Melinda Butel

Melinda Butel has been working as an actor and teacher for over twenty five years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from QUT and won The Queens Trust Award to study postgraduate Acting and The Classics at The Oxford School of Drama in the U.K. There she was privileged to attend masterclass with Stephen Sondheim and Sir Alan Aykbourn.

Mel has performed with Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse, and La Boite Theatre with many memorable roles including Blanche Du Bois in Queensland Theatre’s A Streetcar Named Desire, and the Isabel in The World Premiere of Joanna Murray Smiths’s Ninety for Melbourne Theatre Company.

Mel was one of four recipients to receive Queensland Theatre Company’s emerging artist ensemble initiative in 2001 and won a Matilda in 2004 for Best Actor for her performance of Catherine in proof. She also received a Matilda Award for her outstanding contribution to Queensland Theatre.

Other work includes TVC’s, and roles in City Homicide, Kick and Nightmares and Dreamscapes as Ardis McGill opposite William H. Macy.

Mel is currently teaching Drama, Performance and immersive play based public and persuasive speech in schools in Melbourne.

Mel is published as a chapter contributor in the book Working Mums by Danielle Ross Wall and Louise Correcha.