Michele Lee

Michele Lee is a Hmong-Australian writer working across television, film, stage, books, audio and live art.

Michele’s television work includes developing and writing an episode of upcoming comedy WHITE FEVER for ABC-TV with creator Ra Chapman. Prior to this Michele co-wrote an episode of Matchbox/ SBS limited episode series HUNGRY GHOSTS (2020) and co-wrote episodes for the ABC lockdown comedy RETROGRADE (2020). Michele co-wrote the pilot for SECRET THREADS for producer Rebecca Ingram and wrote the pilot for CLOUD NINE, a Film Vic funded project, co-created with Trudy Hellier. She has also written two stories for a 6 x 1-minute Tik Tok series with Blacklab Productions.

Michele’s play HOW DO I LET YOU DIE? had it’s world premiere season in Melbourne at the end of 2023. The podcast of the same piece is under option by Audiocraft and was previously developed through On Air, an Audible/Screen Australia initiative.

Her play RICE was presented by Queensland Theatre, Griffin Theatre and Hothouse Theatre in 2017 and enjoyed a UK tour in 2022 produced by Actors Touring Company and Orange Tree Theatre. It won the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, an Australian Writer’s Guild Award, and was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award Nick Enright Prize.

SECURITY was a finalist for the Patrick White Award in 2020 and had a world premiere season in Melbourne in 2022. Her play SINGLE LADIES premiered at Red Stitch in Melbourne in 2021. GOING DOWN was presented by Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre in 2018. GOING DOWN was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, the NSW Premier’s Literary Award Nick Enright Prize, an Australian Writer’s Guild Award and five Green Room Awards. Michele’s 2012 radio play SEE HOW THE LEAF PEOPLE RUN won an Australian Writer’s Guild award for Best Original Radio Drama.

Other theatre and live art works include: SQUISHY TAYLOR AND THE CITY-WIDE GHOST PLAGUE, at at-home audio-led adventure adapted from a YA series and premiering in Melbourne Fringe Festival (2021); BROTH BITCH, a fictional podcast and Melbourne Fringe Festival commission (2020); HOUSE SISTERS a Monash University stage commission (2019); AN ASSISTANT’S NOTES FOR A PANDEMIC, an Arts House Refuge commission (2018); THE NAKED SELF, commissioned by Arts House and presented in the Festival of Live Art (2016); OFF CENTRE, a short play as part of Sydney Theatre Company’s POWER PLAYS season (2016); and GOING AND GOING, a radio commission for Radio National (2015). In 2012 she wrote six short audio plays, TALON SALON, which were presented at Next Wave Festival in 2012, You are Here and Darwin Festival in 2013, and was broadcast on Radio National in 2014.

Michele has been in residence at The Playwright’s Centre in USA, Radio National and in Laos on an Asialink residency and has featured twice in the main program for the National Playwriting Festival. She has mentored younger artists through Shopfront, Melbourne Theatre Company, The Wheeler Centre, Australian Theatre for Young People, Union House Theatre and City of Melbourne’s Signal Program. Michele’s creative non-fiction memoir BANANA GIRL is published by Transit Lounge.

Michele is currently developing her own half-hour comedy TV show, NEXT BIG THING, with Screen Australia development funding. Michele is currently adapting the novel THE HEALING PARTY for a stage commission with Malthouse Theatre and has a commission for a new play with Melbourne Theatre Company.