Performance | Directing | Art Commissions | Advocacy | Hosting | Teaching | Workshops
Michelle
McCowage
Bio
Michelle McCowage AKA: Mich McSavage (they/them) is an
award winning, emerging, multidisciplinary, queer artist performing and working across forms. They have a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in theatre from the Victorian College of The Arts (VCA) from the University of Melbourne.
McSavage's practise spans physical theatre, dance, writing, directing and devising. They are also a trained inclusion and advocacy speaker with the Victorian Pride Centres Speakers bureau. Passionate about championing LGBTQIA+ voices, they seek to curate spaces for shared vulnerability.
McSavage's most recent notable achievements include receiving a MotherTongue Fellowship for emerging spoken word artists and performing in Next Wave x Midsumma's presentation of the brand new comedy, 'Robert The Octopus' (Brunswick Mechanics Institute, 2026).
McSavage is due to return to the role of Holly in the remount of Voice in My Hands (VIMH) production: 'Ballkids (Or, scenes from a friendship)' at fortyfivedownstairs this September 2026. The five star (The Age) debut season won Best New Writing at Melbourne Fringe 2024, won the Roger Seaborn Playwright award and was nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Production.
McSavage is a mentor and teacher, and mentored the VCA's, 2024, theatre cohort across their graduating production. They worked with Dr Betty Sargeant as a movement consultant for Sargeant’s live show Betty Sargeant AI, South Korea 2025 and have trained and regularly perform with award winning physical theatre company PoPoMoCo, taught by Kimberley Twiner and Lily Fish.
In 2023, McSavage was nominated for Best Emerging Artist and Best Theatre for their debut solo work 'night sweat' at Melbourne Fringe. 'night sweat' had three consecutive sold out seasons from its inception at La Mama Explorations in 2022, to a final remount at the Motley Bauhaus in 2024.
Prior to this, McSavage wrote, produced and performed their debut work at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 'Love Don't Cost A King' (Butterfly Club, 2022), a drag king, comedy musical.
In 2020, they graduated from the VCA where they were awarded the prestigious Pratt Bursary for outstanding achievement. Some of their credits at the VCA include: ‘Grand Gesture’ (dir. Kat Cornwell & Morgan Rose); ‘Agamemnon’ (dir. John Bolton); and their self directed graduating digital work: Simulacrum.
Prior to VCA, McSavage has worked as a professional actor since 2013. Their most notable on screen role was as Daphne Morris in Season 4 of Foxtel's: 'A Place To Call Home'. They also toured Australia wide for two years with theatre in education troupe, Bamboo Theatre performing to pre, primary and high school students.
As a performer and devisor, McSavage uses physically driven, structured improvisations to generate material. Their practise explores feminist, queer, comedic and honest perspectives of the everyday. McSavage enjoys investigating traditional performer/audience relationships through interactive, installation experiences. As a writer, they employ a lyrical and rhythmic style, manifesting in song writing as well as poetry and spoken word.
Originally from Sydney, Gadigal country, McSavage also has a Bachelor degree in Global Studies, majoring in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). They also completed an exchange in Torino, Italy and studied at the Universita' degli studi di Torino. They speak fluent Italian and have trained in mime with Giovanni Fusetti (Helikos School, Padova)
