Elise McCann

Elise McCann is one of Australia’s most versatile performers with a long list of leading credits across stage, screen and production. She is most well-known for originating the role of Miss Honey in the Australian production of Matilda the Musical for which she won the 2016 Helpmann Award, the 2015 Sydney Theatre Award and was nominated for the 2016 Green Room Award.  As well as for her role as Lucille Ball in Everybody Loves Lucy for which she was nominated in the 2015 Sydney Theatre Awards, and for her appearance as Lynne Woolnough, Peter Allen’s Sister, in the Australian television mini-series Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door on Channel 7.

Elise released her debut album Dahlesque with ABC Music in June 2017 and performed Dahlesque in concert with the Adelaide Festival in 2017, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2018 and the Auckland Philarmonia Orchestra in 2019.

A graduate of NIDA, Elise’s theatrical credits include: Cathy in The Last Five Years (Ensemble Theatre), Ado Annie in Oklahoma and Meg Brockie in Brigadoon (The Production Company), Ali in the 10th Anniversary Australian Tour of MAMMA MIA! (Littlestar); Janet McGregor in the Australian tour of South Pacific (Opera Australia/Gordon Frost Organisation); The World Premier/Australian Tour of Doctor Zhivago (Gordon Frost Organisation); Fruma Sarah in the Australian Tour of Fiddler on the Roof (TML Enterprises); Cordelia in Falsettos (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Florinda in Into The Woods (Victorian Arts Opera); Little Women (Kookaburra Australian National Theatre Company); My Fair Lady (Opera Australia); Camelot (The Production Company); Side By Side By Sondheim (Enda Markey Presents); June in Musical of Musicals (Tryptech Theatre) and In concert with Stephen Schwartz in Stephen Schwartz in Conversation as part of the World Premiere Defying Gravity Concerts (Enda Markey Presents) as well as the national tour of Beyond The Barricade for Lunchbox Theatricals UK. Additional television includes the pilot of The Modern Guide to Dating by Australian writer, composer and performer John Fields and as Louise Mcpherson in pilot comedy drama Tumbling alongside Melina Vidler and Sara West for Two Little Films. She sang the Australian national anthem for the 2018 Bledisloe Cup and in June 2020 produced and performed in the online broadcast charity concert, Play It On, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in support of Australian artists who had lost their income as a result of the nationwide shutdown of the live entertainment industry.

Most recently Elise appeared as Mary Flynn in the Stephen Sondheim classic Merrily We Roll Along at the Hayes Theatre for which she was nominated for Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical at the 2021 Sydney Theatre Awards.

Elise also produces theatre and television under her production company Oriel Group.