CIENDA McNAMARA
B i o g r a p h y
Cienda is an award-winning actor and director who has worked with many of Australia's renowned and emerging performing arts companies both on stage and off.
Actor
Credit: Kate lund
Much Ado About Nothing
Credit: Tiffany Black
A Doll's House La Boite
Credit: Dylan Evans
In 2008/09, Cienda was a resident artist with Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe, performing with its highly acclaimed in-schools program. In addition to the tour, Cienda performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Winter's Tale, Timon of Athens, Pericles Prince of Tyre, and Romeo and Juliet, for which she won a Del ArtË award (Best Supporting Actress). She has also performed in The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night's Dream for Bastidian Productions. Cienda has been seen on stage in Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble's production of Richard III. Her other acting credits include Minefields and Miniskirts, Assassins, Anything Goes, Children of Eden, and Antigone.
In 2012 Cienda wrote and produced her one-woman cabaret, Nobody Does It Like Me for The Brisbane Cabaret Festival.
In 2014 Cienda wrote and premiered her show, Hardly The Portrait of A Lady, at The Short+Sweet Cabaret Festival in Sydney, receiving awards for Best Female Performer, Best Script, Best Comedy.
In 2014 Cienda also appeared in TROUBLE for Drop Bear Theatre at the Tamarama Rock Surfers, Sydney, and in Drunk Shakespeare for Meme Juice productions and the Anywhere Theatre Festival. Cienda also performed at the Tasmanian Cabaret Festival as part of The Festival of Voices. In September Cienda appeared in A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Lally Katz for La Boite Theatre Company and Brisbane Festival. Cienda received a Matilda Award for her portrayal of Kristine Linde.
In June 2015, Cienda premiered her new cabaret, UnPC as part of The Brisbane Cabaret Festival. And was featured as The Ice Queen for The Myer/Brisbane City Council Christmas Pantomime.
In 2016 Cienda previewed her new show Natural Born Spinster and appeared in a tourism campaign for overseas markets.
In 2017 Cienda performed in Macbeth for Danger Ensemble.
2018 saw Cienda appear in Much Ado About Nothing for the Brisbane Shakespeare Festival.
2022 saw Cienda tour Adelaide and Queensland with Wilbur the Optical Whale for Indelability Arts.
In 2023 Cienda will continue to tour Wilbur the Optical Whale for Indelability Arts to Perth and Sydney .
Director
Cienda's directing credits include Undies: The Cabaret and The Hum Series (Joymas Creative); Private Lives and A Doll's House (Starlight Theatre); The Fool's Journey (Judith Wright Centre); This Way Up (Brisbane Powerhouse); Rhythm Junkies ( Red Hot Rhythm)
Historia ( Shesaid Productions) and Parade (Warehaus Theatre ) at QPAC's Cremorne Theatre. Food of Love: A Shakespearean Cabaret for the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble; Shakespeare's Bits for Carpe Diem Productions. For Grin and Tonic Troupe she directed a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Cienda directed the Australian premiere of Ryan Scott Oliver's
35mm, A Musical Exhibition and directed Only The Good Die Young for Queensland Cabaret Festival and again at The Butterfly Club, Melbourne. She directed Benjamin Britten's The Little Sweep for the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.
In 2012, Cienda was selected to become a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab in New York City, where she worked with leading members of the Broadway community.
In 2013 she directed the workshop of SPARK (Joymas Creative). She also developed, co-wrote, and directed the premiere of Joymas Creative’s the25project. Cienda directed World Goes 'Round, Rhythm Junkies, and Rhythm Junkies: Revived ( Red Hot Rhythms) which was the recipient of an Australian Dance Award.
2015 saw Cienda direct a new production of the Musical Little Women. She also worked on the World premiere of The Waiting Room at Melbourne Theatre Company under the direction of Naomi Edwards.
In 2018 Cienda directed A Little Night Music for the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, at The Princess Theatre
In 2019 she was the Associate Director on The Danger Ensemble’s new work Let Men Tremble at Theatre Works, Melbourne. Cienda also directed Curtains by Kander and Ebb for NASDA in Christchurch, New Zealand
In 2020 Cienda directed The Play That "Went Wrong" for Carpe Productions. As well as creating and directing The Story of Tonight for Fame Theatre Company. She also directed the new Cabaret/Musical
Yours Sincerely, Banana Brains for the Queensland Cabaret Festival.
In 2021 Cienda was part of the I've Been Meaning to Ask You - The Good Room National Touring team which included seasons in Canberra, Parramatta, and Bundaberg.
In 2022 Cienda directed a production of Les Miserables for L&P Productions. She also directed the inaugural production for PIP Theatre of Gordon Graham's The Boys. She has most recently directed a development of Betsy and I for Indelability Arts.
In 2023 she directed Stephen Sondheim's Company for NASDA in Christchurch, New Zealand. And in September Cienda will direct the premiere of Alexandra Ellen's new work Betsy and I for Indelability & UnderCover Artists at the UnderCover Arts Festival as part of Brisbane Festival.
