since March 2019.

Early life and education

Mitchell Patrick Butel was born on 10 February 1970. He became interested in theatre as a child after seeing the musical '' Song and Dance'' and later ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (film), a 1986 film adaptat ...

''. He attended the University of New South Wales and studied for a degree in arts/law, majoring in Theatre Studies and working as a

paralegal A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...

in a law firm between terms.

Theatre

Acting

Butel was part of the original cast of the Australian production of ''

Avenue Q ''Avenue Q'' is a musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty. It won Best Musical, Book, and Score at the 2004 Tony Awards. The show's format is a parody of PBS' ...

'' in 2009, playing the roles of two puppet characters, Princeton and Rod. He has since then worked for many theatre companies.Face To Face , Sydney Theatre Company , Mitchell Butel Interview
/ref> In 2012 he played Friar Laurance in Kip Williams' production of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' with the

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...

. He has also worked in a number of

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

productions, and as of 2018 was the voice of the ''

Play School Play School or Playschool may refer to: Television * ''Play School'' (British TV series), a BBC production aimed at preschool children * ''Play School'' (Australian TV series), an Australian Broadcasting Corporation production based on the Briti ...

'' theme song. In 2017, Butel played two characters, Mr Burns and Gibson, in ''

Mr. Burns, a post-electric play ''Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play'' (stylized ''Mr. Burns, a post-electric play'') is an American black comedy play written by Anne Washburn and featuring music by Michael Friedman. ''Mr. Burns'' tells the story of a group of survivors recalling ...

'', a co-production between Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre and the

State Theatre Company South Australia The State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), branded State Theatre Company South Australia, formerly the South Australian Theatre Company (SATC), is South Australia's leading professional theatre company, and a statutory corporation. It ...

. His performance was met with good reviews, and won a

Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical th ...

. The play was performed at Space Theatre in the

Adelaide Festival Centre Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia's first multi-purpose arts centre and the home of South Australia's performing arts, was built in the 1970s, designed by Hassell Architects. The Festival Theatre opened in June 1973 with the rest of the centr ...

in April–May 2017 and at the Belvoir in May–June 2017.

Writer and director

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''. His 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. ''Violet'' had its Melbourne season at Chapel Off Chapel. He directed the winning play of the 2016 Lysiscrates Prize for New Australian Playwriting, Mary Rachel Brown's ''Approximate Balance''. In 2016, Butel directed '' Spring Awakening'' for Australian Theatre for Young People which won Best Production for Young People at the Sydney Theatre Awards and '' Porgy and Bess'' at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

for the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...

. In 2018 Butel co-directed '' An Act of God'' for the

Darlinghurst Theatre Company Darlinghurst Theatre is an independent theatre company based at the Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst, New South Wales. Glenn Terry established the company in 1993 initially as an inner-city drama school. Darlinghurst Theatre productions wer ...

and directed the Australian premiere of Jordan Harrison's play, '' Marjorie Prime'' as part of the Ensemble Theatre's 60th Anniversary Season. Also in 2018, he also directed '' Funny Girl'' and ''The Bernstein Songbook'' for the

and ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

'' for the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs at the

. In 2019, he directed Mary Rachel Brown's ''Dead Cat Bounce'' for Griffin Theatre and Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's Caroline, Or Change for the Hayes Theatre. In 2021, he directed '' Gli amori d'Apollo e di Dafne'' for Pinchgut Opera.

State Theatre Company South Australia

He became

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

(STCSA) in March 2019, taking over from Geordie Brookman. He 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. They were released as videos online from June 2020, when theatres were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was one of largest pieces of online theatre in the world. In February–March 2022, he directed Dennis Kelly's one-woman play, '' Girls & Boys'', staged by STCSA at the Odeon Theatre, Norwood in Adelaide as part of the Adelaide Festival, and stars Justine Clarke. In September–October 2022, Butel acted in '' The Normal Heart'', a play set in the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s in New York City, in an STCSA production directed by Dean Bryant.

Film

Butel has acted in a number of films, including ''

Strange Fits of Passion ''Strange Fits of Passion'' is a 1999 Australian film directed by Elise McCredie and starring Michela Noonan. It is about a young woman determined to lose her virginity.Dance Academy: The Movie''; and '' A Sunburnt Christmas'' (2020), as well as many TV series, including '' Bordertown'' (1999); '' Janet King'', '' Deep Water'' (2016); and '' Stateless'' (2020).

Opera

In May 2011, Butel made his Opera Australia debut in the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

production '' The Mikado'' where he played the comedic role of Ko-Ko. In February 2013, he took part in another Opera Australia production, '' Orpheus in the Underworld'', where he played the role of John Styx. Later in 2013, Butel performed the part of Luther Billis in Bartlett Sher's production of ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' for Opera Australia.

Music

''Killing Time'' is a live album Butel recorded during the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2010, and consists of songs with a time-related theme, as well as poetry and anecdotes. The album features a mixture of genres including jazz and cabaret. The album was released in March 2012 and was mixed and mastered by Tony King. He can also be heard on the original cast recordings of ''The Republic of Myopia'', ''Meow Meow's Little Match Girl'' and Opera Australia's '' The Mikado''.

Other roles and interests

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 The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), also sometimes referred to as the Alliance, is the Australian trade union and professional organisation which covers the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries. Its Musicians section c ...

from 2009 to 2013. He was a member of the National Performers Committee from 2007 to 2018, and a on the board of Belvoir Theatre from 2012 to 2019. Butel is a trustee of the

Adelaide Festival Centre Trust Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia's first multi-purpose arts centre and the home of South Australia's performing arts, was built in the 1970s, designed by Hassell Architects. The Festival Theatre opened in June 1973 with the rest of the centr ...

, a member of the advisory councils of the

Sydney Philharmonia Choir Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is Australia’s largest choral organisation. It presents its own annual concert series in the Sydney Opera House the City Recital Hall, and other venues in New South Wales, as well as serving as chorus for the Sydney ...

and

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a South Australian performing arts organisation comprising 75 full-time musicians, established in 1936. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, the orchestra's primary performance venue is the Adelaide Town Ha ...

, a peer of the Australia Council, and a fellow at the

Australian Institute of Music The Australian Institute of Music (AIM) is an Australian private tertiary education provider, with campuses in Sydney, New South Wales and Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1968, AIM delivers education for careers in the Australian music, ent ...

Awards

Butel has been awarded four

Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical t ...

(one for ''

''); two Green Room Awards and four Sydney Theatre Awards. He was also awarded Best Actor in Play in the 2017 Broadway World Sydney Awards for ''

''. He received Helpmann nominations for '' Little Me'' (2008), '' Summer Rain'' (2006) and '' The Republic of Myopia'' (2005). He was nominated for two

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsib ...

(AFI) Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film for '' Gettin' Square'' (2003) and ''

Strange Fits of Passion ''Strange Fits of Passion'' is a 1999 Australian film directed by Elise McCredie and starring Michela Noonan. It is about a young woman determined to lose her virginity.Mitchell Butel
on '' AusStage'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Butel, Mitchell 1970 births Living people Australian male musical theatre actors Australian male singers Australian male film actors 21st-century Australian dramatists and playwrights Australian theatre directors Helpmann Award winners Australian male television actors Australian male stage actors 21st-century Australian male actors Place of birth missing (living people) Australian male dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Australian male writers 20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights