A celebrated actor, singer and director, Butel will be familiar to South Australian audiences through his regular work with both the State Theatre and Windmill Theatre Co, from his first State Theatre appearance in 1998’s Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love to the title role in its 2016 Belvoir co-production Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, for which he won his latest Helpmann Award. Butel is currently in London, where he is performing as part of Windmill/State Theatre’s UK production of Rumpelstiltskin.
Outside of South Australia Butel has enjoyed a varied career that has ranged from Opera Australia’s production of The Mikado to lending his voice to the current incarnation of the Play School theme song.
Butel transformed into a post-apocalyptic incarnation of the Simpsons villain in Mr Burns (Photo: Sia Duff)
“I am thrilled and honoured to be joining the leadership of this extraordinary company,” Butel says of the new posting. “Many of my all-time favourite viewing and performing experiences have been at State Theatre Company and its legacy and influence has extended to all corners of the nation. I look forward to laying groundwork for similarly transformative, provocative and entertaining experiences for other audiences and artists.
“State Theatre Company (and its talented pool of artists and staff) has always been a jewel in Australia’s theatrical crown for me and I can’t wait to hold that jewel to the light so that it reflects far and wide.”
Butel’s starts in the role from March 2019, taking over from outgoing director Geordie Brookman whose final curtain call will be helming Renato Musolino’s solo performance of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Brookman has been in the role since 2013.
Outgoing artistic director Geordie Brookman directs members of the State Theatre Company Ensemble in 2017 (Photo: Sia Duff)
“We’re so grateful to Geordie Brookman and the way he has led this Company over the past six years,” State Theatre executive director Jodi Glass says. “He leaves it stronger and better than it ever was. I can’t wait to see how Mitchell Butel builds on from this with his inspiring vision for the years ahead. We’re all thrilled to re-introduce Mitchell to South Australia as ‘one of us’ and so excited to get stuck into 2019 and see where it takes us.”
Read about the full State Theatre Company South Australia 2019 season
statetheatrecompany.com.au
Header image:
Sia Duff
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