Artists

Michelle Maxwell (CT)

Biographical Information
Height:
1.6m
Hair:
Brown
Eyes:
Green
Languages:
English
Latest Projects

BIO
Michele Maxwell has been a successful and active part of the South African Artistic Community, since the early seventies.

She worked as an actress and musician in London, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Israel, Australia and Canada. As an actress she ranges from the intensity of Linda Loman in “Death of a Salesman” to the comedy and flamboyance of the mean Miss Hannigan in the musical “Annie”. She is a pianist, singer and musical director.

Having trained at the university of Cape Town’s Speech and Drama Dept., with additional courses at the Actor’s Institute in London, she has a well-modulated accent, and is comfortable with English Regional Dialects. She slips easily into conversational, colloquial South African English, and having a touch of the eccentric about her, can handle radio spots that are slightly off-the-wall.

Her local television work includes “Fishy Fêshuns” and “Streaks”. She is currently in e-tv’s series “Scandal”
 

 

SA FILM

Jerusalem                                                            Support                                                dir. Ralph Ziman

Dead Famous                                                      Support                                                dir. Alex Yasbeck

Citizen Monkey                                                    Support                                                AFDA Film School

Hoodlum & Son                                                    Support                                                Peak Viewing Films

 

TELEVISION

Scandal                                                                Support                                                ETV                       

Fishy Feshuns 1 & 11                                          Lead                                                     dir Roberta Durand

Isidingo                                                                 Support                                                S.A.B.C.

Generations                                                           Support                                                S.A.B.C.

Going Down Gorgeous                                           Support                                                S.A.B.C 

Streaks                                                                    Support                                                S.A.B.C. 

My Jazz Indaba                                                       Lead                                                     E-TV 1

Jazzmataz                                                               Featured Musician                             S.A.B.C.  TV 3

 

THEATRE

Notable dramatic performances from the last twenty eight years in stage productions include;

Tale of the Allergist’s Wife                                  Marjorie Taub                                     dir. CharmainemWeir Smith

Death of a Salesman                                           Linda Loman                                      dir. Bobby Heaney                             

Popcorn                                                                  Farrah Delamitri                                 dir. Dawn Lindberg

Full Gallop (one woman play)                            Diana Vreeland                                  dir. Marilyn VanRenen

Family Secrets  (one woman play)                   5 Characters                                       dir. Marilyn VanRenen

Jumpers                                                                 Dotty                                                     dir. Malcolm Purkey

A bsurd Person Singular                                     Eva                                                        dir. Ken Leach

Major Barbarba                                                     Title Role                                              dir. Frank Shelley

The Sisters Rosensweig                                      Dr. Gorgeous                                      dir. Allan Swerdlow and Janet Suzman

The Cherry Orchard                                             Varia                                                     dir. Ken Leach

Cowboy Mouth                                                      Cavale                                                  dir. Charles Comyn

Poppie Nongena                                                  All the White Madams                       London - The Lyric Theatre,                                                                                                              Hammersmith, The onmawarehouse                 Tours to Australia, Canada

Notable Musical productions include;

Annie                                                                 Miss Hannigan                                   dir. Charmaine Weir-Smith

Femme Fatale with Ian Von Memerty              Pianist/Musical director                   dir. Joan Brickhill

My Way                                                                 Pianist/Musiacal director                  dir. Jill Gerard, Keith Smith

Nunsense                                                             Mother Superior                               dir. Marilyn VanRenen

Guy’s ’n Doll’s                                                       Miss Adelaide                                     dir. Mavis Taylor

Mame                                                                     Title Role                                              dir. David Mathieson

S.A. Love                                                                Pianist/Musical director                     dir. Christo Leach

Boogie Woogie Bubble ‘n Squeak                         South Africa – The Market & Baxter Theatre                                                                                                                                                     London UK -  The Mayfair & Donmar                   Tours Australia & Canada

Notable Performances as a Musician;

Featured Soloist (Piano) with The National Symphony  Orchestra, Johannesburg.

Featured Soloist (Vocalist) with The Symphonic Pops, Cape Town.

Worked with many Jazz Ensembles in the United Kingdom and as a solo Pianist / Vocalist has worked in Germany, Holland, Israel, Finland, Sweden and Belfast.

In South Africa, concert appearances with her own bands at;  The Baxter Theatre, Theatre Rendezvous - Pretoria, Zoo Lake  Jazz Festival, P.E. Opera House, The Waterfront Amphitheatre - Cape Town,

The Oudelibertas Amphitheatre - Stellenbosch.

TRAINING

The University of Cape Town - performers Diploma in Speech & Drama with two extra years at music college. Theatre Courses at the Actor’s Institute in London during 1981 to 1989

 AWARDS

Naledi Award nomination “Best Lead Actress” for “Tale of the Allergist’s Wife”

FNB Vita Nomination, Best Lead Actress for “Death of a Salesman”

FNB Vita Nomination, Best Performance in Musical Theatre by a Female for “Annie”

FNB Vita Nomination for Best Performance by actress in a supporting role for “Popcorn”

Three Leaf Awards for Best Supporting Actress for “The Cherry Orchard”  and “America Hurrah”

Vita Nomination, Best Actress for “Absurd Person Singular”

Vita Nominations for Best Performance in a Musical for “Guys ’n Dolls”,  “S.A. Love” Annie

Vita Nomination for Best Actress for “Full Gallop”, Death of a Salesman.