Lesley Braithwaite, Associate Director and Choreographer

The melodies and maladies of Messieurs Sullivan & Gilbert, weave their merry way through Lesley’s earliest musical memories. Her first official taste of topsy-turvy came in ‘Trial by Jury’, playing Angelina for a Loosely Woven production that was a surprise hit at the National Folk Festival in Canberra. Her debut with G&S Opera Sydney followed swiftly thereafter, when she landed the role of Pitti-Sing in ‘The Mikado’ (2019), and she has since been honoured with a number of invitations to perform and tour under the banner of this fine group. Most recently she made a mischief of Willis’ “Private” life in the company’s re-envisioned ‘Iolanthe’.

Joyfully engaged with Endangered Productions since 2020, Lesley has chalked up an eclectic repertoire of chamber opera gems. This has included lead roles in JS Bach’s charmingly comedic ‘Coffee Cantata’ and Mozart’s ‘Bastien & Bastienne’ - penned by the composer at age twelve. It’s So Last Century, presented at The Nielson in November 2023, showcased the work of four 20th Century composers, and featured Lesley as Lucy in Gian Carlo Menotti’s ‘The Telephone’

Lesley holds a degree from The Victorian College of the Arts (Univ. of Melbourne) and a Master’s degree in Fine Art (Dance Performance & Choreography) from Mills College in Oakland, California. Having dedicated many years to finessing her skills as a dancer and dance maker in Australia and the United States, she brings an innate kinetic know-how to her stage performances and a uniquely creative eye to each production.