WRITER/DIRECTOR: SALLY
McLEAN
After graduating from
The Actors’ Institute, London, UK, Sally co-wrote and co-produced
the successful short feature A Little Rain Must Fall, which premiered
at Ealing Studios, London in July 1997. During an extended return
visit to Australia in 1999, she began her apprenticeship in directing
for theatre under the guidance of New York theatre director,
Andy Gale - working as his Assistant Director during the professional
Australian Premier of I Love You, You’re Perfect Now
Change at the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (starring
Julia Morris & Matt Hetherington), of which she was also
a member of the cast.
Since then, Sally has written, directed and/or produced a number of successful films and plays under the banner of her production outfit, Salmac Productions, which began life in 1998 under the honorary patronage of Oscar-nominated British actor, Sir Nigel Hawthorne. She now additionally runs the theatre and arts education business Incognita Enterprises, dedicated to producing high-quality, innovative and affordable theatre experiences and arts education opportunities.
Produced plays include the workshop performances of Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords) and PS I Love You (set on the Melbourne Home Front during WWII). Completed films in addition to A Little Rain Must Fall include the short films fixNATION (aired on Foxtel) and Brigit & Benny (a modern faerietale).
She has also worked in TV production with BBC Television London in both their Music & Arts and Commercial Channels Depts., on program strands such as Bookmark, Bard On The Box and One Foot In the Past, during which time she Chaired the BBC Alternative Program and Australian Program Development Units, submitting several successful television program proposals to the Controllers of BBC1 & 2. She has additionally worked for Channel 9 as Audience & Production Coordinator, Melbourne Live Nights for Comedy Inc. and on the TV shows The X-Factor, Big Brother - Hunt for a Housemate and Australian Idol.
Sally's current work in progress is the WWII stage play, Bayonets & Bully Beef, (companion play to PS I Love You, this time set on the War Front of WWII), which was showcased in July 2005 at the Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne under her direction.
Chasing Pegasus marked Sally's debut as a writer/director for theatre in 2003. She wanted to explore the concept of hope and the theme of chasing dreams, through the experience of everyday people. She feels these subjects are just as important to explore as the darker side of our society. For what is society if it cannot dream?
Visit Sally online at http://www.sallymclean.com/