Hayes, Janys Dr.

Dr. Janys Hayes, is a theatre director, actor and teacher of acting. Her book, 'The Knowing Body: Yat Malmgren's acting technique' is recognised as a pioneer study on the internationally taught actor training technique initiated by Yat Malmgren at the Drama Centre London and known internationally as Character Analysis. She trained as an actor with Malmgren in London and has trained actors at Melbourne's Victorian College of the Arts, Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Arts and Actors' Centre and at the University of Wollongong, using Malmgren's technique.

Janys Hayes' research interlinks her initial studies in Zoology at the University of Melbourne with an understanding of performed human action. Using phenomenology as a research methodology she has presented at numerous national and international conferences on embodiment and agency in performance. Janys has attracted grants both from the Australia Council and the NSW Ministry for the Arts for her performance work as both a director and performer in Wollongong.

Janys is particularly interested in site-specific and festival theatre as a means of ‘place-making’. She has directed numerous theatre productions of the University of Wollongong. Janys retains close links with Vietnam, where she has taught acting and produced shows. Janys has acted for Melbourne Theatre Co., Theatre South, Hunter Valley Theatre Co., Freewheels, Salamanca Theatre and her own Wollongong based company, Critical Mass Theatre. She has trained actors at NIDA, the VCA, and the Actors’ Centre Sydney.