RICH HAY,
Director. Facilitator. Theatre-Maker. Physical Performance Specialist.
I’m an actor-trainer, director and facilitator with 17 years of higher education and professional practice experience across leading UK conservatoires and universities - East 15, RADA, Rose Bruford, Portsmouth, Winchester, Plymouth and Chichester - delivering training in acting, movement, devising, puppetry, motion capture and collaborative practice. My rehearsal rooms mix classical technique with contemporary physical training, creating spaces where rigour and play spark new ideas.
Alongside my teaching, I maintain an active professional practice as an actor and theatre-maker. Recent work includes Factory International’s Lost and Found, performance capture for Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, puppetry for Disney’s Star Wars, and Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
I am Creative Director of SharkLegs, an award winning theatre company known for poignant and playful visual theatre, that centres the audience as the creative participant. My work has been featured in the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Times, as well as on BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio Four.
Teaching and theatre-making sit side by side in my practice: each sharpens the other, both driven by curiosity, collaboration and imaginative risk.
Facilitation
My practice is rooted in co-creation, physical technique, and inclusive, student-centered pedagogy that bridges classical foundations with contemporary, physical and digital practices. My approach is rooted in Stanislavskian technique and expanded through Hagen, Meisner, Animal Work, Commedia Dell’arte, devising and collaborative methodologies. I place research at the centre of training, guiding students from inquiry to embodied application through practical exploration and rigorous workshop processes.
I have designed and delivered modules in Acting, Acting for Motion Capture, Puppetry, Collaborative Practice and Devising. My work spans all undergraduate years and includes directing productions, leading devising labs, assessing degree-level work, and supporting students pastorally.
Co-creation sits at the centre of everything I do. In the rehearsal room, my focus is on empowering the creative voices of young actors - shaping a process where ideas are exchanged, not handed down. Together we build the work from the ground up, so that by the time we reach performance, the outcome belongs to them as much as to me. Drawing on a wide range of theatre skills, I meet actors where they are and help them grow their craft in ways that reflect their experiences, perspectives and emerging artistic identities. My aim is to support not just their performance, but the foundations of their future careers.
My experience as a Queer theatre-maker shapes my commitment to inclusive, representative and responsive training. I work to ensure that materials, processes and creative environments reflect the needs and identities of the students I teach.
 Watership DownWriter & Director 3rd year Acting & Fight Performance, East 15 Acting School. 2025 |  Much Ado About ShakespeareWriter & Director 3rd year Acting & Fight Performance, East 15 Acting School. 2024 |  Theatre LabFacilitator & Collaborator 2rd year Acting & Fight Performance, East 15 Acting School. |
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 A Pirate's Life For MeWriter & Director 3rd year Acting & Fight Performance, East 15 Acting School. 2022 |  Lord of the FliesWriter & Director 3rd year Acting & Fight Performance, East 15 Acting School. 2021 |  Hickory Dickory WorkshopFacilitator A programme of workshops to build collaboration, puppetry and storytelling in young people 2022 |
 Our FearFacilitator & Creator A collaborative ACE funded project supporting young people through Covid 2020 |  Acting ShowcaseMovement Director Various showcases with East 15 Acting School |  Alice in WonderlandFacilitator & Creator Coproduction with Chichester Festival Theatre and SharkLegs Theatre exploring 'Alice in Wonderland' 2019 |
 Long, Broad & Sharpsight (2018)Creator & Director Coproduction between The Point, Eastleigh and SharkLegs Theatre 2019 |  Knitmas: A Winter YarnCreator & Performer Coproduction between Greenwich Theatre and SharkLegs 2019 "Leaves everyone in the audience feeling festive, joyful, and a little bit emotional" - Curious mum |  SnowPocalypse: Friendship Never MeltsCreator & Director Coproduction between Greenwich Theatre and SharkLegs 2018 “Silliness and slapstick which delights the audience” - Spy in the Stalls |
 Beastly ChildrenFacilitator & Creator Coproduction with Chichester Festival Theatre and SharkLegs Theatre exploring the works of Roald Dahl 2018 |
NOTABLE PROJECTS:
Theatre Lab - Facilitator (Acting & Fight Performance, East 15 Acting School)
Empowered 3rd year students to devise and perform original work within a collaborative festival structure.
• Designed & delivered workshops to develop creative thinking & devising skills.
• Supported students from concept to live performance.
• Facilitated professional development and rehearsal planning for each ensemble.
Watership Down - Writer & Director (BA Acting & Fight Performance, East 15 Acting School)
Brought Richard Adams’ classic novel to life with a cast of 16 students through an original, devised adaptation
• Created and directed a full-scale adaptation from concept to performance.
• Led the cast through a collaborative process, integrating song writing, movement, and physical performance.
• Designed and delivered workshops to develop ensemble creativity and stagecraft.
O’Tooles’s Macbeth - Movement Director (BA Acting, East 15 Acting School)
Shaped a comedic reimagining of Macbeth through physical storytelling and ensemble choreography. (Dir. Tom Mallaburn)
• Developed a unique physical vocabulary and led movement workshops for the cast.
• Collaborated closely with director, cast, and creative team to integrate movement into scenes and transitions.
• Adapted choreography to suit a diverse, mixed-ability ensemble while maintaining the integrity of the show.
Performing for Motion Capture - Facilitator (Various, Rose Bruford, in association with RADA & Chichester Uni)
Introduced students to the principles and techniques of performance capture, building confidence and technical skill.
• Designed and delivered hands-on workshops in motion capture performance.
• Guided students through characterisation, movement, and physical storytelling for digital capture.
• Provided individual feedback to develop nuanced, camera-ready performances.
Tri-Boarder - Fight Director (MA Acting (international), East 15 Acting School)
Crafted dynamic and safe fight sequences tailored to a young, mixed-ability ensemble. (Dir. Dominic Garfield)
• Collaborated closely with director, cast, and creative team to integrate staged combat into scenes and transitions.
• Adapted choreography to suit the strengths and needs of each performer while maintaining the show’s integrity.
• Ensured fight sequences were both visually compelling and safe for all participants.
Much Ado About Shakespeare - Creator & Director (BA Acting & Fight Performance, East 15)
Delivered a new comedic reimagining of Shakespeare’s love stories with a cast of 18 students.
• Created and directed a full-scale production from concept to performance.
• Led the cast through a devised process, including workshops in Shakespeare, verse and writing in iambic pentameter.
• Designed and led an outreach project to engage young people with theatre and Shakespeare.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Director (Montage Theatre Arts)
Made Shakespeare accessible and engaging for young people aged 14–18 through interactive performance.
• Designed and delivered workshops exploring language, themes, and imagery in an accessible way.
• Collaborated with participants to create a youth-led performance inspired by their learning and interests.
• Engaged students from diverse educational and financial backgrounds, fostering inclusion and participation.
Performance Module - Facilitator (BA Drama, Portsmouth University)
Delivered a programme of workshops exploring physical storytelling, puppetry, and mask work.
• Designed and facilitated sessions to develop students’ skills in movement, puppetry, and mask performance.
• Guided participants in creating expressive, story-driven performances using physical and visual techniques.
Stage Combat - Facilitator (Various, Fourth Monkey, Chichester uni, Portsmouth uni, Plymouth uni)
Taught students to perform safe and expressive fight sequences while enhancing storytelling skills.
• Delivered workshops exploring physical storytelling, acting through violence, and unarmed and sword techniques.
• Developed students’ confidence in performing staged combat while exploring staged violence through character and narrative.
A Changing Town - Youth Project Facilitator (ACE funded Coproduction with the Phoenix Theatre, Bordon)
Amplified the voices of local young people, exploring their perspectives on community change.
• Designed and led workshops to support participants in expressing their experiences and opinions creatively.
• Guided young people in developing performance pieces inspired by their insights and stories.
• Fostered a supportive environment for collaboration, reflection, and skill-building.
TRAINING:
BA (Hons) Acting & Specialist Performance Skills, 1st. East 15 Acting School (2008)
BA (Hons) Drama, 2:1. Exeter University (2005)
Stage Combat Teacher Training Programme; British Academy of Dramatic Combat (2010)
I hold an enhanced DBS and am trained in First Aid and Mental Health First Aid
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