As well as a career as an actor in the theatre, television and voice-overs, Michael is also one of the UK's top puppeteers with credits which include: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix, Emmy Award Outstanding Children's Programme); the US series Pajanimals (Henson Company); That Puppet Game Show (Henson Company, BBC); and Furchester Hotel (CBeebies). His West End appearances include: By Jeeves (Duke of York’s, Olivier Award Nomination, Best Musical); Children of Eden (Prince Edward); Sherlock Holmes (Cambridge); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Prince Edward Theatre & St Paul's Cathedral); and six Royal Variety Shows. Michael's other leading theatre roles include: The Arbiter in Chess (Oslo & UK Tour); Fred Astaire in Shall We Dance (Lillehammer Winter Olympics & European Tour); Robert the Robot in Justin and Friends (UK Arena Tour); Tobias in Sweeney Todd (Salisbury Playhouse); Jack in Into the Woods and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Wolsey Ipswich); Lucky in Dames at Sea (Byre, St Andrews); Johnny Bull in Bunter (Northcott Exeter); Young Buddy in Follies (Brighton); and Bobby in The Boy Friend (Perth). On television, Michael was the first presenter of Sky's Children's Channel; and for the BBC he starred in the TV musical The Look of Love, directed by Gillian Lynne. For BBC Radio, credits include: the musicals Strike Up the Band, Half a Sixpence and Bitter Sweet; frequent appearances as guest soloist on Friday Night is Music Night; and star of the documentary Call Me When You're In Something which won the Prix Monte Carlo for Best Music Programme.
Michael frequently appears in revue and cabaret for private parties, corporate events and literary festivals. His credits include: Love etc (Ripon International Festival); The Best of British (Radisson Hotel, Bucharest); Anything Goes and Some Enchanted Evening (Royal Automobile Club); Love, Life and Laughter (Bloxham Festival); From Kern to Berlin (National Trust at Polsden Lacey); Mum's the Word and Love etc (Mothers' Union Galas); Comedy Tonight (Richmond Golf Club); Christmas Crackers, Christmas à la Carte and Come Rain Come Shine (Swan Hellenic); and Let the People Sing (Imperial War Museum).
In 2019, 2021 and 2022, with his alter ego Basil Brush, Michael had sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his 'grown-up' show Basil Brush: Unleashed. He has starred in six series of The Basil Brush Show for the BBC plus appearances at the Glastonbury Festival and a host of pantomimes including: Cinderella with Brian Conley (Birmingham Hippodrome); Dick Whittington with Christopher Biggins (Theatre Royal, Plymouth); Dick Whittington with John Inman (Richmond); and this year's Aladdin - his tenth panto season at the Theatre Royal Windsor. Basil has also made many guest-star TV appearances including: QI with Sandy Toksvig; The Generation Game with Mel and Sue; The Last Leg with Adam Hills; The Celebrity Chase with Bradley Walsh; Crackerjack!, Through the Keyhole, The One Show, Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Celebrity Juice, French and Saunders, The Paul O'Grady Show, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, Pointless Celebrities, and The Weakest Link which he won in 2003.
