Laura Hayes

I am a British theatre-maker, writer and educator. I received a in BA Acting from the Royal Conservatoire Scotland and went on to study for two years at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. In 2019 I received an MA by research from Birmingham University.

My research explores the relationship between devised theatre-making and playwriting and proposes an expanded understanding of playwriting. Inspired by my studies at Lecoq and my experience as a devised theatre-maker, I propose a new form of playwriting - a (play)box - written not only in playtext, but also in a currated dramaturgy of things.

I make theatre, which is also the focus of my research, with my theatre collective - Autopoetics.

Autopoetics make theatre using rich visual imagery, evocative text, and inventive physicality. We explore collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to ensemble theatre-making to tell stories about what it is to be alive in the world today.

Autopoetics is an international theatre collective, founded by Chelsea Crothers, Laura Hayes, and Maiya Murphy. We are brought together by a shared interest in the meaning-making process between performer and spectator, the discovery of new devising techniques, and the visual and physical space between text and performance.

You can find more about us here: https://autopoetics.com/