MICHELE WILLIAMS: (director of Drama with a Difference)

Trained in the UK and USA at some of the world’s most prestigious acting schools, Michele Williams has worked as an actor for almost twenty years. She has performed a wide variety of roles from serious drama to heightened comedy, and has received excellent reviews for her theatre work from just about every major Australian newspaper and radio station. She has performed many guest roles in Australian television, including Stingers, MDA, Janus, Kangaroo Palace, Acropolis Now, Blue Heelers, Neighbours and the TAC Christmas Campaign (1996–99). She has taken part in several award-winning short films. In the corporate arena, she worked for several companies as a trainer – including Media Solutions (Sydney, 1980s), teaching business people ‘upfront’ skills for conference and television presentations. Currently works in the corporate area on a casual ongoing basis, in role play for training purposes with several large organisations in Australia and overseas. Has appeared in training videos for the National Bank, the ANZ Bank and VicRoads. Worked for several personal development organisations using drama as a means of self-expression for adults. Michele has received – via her theatre company, which has Tax Deductible Gift Recipient Status – several government, individual, business and philanthropic grants (including from ANZ Trustees and the Lance Reichstein Foundation) which have been used to develop issue-based plays for the general public and target groups. Michele is experienced at developing theatre from scratch with a team of writers, directors and actors. For more information, see Michele Williams’ website.

TRENT BAKER

A graduate of one of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (one of Australia’s finest drama schools), Trent is an experienced theatre and television actor and is also a respected theatre director, with a number of outstanding theatre reviews to his name. His acting resumé includes many varied roles with major theatre companies, including The Melbourne Theatre Company, La Mama, The Atheneum Theatre and The Malthouse. TV credits include Neighbours, Blue Heelers, Round the Twist and the mini-series On the Beach. He is also the face of the Telstra Broadband commercials. He has worked with smaller professional theatre companies, where he has helped to create productions from ‘the ground up’. This experience, coupled with his acting and directing work, gives him the necessary skills to create entertainment packages for the corporate and business world. Trent has worked extensively as an acting teacher and corporate trainer which involved the teaching of ‘upfront’ presentation skills to a wide range of professionals. He has also devised and performed at a range of business conferences and functions. The many companies he has worked for both here and overseas include Microsoft, Aon Insurance, Yellow Pages, Buena Vista Entertainment, Master Foods, Rank Xerox and a range of pharmaceutical organisations. Trent can assist in the organisation of any type of entertainment your organisation may require – whether it be a murder mystery involving the participants, or a piece of entertainment tailor-made to your industry (with all the in-jokes, jargon, personalities etc.)

ELIZABETH LOWRENCEV

Elizabeth is a professional singer and harpist as well as being an experienced drama teacher. She taught all levels of acting for Drama with a Difference over a period of ten years, and much of her work covered the area of recreational drama for adults, many of whom had never undertaken acting classes. She is highly experienced in function and corporate entertainment, where she has worked primarily as a singer and musician. She performed at an evening function for the inaugural Advanced Aesthetic Surgery Workshop in 1995 at Blakes, Southbank and at subsequent Aesthetic Surgical events including at The Point (Albert Park) and at The Rialto. She performed at the Christmas function for Atkinson Conference Services (Aust) Pty Ltd and at several major launches at Station Pier. Other clients include Myer Australia, Westfield, The Grant Hyatt, Rippon Lea, Western Port Marina, Hotel Sofitel, The National Golf Club, Hawthorn Town Hall, Leonda by the Yarra, Linley Estate, Goonawara Vineyard, Montsalvat, The Nunawading Arts and Entertainment Centre, Sherbrooke Celeste and Nine Darling Street (to name just a few!). Elizabeth took centre stage at the Senior Citizens Expo for two years at The Melbourne Exhibition Centre, (Jeff’s Shed).

Elizabeth has performed at many wedding expos and bridal fairs, which include events at The Regent Plaza, Golden Sands Reception Centre and Chateau Wyuna. She performed at the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants at The Manly Pacific in Sydney and sang the Australian National Anthem (solo) at The Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony, performing for the councillors’ election dinner and the centenarians’ luncheon (with MC Pete Smith). Elizabeth has also performed at many weddings and funerals, too numerous to mention.

LISA BLUTHAL

An established British actor now living in Australia, Lisa Bluthal has an extensive career as both a singer and a performer. Her numerous musical credits include the National UK Tour of Stand by Your Man. Other West End, London and touring credits include the musicals Leondardo, Falling in Love Again, Sleeping Beauty, Fiddler on the Roof (the role of Hodel) Bernstein’s Mass, Happy Event and Songs of Cain. Other acting credits on tour and in London include Street Scene, Happy Event, After the Ball is Over, Fashion Fabrics and Raspberry. TV credits include One Foot in the Grave (BBC), London’s Burning (LWT), Street Scene (BBC), Home Sweet Home (ABC) and Hi De Hi (BBC). Lisa has worked as a cabaret performer, the lead singer in a pop band, and as a voice-over and dubbing artist, as well as having taken part in may demo recordings. In the corporate world, Lisa played the role of Jane Austen at a function for British Telecom and the mad scientist at an entertainment function for Rank Xerox (UK). She has performed in numerous educational shows at British museums and castles. Prior to leaving London to settle in Australia, Lisa wrote and performed a one-woman show titled Once Is Never Enough, a comic yet sensitive look at mental illness. The show received rave reviews and enjoyed a sell-out season in London. Lisa later went on to perform parts of this show at medical conferences, which included The British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists.