Biography

Karin Muiznieks is a graduate of the Ballarat Arts Academy (BA Music Theatre) and Trinity College, London (Associate Diploma, Music Theatre). She works in musical theatre, cabaret and theatre as a performer, writer, composer and musical director. Her first original musical Give My Regards To Broady (co-written with James Simpson) sold out its 2008 season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and was granted a supported remount in 2011, as part of the Theatre Works Musical Works program. Her second musical, World War Wonderful (2009), received a swag of awards and nominations and recently concluded a successful season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2012). Other original works include Better At A Distance (2007), First Against The Wall (2010), Filthy Secrets (2011) and an Adelaide tour of her career revue show On Reflection (2011), directed by Scott Gooding.

 

Since 2009 Karin has worked as head lyricist, co-composer and musical director on Dumped – The Musical We’ve All Been Through for Theatre Tours Australia. The show premiered in Brisbane and toured Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne in 2011. In 2009 Karin also worked as composer for St Martin’s Youth Theatre’s Complaints Choir.

 

Karin works as an improvised singer and pianist with corporate impro comedy group The Crew (of which she is now Artistic Director). She worked as an impro musician on TheatreGames LIVE (C31) and co-created Set List: The Improvised Musical Phenomenon – a theatrical format in which a band creates songs from scratch live on stage. She has also performed with Spontaneous Broadway.

 

Karin has enjoyed taking part in the Melbourne Cabaret Festival, producing three shows in two years for their program – World War Wonderful and the acclaimed Filthy Secrets in 2011, and Australian Horror Story (co-written and -devised by Karlis Zaid) in 2012. Karin has also performed at many flagship gigs for the festival and proudly supported it’s Pozible campaign as a musical contributor.

 

Karin has worked as music supervisor on Vicious Fish Theatre’s Fourplay (2011) and Steam Productions’ Ruby Moon (2012). She provided sessional music for Girls Uninterrupted (2012).

 

Karin’s music and comedy have featured on ABC Radio, 3MBS and JoyFM, in Beat Magazine and on the TV shows Planet Nerd, The Breakfast Show and Rockwiz. She has performed as a cabaret artist and comedian at The Arts Centre’s Cabaret Forum (2008) The Upfront showcase for female comedians at the Melbourne Town Hall (2009), The Arts Centre’s Club Spiegel soirées (2012) and the Australian High Commission (UK) Going For Gold showcase, representing the country alongside Denise Scott, Virginia Gay and the Australian Defence Force Band (2012).

 

Karin is currently working at The National Theatre Drama School as a musical theatre tutor and as a repetiteur for The Ministry Of Dance. She is in preproduction for a new comedy show in 2013.

 

Awards
2007 – Won, The Butterfly Club’s Under Our Wing Award for outstanding contribution to cabaret.
2008 – Finalist, Short + Sweet Cabaret (Hell’s Cabaret).
2009 - Nominated, Green Room Award for Best Original Songs in a Cabaret (World War Wonderful).
2009 - Won, Groggy Squirrel Award Most Popular Show in the Melbourne Comedy Festival (World War Wonderful).
2010 - Nominated, Green Room Award for Best Original Songs in a Cabaret (First Against The Wall).
2010 – Nominated, Green Room Award for Best Director in a Cabaret (Scott Gooding – First Against The Wall).
2012 - Shortlisted, People’s Choice Award Edinburgh Fringe Festival (World War Wonderful).