Michael Williams
Writer & Creative Executive
Michael Williams is a prolific and versatile creator whose work spans the worlds of contemporary opera, musical theatre, and international literature. As the prize-winning author of fourteen novels, his prose has reached a global audience and has been translated into several languages. His dramatic work is equally expansive; Williams has penned the libretti for fourteen operas and musicals.
His theatrical career is marked by international commissions, including Poet & Prophetess (Larsson Gothe) and The Elephant Man (Unander-Sharin) for Sweden’s NorrlandsOperan. His celebrated Mandela Trilogy (Van Dijk/Campbell) toured prestigious stages from London, Ravenna, Munich to Dubai and Hong Kong, while his musical Tiger Bay moved from
Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre to the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. His collection The Orphans of Qumbu and Other South African Operas, published by Heinemann, introduced young audiences to opera using South African folktales.
A seasoned arts leader, Williams was the Managing Director for Cape Town Opera for sixteen years before relocating to the United Kingdom. His recent successes include the 2019 UK Theatre Award-winning opera Georgiana and the 2023 premiere of the Vera Brittain/Ivor Novello musical The Land of Might-Have-Been. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Buxton International Festival, where he continues to champion innovative programming and world-class performance.
‘A powerful and moving affresco ... Michael Williams’ direction and libretto successfully transform the biography of a myth into a deeply human drama that speaks to the heart of the world.’
Giuseppe Catapano, Il Resto del Carlino, (Ravenna Festival) (on Mandela Trilogy)