Sally Stockwell

Actor, singer-songwriter & theatre-maker

“ Exceptional, transcendent, theatre of the highest calibre. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen.” (‘We’ve Got So Much To Talk About’) – Art Murmers

As a performance artist, Sally works across theatre, film, television, and music. Her practice spans acting, music, and interdisciplinary performance.

She graduated from Toi Whakaari / New Zealand Drama School in 1995 and holds a Performance Diploma with Pantheatre, France, specialising in voice and choreographic theatre. Further studies in London (Royal National Theatre) and here in Aotearoa have continued to shape her approach to voice, performance, and storytelling.

Across more than 30 years, Sally has performed with companies including Circa Theatre, Downstage, Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre, Court Theatre, Centrepoint Theatre, and Red Leap Theatre. Her screen and theatre work has been recognised with nominations and awards from the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards and the New Zealand Screen Awards.

Her original theatre works — including We’ve Got So Much To Talk About, Firefly, and Gravity Hotel reflect her long-standing interest in experimental, hybrid work that blends music, movement, and text. Sally draws on her solo music and performance skills to perform live songs using vocal layering and triggering to build rich soundscapes and sonic–visual worlds.

As a musician and performer, Sally has played at festivals such as Splore, Auckland Arts Festival, Titirangi Festival of Music, TAHI Festival, and Taranaki Arts Festival. Her albums Weightless (2015) and Little Triggers (2024) are eclectic and vocally and poetically driven, each reflecting a different phase of her life. Little Triggers is also accompanied by a trilogy of music videos (Far & Wide, Village, Uncovering Me).

Alongside her performance work, Sally is a voice teacher. She has taught at the University of Auckland, Unitec, The Actors’ Program, and the University of Canterbury, and currently runs workshops and private coaching in Christchurch. Drawing on Roy Hart Voicework and decades of practice, she supports students to tap into the full expressive range of their voices. She is currently undertaking the Roy Hart teaching apprenticeship, working toward full accreditation in Aotearoa.

She is currently developing her latest work in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, where she lives.