Michael has designed the sets and costumes for over 160 theatre and opera productions both in the UK and abroad including those he has directed. Companies he has worked with include: The Royal Shakespeare Company; The National Theatre; The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; English National Opera; Glyndebourne Festival Opera; Opera North; English Touring Opera: De Vlaamse Opera, Antwerp; Los Angeles Opera; New Zealand International Art’s Festival; Galaxy Theatre, Tokyo; Warsaw Globe Theatre Company; Munich Biennalle: Lyric Hammersmith; Almeida Theatre; Manchester Royal Exchange; West Yorkshire Playhouse; Sheffield Crucible; Liverpool Playhouse; Nottingham Playhouse; Bristol Old Vic; Plymouth Theatre Royal; Edinburgh Royal Lyceum; Bolton Octagon; Oldham Coliseum; Manchester Library Theatre; Salisbury Playhouse; Colchester Mercury Theatre; The Royal Festival Hall; The Queen Elizabeth Hall; English Touring Theatre; Battersea Arts Centre; Told By An Idiot and Kneehigh Theatre Company. His work has been nominated for two Olivier Awards; a Charrington Fringe First Award; an Irish Times Theatre Award and a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award.