FREE-RAIN THEATRE COMPANY 

Chris Baldock

Director

Originally from New Zealand and based in Melbourne for nearly 25 years, Chris is a director and actor of over 170 productions in Australia and NZ with over 60 awards as director, actor, set and sound designer. He arrived in Canberra in early 2017 and since his arrival, he has helmed the highly lauded production of A View from The Bridge for Canberra Rep (Canberra Critics Circle award for his direction, Canberra Times’ Top 5 theatre productions for 2017 and recently received 11 CAT Award nominations including Best Direction and Production of a Play), the premiere season of Strictly Ballroom for Canberra Philharmonic Society (also making Canberra Times’ Top 5 theatre productions for 2017), Rep’s Oh, What A Lovely War and appeared as Hector in Everyman’s award-winning The History Boys. 2018 will also see him directing Rep’s One Man, Two Guvnors and Andrew Bovell’s When The Rain Stops Falling at the iconic Yarralumla Woolshed for his company, Mockingbird Theatre.

Chris is the founder and Artistic Director of Mockingbird Theatre. Midway through last year he set up the Mockingbird Acting Studio, based out of the Ainslie Arts Centre, and has grown quickly as a major training facility for Canberra actors. Details are at www.mockingbirdtheatrics.com.

Other productions as director include: The Laramie Project (Victorian Green Room Award - Best Independent Director/Production), Blue/Orange, How I Learned To Drive, Equus, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, The Temperamentals, Quills, Black Diva Power: Nina Simone & Billy Holiday (VIC tour), Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Dining Room, Burning starring two-time Logie winner Libby Tanner, Shining City, The Grapes of Wrath, Cloudstreet, Twelve Angry Men, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, The Nance, 33 Variations, Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Old Wicked Songs, Kindertransport, The Drawer Boy, Three Days of Rain, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Master Class, Terra Nova, The Shoe-Horn Sonata, Dealer’s Choice, Amadeus, Blood Brothers, Of Mice and Men, Shirley Valentine, Under Milk Wood, The Heidi Chronicles, Chicago, Hair, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Mame and A Slice Of Saturday Night.

Nicholas Griffin

Musical Director

Since 2010, Nicholas has been performing as a professional pianist and Musical Director. His versatility, decisiveness and musicality has assisted Nicholas in establishing himself as a Musical Director in Canberra. He recently made his Sydney MD debut with Sugary Rum Productions’ The View UpStairs (2018) at Hayes Theatre Co. Nicholas has MD a multitude of shows including Les Misérables (2017), Wicked (2016), The Little Mermaid (2016), Mary Poppins (2015), Legally Blonde (2014), Forbidden Broadway (2014), Footloose (2013), The Musical of Musicals (2013), Return to the Forbidden Planet (2013), RENT (2012) and Fiddler on the Roof (2012). As Assistant MD/ Keyboard 1, Nicholas has performed in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (2013), Hairspray (2012) and Little Shop of Horrors (2010). Nicholas has also worked as an arranger and audition pianist. In 2014, he accompanied Rachael Beck in her vocal workshops, supervising the musical interpretation of the performers.

Michelle Heine

Choreographer

Embracing everything in dance, choreographer and mentor, Michelle Heine started out as a dancer in a Ballet Company then went on to dance in multi-million dollar extravaganza’s in Sun City in Southern Africa. Now many of her students are following in her footsteps of success all over the world.

Since the late 1980’s she has been a prominent and highly regarded talent on Canberra’s dance scene with her own studio, “Legs” Dance Studio, formerly based in Tuggeranong but now based in Hume. Students have gone on to make their mark on the world stage such as the Lido, Moulin Rouge, Tap Dogs, Dance Academy, Jupiters Showroom, Professional Musicals, Film, Television, RAW Metal, Cruise Lines and Universal Studios. Her students have performed and competed in Las Vegas, Hawaii, Kuala Lumpur, China, Disneyland, Los Angeles and the Gold Coast. In 2014 her students took a trip to Florida to perform on a Cruise Ship and Disney World in Orlando.

Michelle’s career highlights include choreography for the Master Games Opening Ceremony, University Games, National Tourism Awards, Centennial Federation Parades in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra plus many musicals. Credits include My Fair Lady, Les Misérables, Chicago, Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Oklahoma!, HMS Pinafore, Pack Up Your Troubles, Music Hall, Dancing at Lughnasa, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Hello, Dolly!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Boy From Oz, Legally Blonde, Barnum, the Australian Premier of Winging My Way To the Top, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Wicked and most recently a third return to Les Misérables. In 2018, Michelle is taking on three musicals – 42nd Street, FAME and Shrek.

Michelle was awarded the CAT Award for Best Choreographer for Legally Blonde in 2014 and Wicked in 2016. Legs Dance Studio has won CAT Awards for Best Dance Production and also Best Ensemble in 2014 and 2016. The Senior National Team has performed in China in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2012 and 2015 at one of the largest International Children’s

Festival.

Michelle is also the Canberra talent agent for Showtime Attractions and casts many performers and talent at various shopping centre promotions throughout Canberra and regional NSW.