Wendy grew up in Ballarat. As a teenager she performed regularly in amateur theatre in Ballarat’s Light Opera Company and in some of the more avant-garde theatre groups. At age sixteen, Wendy landed the lead role in Annie Get Your Gun. Ballarat is a mecca for the Arts and anyone growing up there cannot fail to obtain an appreciation for theatre.

She moved to Melbourne at age nineteen where she attended La Trobe University, Bundoora, studying Behavioral Sciences. She has spent the last eighteen years working as a specialist Music teacher in various schools in Melbourne, and now in Bendigo.

Her first directing experience was at age twenty-three, with a Christian Drama group presenting a production of Godspell.

Wendy was then invited by the Australia to China People to People Friendship Association to help design and direct a mime/dance production (with rock band backing) based on the Jewish Bible story of Esther. The production premiered in Caulfield and then toured six venues in the Peoples Republic of China in 1986.

Wendy has directed and written children’s productions and church productions in Melbourne and Bendigo.  She has been a stage manager and set-dresser for Melbourne amateur company, Peridot.

Wendy is currently the Performing Arts teacher at Kennington Primary School where she organizes the annual drama production, teaches classroom music and trains a choir.  She was also the founder of the now disbanded, Bendigo Music Teachers Network.

As a director, Wendy is very inclusive. She will arrive at rehearsals with each scene fully blocked and a certainty as to how the scene should go. She gets the cast to think through their characters, and therefore how they should approach each scene. Wendy is open to changing the direction or actions, if cast members can find an alternative that will work better. Actors will enjoy working under Wendy's direction.

“And The Big Men Fly” cast members share their experience in being directed by Wendy:

• "Wendy has great vision together with the passion and skill needed to bring that vision to life. She is great fun to act for. Just don't be late for rehearsals!" MB

• "Wendy has shades of both light and dark in her directing of the cast. She will push you when needed but is also very compassionate and caring for you to get the best from you. She offers advice on how a scene or a phrase should be delivered in a very thoughtful way and works with you to get the best from you as your character." IH

• "With bubble and a squeak Wendy directs with care, appreciation for the actors and the art topped with a great sense of humour. I would never hesitate to work with our Wendy again!"  AC

• "Pairing the Character with an Actor is a most important skill, often overlooked. Director Wendy Colishaw has natural talent and is not only wonderful at Pairing, but can guide an Actor toward Character fulfillment. It's on the stage where this matters, and Wendy is truly at home on and around the theatre stage." XG

• "Wendy is a collaborative director with a passion for the stage who shares her infectious enthusiasm throughout the whole Synchronicity team. She has a strong vision for the piece yet is open to ideas from the whole team and she treats everyone with respect and dignity, whether you are the lead actor or one-off helper." MR