Dutch Girl Productions
Actor, Writer, Producer, Clown, Teacher and Comedian, Christel got her start in comedy & clown with her work in the physical comedy duo, The Burnt Marshmallows in which she co-created and performed in over five feature length show including U-Haulywood and STUCK. She can be seen performing all over Toronto and was a regular feature at Lunacy Cabaret, and has participated in the Toronto Festival of Clowns, Clown Chowder, SheDot Festival, March of Dames, Cheap Queers, Buskerfest, Chika Boom, the Hysteria Festival and recently participated with Circus Sessions, under UK mentor and world renowned Juggler and Director, Sean Gandini. Christel is a graduate of the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, the Second City Conservatory and has studied clown and physical theatre extensively Sue Morrison, Mike Kennard & John Turner (Mump & Smoot) Fiona Griffiths, Karen Hines, Francine Cote, James Keylon, Adam Lazarus, Eric Davis & Philippe Gaulier.
As a solo artist, Christel has wowed Fringe audiences with her first one-woman show CHAOTICA, which toured Ottawa, Wakefield, and Saskatoon. In London, it won the Best-in-Venue Impresario Award and scored a nomination for the Brickenden Award for Outstanding Touring Production. This show also commanded sold out performances at North America’s largest and most competitive Fringe in Edmonton, and has played Toronto three times. In 2010 it was one of only 5 shows nominated in the solo performance category for the Canadian Comedy Award.
Christel’s second solo show, ONEymoon, premiered in London in 2010 and toured to Toronto and Minnesota. By August, the show had truly hit its stride at the Victoria Fringe Festival, where it played to sold out houses and rave reviews, and earned a Critics Choice award nomination from Monday Magazine. In 2011, it too was nominated for a Canadian Comedy award in the One Person show category. In 2011, the show also toured to DivaFest in Indianapolis, New York City’s Frigid Fest, and then on to Fringe Festivals in Winnipeg, Calgary, Orlando and Edmonton, again enjoying sold-out enthusiastic audiences and critical response. Christel continues to perform ONEymoon and in 2015, took the show to the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland for a fabulous month long run.
She created her third Solo Show in 2012- “Significant Me” the sequel to ONEymoon. The show was workshopped in London, ON and then went onto perform Hamilton, Orlando, Victoria, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Regina, Winnipeg, & Edmonton Fringe Festivals. In 2012, the show was nominated for a “Canadian Comedy Award” for Best One Person show.
In 2016, she created her fourth one woman show, All KIDding Aside, under the direction of Dora Award Winner Michelle Polak. This show explores Christel’s struggles with being on the fence, whether to have a baby or not. She premiered the show at the Toronto Fringe, at the Tarragon Extra Space, and performed it in Hamilton at the Staircase Theatre. She toured AKA to Edinburgh this past August (2017) to rave reviews.
She recently developed her popular clown turn, "The Surprise" into a 30 minute show, under the direction of Andy Massingham for The Next Stage Theatre Festival (NNNN- NOW Magazine) at Factory Theatre.
Christel has been invited to speak on many panels in regards to Solo Work. She teaches workshops in solo theatre, clowning and is also a member of Faustwork Mask Theatre.
She is long time faculty at Humber College in the Comedy and Writing program, teaching physical comedy. She alsocurrently teaches acting to animators at Max the Mutt school in the east end, as well as Movement/Clown at Toronto Film School.
Other favourite theatre credits include the role of Pugg in Mump & Smoot in Something for Edmonton’s Westbury Theatre and Tifulbeau in The Hollow for CanStage.