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Sally nominated for Best Actress & Best Director at the 2021 UVFF Awards in the UK
Last year was a really challenging year for all of us. And I added to this by deciding to create and direct a new season of Shakespeare Republic, set and filmed entirely in lockdown. It was the most wonderful, crazy, sometimes difficult but absolutely rewarding experience I could have had. The creative family that formed around the new season, made up of existing Republic ensemble joined by a whole new swathe of actors and regular Republic crew, creating a total of 24 episodes, was one of the best things about 2020 for me. It was an absolute privilege to work with these extraordinary actors, based in Melbourne, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh,…
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Live theatre in the age of COVID-19 – The Show Must Go Online
When I got the email about ten days ago that I’d been cast in the new online initiative, The Show Must Go Online, as “Katherina” (or “Kate” as I call her) in The Taming Of The Shrew, I’ll admit to an initial hesitation at saying yes. Not because I didn’t want to play her – I’d submitted to do the show in the first place, and I’ve been fascinated by “Kate” from the first time I saw her (as a Hollywood musical obsessed kid) portrayed by Kathryn Grayson in a late night TV re-run of the movie Kiss Me Kate when I was about 10 years old. Admittedly, that early…
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“Playing The Bard” returns to Howard Fine Acting Studio in August …
We’re now hurtling into the second half of the year and there is a lot going on, but nothing much I can talk about … yet. However, the one thing I can share is that “Playing The Bard: Shakespeare In Performance” is returning to Howard Fine Acting Studios in Melbourne in August AND HFAS Australia is having a Winter Sale, so all courses can be booked at a 20% discount (discount applied at checkout, so no codes to remember). We’re doing scenes this next class, and bookings are starting to fill, so get in now to grab your place and get the discount! All details here: https://www.howardfinestudio.com.au/allcalendar/2018/4/24/playing-the-bard-shakespeare-in-performance-g4ddn Speaking of HFAS…
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NEW DATES: Playing The Bard returns to Howard Fine Acting Studio in May!
“Playing The Bard” at Howard Fine Acting Studio Australia will now be taking place from Tuesday May 21 until June 25, just before Howard Fine returns to Australia for his mid-year Master Class! I am delighted to be returning to the Studio as HFAS resident Shakespeare teacher and faculty member to once more work with a brand new crop of actors and share with them the techniques I use when working with my fabulous award-winning Shakespeare Republic cast. Actors of all experience levels are welcome to come play with me in this six week course that is designed to help actors truly make Shakespeare’s works and words their own! Using…
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Shakespeare Republic now streaming on Ozflix – and already breaking records!
I am so delighted to share that Shakespeare Republic (the web series that has been taking up nearly all my time for the past four years), is now streaming (both Seasons One & Two) from it’s new official, exclusive home on awesome Aussie content streaming platform, Ozflix – and managed to break all records with the highest viewership of a new launch in Ozflix’s history! Amazing! The series continues to gain more and more viewers as time goes on and I am so delighted to see that it’s finding a whole new audience – three years into it’s existence. I am currently in the process of editing together some new…
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Sally nominated for “Best Actress” at the 2018 Asia Web Awards! #acting #actor #nominee
I know I said that I was taking a break from the Internet and work in general in my last update, but this news is just too exciting to not share! I’m so thrilled to say that last weekend the nominees for the 2018 Asia Web Awards were announced and among the wonderful list of creatives and artists listed, I somehow managed to land a Best Actress nomination for playing “Beatrice”, as well as a Best Director nomination for Shakespeare Republic! AMAZING!! The series received FIVE nominations in all – the other three being Best Music (Jordan Ross), Best Drama Series and Best Web Series (All Genres)!! So blown away…
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2018 In Pictures – Howard Fine Acting Studios, Shakespeare Republic, Melbourne WebFest and more #acting #webseries #Shakespeare
December already! Where has the time gone? 2018 has whipped by and brought so much wonderful stuff professionally with it, for which I am very, very grateful. Of course, as it’s nearing the end of the year, it meant that I fell ill almost immediately after the HFAS Master Class in November, as I was finally in the position for the first time in 12 months where I didn’t have to be somewhere doing something. Well, I had to be in a couple of places, but my body had other ideas and I just had to stop and rest for a while. Of course, that enforced halt gave me some…
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Shakespeare Republic has launched and is in the wild with another acting gig filmed and in the can
Shakespeare Republic has finally fully aired on our YouTube Channel (and Vimeo) and is now doing the film festival rounds. We have some exciting news coming up on that front, to be revealed soon, and some lovely feedback from many quarters both in Australia and overseas. My episode was the last in this first season, and I include it here below for convenience: To see the full series, visit the official website here: http://shakespearerepublic.com/ In other news, I just recently shot a role for the new series of Jack Irish and my episode of Utopia went to air last month, which was a lot of fun. Now, I’m back onto filming…
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New website, Shakespeare and Alan Fletcher (among other things)
It has been a while since I’ve posted an update here, but it’s been for the very good reason that I’ve been so busy with my various projects – and some acting gigs thrown in for good measure! Firstly – welcome to the new look SallyMcLean.com. They say a change is as good as a holiday, and a change in look was long overdue, so here we are. Sections of the website are still being added to, but the basic structure is pretty much done. I’m finding it’s akin to getting used to a new haircut, but it has been a lot of fun going through all my photos and…
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Offspring and Evie Wants a Baby … I’m seeing a sort of theme here …
As per our last update, Sally was appearing on ABC Television in the semi-regular role of “Lee’s Mum” in The Bazura Project, directing and producing her first major docudrama A Life Unexpected: The Franz Stampfl Story(yes, it’s been re-titled) and waiting for the greenlight for a couple of acting gigs. So, what’s happened since then? Sally has played “Astra” in Evie Wants A Baby (see above photo) for Lollapalooza Films, ooh-ed and ahh-ed over bargins for the recent series of K-Mart commercials, played a Journalist for Offspring (Channel 10) and is currently giving her Shakespeare brain another workout with Banyai Theatre. She is also still producing and directing her first major docudrama (the next donation round…
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Back on AFI jury duty – and loving it!
Well, 2010 finished off with a bang! Sally again accepted the invitation to be a Juror for the 2010 AFI Awards, juggling watching and assessing nearly every Australian feature film released over the past 12 months with her rehearsal and performance commitments with the Australian Shakespeare Company’s The Comedy Of Errors (now running as the ASC’s 2010/2011 Shakespeare Under the Stars season at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne! Plug, plug!). The AFI Awards night itself was a blast, with a slick awards ceremony presentation at The Regent Theatre and fun after party at the Regent Theatre Ballroom. Sally attended with her partner, Billy Smedley (both pictured left at the After Party on the night) and was…
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Sally returns to Australian Shakespeare Company to reprise role in “The Comedy Of Errors” in 2011
It’s been a busy year, capped off with Sally’s return to the Australian Shakespeare Company, reprising her role as “Dowsabel” in Comedy of Errors at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne (as pictured left) for the ASC’s “Shakespeare Under The Stars” season. Yes, she gets to don that fat suit for another run, playing the “mad mountain of flesh” for another season! The show opens on December 21, 2010 and runs until March 12, 2011. Tickets available via Ticketmaster on 136 100 or book online here. “Brilliant – literally – it glitters, it’s gold! Very funny.” – 3MBS “This miracle of a show is stylish, vibrant and often uproariously funny.” – Herald Sun
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Sally rejoins The Australian Shakespeare Company
No, Sally hasn’t suddenly put on a LOT of weight, she is currently appearing as “Dowsabel” in the Australian Shakespeare Company’s Comedy of Errors at the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (as pictured left). Described as “a mad mountain of flesh”, the amazing costume (built by Karla Erenbots) means she certainly fits the description! As Sally says in her other blog “It’s been a joy to work with such a brilliant group of actors who not only “get” Shakespeare but are so great to share a stage with … Glenn Elston’s direction proves yet again that the ASC’s greatest strength is being true to the Bard, at the same time making him accessible and relevant to…
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