Elise McCann is a Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Award winning actor, writer, producer and co- founder of tech health and wellness company Hey Lemonade.
Elise is most well known for playing Miss Honey in Matilda the Musical (2016 Helpmann Award winner, 2015 Sydney Theatre Award winner, 2016 Green Room Award nomination), Lynne Woolnough in TV series Peter Allen Not the Boy Next Door, as Lucille Ball in Everybody Loves Lucy (Sydney Theatre Award winner), Mary Flynn in the Sondheim classic Merrily We Roll Along (Sydney Theatre Award nomination) and most recently starred as Donna Sheridan in the Australian revival of Mamma Mia the Musical.
A graduate of NIDA Elise’s other theatrical credits include: Cathy in The Last Five Years (Ensemble Theatre), Julia Guglia in the international tour of The Wedding Singer (David Venn Productions), 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).
In concert Elise appeared with Stephen Schwartz in Stephen Schwartz in Conversation as part of the World Premiere Defying Gravity Concerts (Enda Markey Presents), the national tour of Beyond The Barricade for Lunchbox Theatricals UK and alongside Caroline O’Connor and Katie Noonan in the symphony orchestra special event To Barbra with Love for Live Nation, touring across the country.
Television includes the Channel Seven miniseries Peter Allen – Not The Boy Next Door, playing Peter’s sister Lynne Woolnough. Not The Boy Next Door won 7 AACTA’s at the 2015 AACTA Awards including Best Miniseries, was nominated for Best Drama at the 2016 Logie Awards and was nominated for Best Television Drama at the 2016 Monte Carlo Television and Film Festival. As well as Louise McPherson in comedy drama Tumbling (Two Little Films) and the pilot of The Modern Guide to Dating created by John Fields.
Elise’s debut album Dahlesque was released nationally with ABC/Universal Music in 2017. Dahlesque has been performed in concert with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2018), the Auckland Philarmonia (2019) and Adelaide Cabaret Festival (2017).
A regular performer for charity, Elise has headlined Light the Night, Twisted Broadway, Hats Off!, the Mission Australia Charity Gala, Westmead Children’s Hospital Charity Ball, The Awakening Concert, The Sydney Women’s Fund Annual Charity Gala, the ACON Worlds AIDS Day Concert, the From Sydney with Love Concert and the annual Hayes Theatre Christmas Carols raising money for the Wayside Chapel. Live performance and public speaking include Channel 9 Carols by Candlight, Channel 7 Carols in the Domain, Sydney Theatre Awards, New Musicals Australia Launch, Australian Ethic Small Business Awards, the Australian MO Awards, All Star Cabaret for the Sydney Theatre Company, Up Close and Musical for Kookaburra, Home Grown Melbourne, Broadway Unplugged and national anthems for the Bledisloe Cup and Cricket Australia.
Elise studied law at the University of NSW and in 2014 founded her own production company Oriel Entertainment whereby she has created and produced theatre, musicals and concerts for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, QPAC, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the ABC.
For stage Elise was writer and co-creator in association with Luckiest Productions on Everybody Loves Lucy; lead producer of the Australian revival and national tour of I Am My Own Wife; development producer of Carmen, Live or Dead; and creator, co-writer and producer of the world premiere concert/cabaret Dahlesque which she sold to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philarmonia; and licenced as an album to ABC Music.
For screen Elise has worked as a producer, dramaturge, content developer, script editor and writer’s researcher both locally and internationally. Elise spent 2019 working in New York under a producer placement at Sarah Jessica Parker’s all female production company Pretty Matches Productions. Elise was lead producer on the Screen Australia funded 6×10 comedy mockumentary series The Power of the Dream for Chips and Gravy Films, lead producer of short Rhyme Time starring William McInnes released in June 2023 and is currently working in development across two feature films for Award winning and Emmy Nominated producer Dan Wigutow; as well as in development on a new series with Roadshow/Rough Diamond.
In 2020 Elise co-founded innovative health and wellness tech company Hey Lemonade with long time friend and fellow actor Lucy Durack. Hey Lemonade is a leading stress and motivation management tool that provides quick, evidence-based pep talks, delivered in a range of well-known Australian voices to help circuit break stress, increase motivation and build resilience. Hey Lemonade launched to public in November 2022, has been tested by the CSIRO (proven to generate positive health outcomes for the mood, stress, and emotional wellbeing of participants; including a 50% increase in calmness, a significant increase in vitality and a significant decrease in perception of daily hassles) and is working with corporates and the NSW Government to provide alternative support mechanisms to existing EAP platforms.
Elise originated the lead role of Rita Hanson in the Australian premiere of Groundhog Day the musical at the Princess Theatre Melbourne in January 2024.