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MICHELLE PAYNE is a director & published playwright from Essex with a passion for musicals, adaptations & new writing.

Michelle was short-listed for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2022 and long-listed in 2023 & 2024. She was short-listed for the Young Vic Genesis Future Director Award 2023.

Current: Associate Director - Dear Evan Hansen (UK Tour).
Recent: Director - Aitopia (Young Vic Taking Part)
Next Up: TBA

Current writing credits: HYPER! An ADHD Musical (as part of Overture 2023), The Grind (ie Productions - Matt Cole & Morgan Large)..

Michelle's work has been developed with & supported by Arts Council England, ALP & Aria Entertainment, Donmar Warehouse, Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. and Havering Changing.

Michelle is also a qualified Mental Health First Aider.

AMERICAN IDIOT
Photography by Danny Kaan

Michelle recently facilitated the creation of & directed AiTopia by The Collective - a 50 participant community project for Young Vic Taking Part -in collaboration with producer Alisha Artry.

The production ran for one week at the start of 2025 at the Young Vic

Dear Evan Hansen (Associate Director) + Bugsy Malone (Resident Director)

Young Vic Director

I've worked with...

Dear Evan Hansen (Associate Director) + Bugsy Malone (Resident Director)

1/5

"Payne's writing is in its beautiful simplicity, razor sharp wit and hilarious observational humour"

- LONDON THEATRE 1

SQUAD GOALS (Dagenham & Redbridge FC 2020)
Credit: Zac Cooke Photography

ABOUT

PLAYWRIGHT & DIRECTOR

Michelle is an Essex based published playwright & director, currently Associate Director on the UK Tour of Dear Evan Hansen. She was long-listed for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Award 2023 & 2024, short-listed for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2022 & short-listed for the Young Vic Genesis Future Director Award 2023.

BIO

SHOWS

MICHELLE HAS WORKED IN COMMERCIAL MUSICAL THEATRE, IMMERSIVE & NEW WRITING.

Squad Goals received multiple 4 & 5 star reviews & features from national & theatre press before becoming a published playtext with Salamander Street in 2021.

SQUAD GOALS

SHOWS

Thank you _zaccookephotography for our super rehearsal shots today — a video talking all t

OUTREACH

MICHELLE BELIEVES IN MAKING WORK FOR & ABOUT COMMUNITY

Michelle has most recently collaborated with Young Vic: Taking Part, Small Truth's Caravan Theatre at Henry Dickens Community Centre, Havering Youth Council, Thames Park Secondary School and Havering Changing.

OUTREACH

TESTIMONIALS