Vanessa Byrnes

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Dr Vanessa Byrnes is an award-winning director, actor, producer and performance teacher who’s worked extensively in film and theatre in New Zealand and overseas. She has led and collaborated on more than 150 theatre and screen productions during the past 25 years in everything from independent, self-funded works to major international productions. This includes numerous feature films, short films, television commercials/drama, radio, and theatre. She is a passionate advocate of the power of creativity, the significance of the role of the artist in society, and the quality and innovation of New Zealand work. She is currently Head of Creative Industries at Unitec (Auckland).

In 2000 Vanessa was the first Australasian to assistant-direct at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, staging The Two Noble Kinsmen for the Globe’s main stage with director Tim Carroll and the Red Company at The Globe. In 2015 she directed a heavily-cut and highly contemporary version of Antony and Cleopatra for Unitec’s third year actors, which was recently reworked for 9 shows at Auckland’s Pop-up Globe theatre season (28 March- 9 April 2016).

Vanessa was Senior Acting tutor and Manager of the Acting Department at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School; in over 11 years there she also taught acting and directed productions at Toi Whakaari and Victoria University. In tertiary environments and professionally, she has directed many classic, contemporary, devised and text-based theatre productions.

Vanessa trained at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School (Acting, 1994) and Waikato University (MA, 1992: PhD, 2015). Her doctorate focussed on directing, looking at the praxis of selected New Zealand text-based theatre directors. She is currently writing further in this area. She has held senior leadership roles for various arts education bodies, and freelances under her own production company. Vanessa is a past Board Member of Downstage Theatre, Playmarket, the Shakespeare Globe Centre (NZ) and TAPAC: The Auckland Performing Arts Centre. As a director she brings compassion, rigour and craft to the table.

Vanessa Byrnes's reviews

THE CHORUS; OEDIPUS

Auckland

17/03/2016 - 20/03/2016

"A beautiful, physical, musical paean to the horror of self-knowledge..

"Group precision creates collective perspective..
THE EVENTS

Auckland

03/09/2015 - 26/09/2015

"Asking the Unanswerable..

"More poetic, spiritual and still than graphic..
CAMILLE O'SULLIVAN

Auckland

03/09/2015 - 06/09/2015

"‘There’s a crack in everything; that’s where the light gets in’..
NOT PSYCHO

Auckland

15/08/2015 - 29/08/2015

"Expect the unexpected..

"More provoking than perfect and for the adventurous..
THE DELIBERATE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY FRIEND, JACK HARTNETT

Auckland

24/07/2015 - 08/08/2015

"Musical thriller intrigues..

"Why should we care about Jack?..

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HEATH FRANKLIN's Chopper - The Line Up

Auckland

08/05/2015 - 09/05/2015

"Stop/start TV format subjugates live audience..
PAUL EGO - PHENOMENUTS

Wellington, Auckland

29/04/2015 - 09/05/2015

"A genius in his own inimitable way..

"Falls short of expectations..
AN AWFULLY BIG ADVENTURE

Wellington, Auckland, New Plymouth, Christchurch, Nelson

26/07/2014 - 17/10/2017

"“What was the point?”..

"Excellent in concept and execution..

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THE KITCHEN

Auckland

14/03/2015 - 18/03/2015

"Still, meditative and occasionally vibrant..

"The Kitchen lacks spice..
BLAM!

Auckland

06/03/2015 - 10/03/2015

"Marvel at how the mundane can become fantastic..
CATERPILLARS

Tauranga, Auckland, Havelock North, Wellington, Dunedin

19/02/2015 - 06/10/2016

"Totally bewitching..

"Perfect for the youngsters..

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BITTER SWEET

Auckland

16/01/2015 - 17/01/2015

"The right mix..

"Vibrant diversity..
ONE DAY MOKO

Auckland, Edinburgh, Scotland

05/11/2014 - 29/08/2016

"As touching and thought-provoking as it is entertaining..

"Street from the heart – an affecting take on inner-city lives..

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HeLa

Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland

09/10/2014 - 25/10/2014

"Clever, Compassionate and Concise..

"A tragic, marvellous, fascinating, true story told with lucidity and ease..

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BELLEVILLE

Auckland

29/08/2014 - 20/09/2014

"Satisfying, meaty and complex study of challenging relationship..

"Ca Va..

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EARNEST

Auckland

27/08/2014 - 06/09/2014

"Earnest goes Wilde..

"Reimagining a classic creates a romp on the Wilde side..

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SUNSET ROAD

Auckland

20/08/2014 - 23/08/2014

"Easy ride along Sunset Road..

"Clarity, mystery and presence..
AFFINITY

Wellington, Auckland, Palmerston North

17/02/2013 - 16/08/2014

"A tight, perceptive allegory..

"Cleverly constructed journey of discovery never less than involving..

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MAMIL: Middle Aged Man In Lycra

Auckland, Napier, Dunedin, Havelock North, Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North

25/07/2014 - 14/12/2019

"A very funny play about change..

"Holds up a mirror to honest self-appraisal..

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THE MAN WHOSE MOTHER WAS A PIRATE

Auckland

04/07/2014 - 08/07/2014

"Go the little man!..
SEED

Auckland

17/06/2014 - 28/06/2014

"The complexity and messiness of realty..

"Inconclusive Result..

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MY BED MY UNIVERSE

Auckland

02/04/2014 - 12/04/2014

"Bed Bound..

"An evocative, ambitious work, beautifully produced..