Oriel Entertainment Group

Established in 2014, Oriel Group was created by award winning actor and writer Elise McCann to facilitate opportunities for Australian artists and creatives in bringing to life their passion projects. Elise was a co-creator in association with Luckiest Productions on Everybody Loves Lucy, a two-hander Musical Cabaret about Lucille Ball. Written by McCann and Richard Carroll, with Direction by Hele

n Dallimore, Everybody Loves Lucy ran sell out seasons in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne in June/July 2014 after which it embarked on a 6 week National Tour in February/March 2015 and a 3 month regional tour in 2017. Elise was nominated for Best Cabaret Production in the 2015 Sydney Theatre Awards for her performance in Everybody Loves Lucy. Elise produced the Sydney season of I Am My Own Wife which ran a sell out season at the Old Fitz Theatre in November/December of 2015, and for which its lead actor was nominated in the 2015 Sydney Theatre Awards for Most Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play for his performance as Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf. Elise then toured I Am My Own Wife to Melbourne in January 2017 following which it toured to Brisbane in April 2017 and boasted a return Brisbane season in May 2018 at the Brisbane Powerhouse. The production has received unanimous critical acclaim and box office success across the country. In 2017 Elise produced the development of the original new work Carmen, Live or Dead, written by New York writer Craig Harwood for Natalie Gamsu, directed by Shaun Rennie with original music composed by iOTA. CLD had its official world premiere production in Sydney at the Hayes Theatre in April/May 2018, after which it transferred to the prestigious Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June 2018. Elise co-wrote and starred in the world premiere concert/cabaret Dahlesque, a commission of the 2017 Adelaide Cabaret Festival featuring music from adaptations of Roald Dahl stories all played with a 10 piece orchestra. In 2018 Elise re-orchestrated Dahlesque for a 40 piece orchestra ahead of its Melbourne premiere at the Malthouse Theatre with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in April of that year. Elise partnered with ABC Music and Dahlesque was released as an album of music with ABC/Universal Music in June 2017. Most recently Dahlesque toured to Auckland for a series of concerts at the Auckland Town Hall with the Auckland Philarmonia Orchestra. Dahlesque was next scheduled to be performed at QPAC in Brisbane alongside the Camerata Chamber Orchestra in 2020. For Screen Elise has worked as a Producer, Dramaturge and Creative Content Developer, Script editor and Writers Researcher both locally and Internationally. Elise spent 6 months in New York City from July 2019 through December 2020 working under a producer placement at Sarah Jessica Parker’s all female production company - Pretty Matches Productions and from April through June 2020 Elise worked with Laura Waters and Princess Pictures developing and adapting both long and short form content. During May/June 2020 Elise conceived and produced the online broadcast charity concert, PLAY IT ON, a music collaboration series with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in support of Australian artists who have lost their income as a result of the nationwide shutdown of the live entertainment industry. Featuring collaborations and performances from David Campbell, Casey Donovan, Graeham Goble, Kate Miller-Heidke, Tim Minchin, Katie Noonan, Eddie Perfect, Hayden Tee and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, PLAY IT ON was viewed by over 150, 000 people and raised tens of thousands of dollars for artists nationwide. Most recently Elise produced the Screen Australia funded online series THE POWER OF THE DREAM for Chips and Gravy Films, a 6 x 10 minute comedy mockumentary following athletically challenged cousin-best-friends Amy and Brooke Bland as they train for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The Power of the Dream released nationally on July 14th 2021. Elise is currently working in development across two feature films for Award winning and Emmy Nominated producer Dan Wigutow and Emmy Nominated Director Roger Spottiswoode; as well as in development on a new series Very Average Girl with Lisa Campbell and Chips and Gravy Films. She recently received funding from Seaview Productions/Sony for second stage development of her own series, Beginners which she is writing with writer/director Michael Gupta.