Vanessa Byrnes
Actor / Commercial
Age Range
45—60
Height
166cm
Eye Colour
Green
Hair Colour
Dark Brown
Ethnicity
New Zealander
Based In
Auckland, New Zealand
Artist Resume
Stage
Year
Role
Production
1997
Kamila Stosslova
Town Hall, Wellington. Holy Trinity, Auckland
Dir. Barry Epsom
1997
Florence Nightingale (Solo performance)
Florence Nightingale
NZ Parliament House. Centenary Celebration of Nursing in New Zealand
1996
Singer
Strup (Wellington Fringe Festival)
Evans Bay Outdoor Arena
1995
Hermia
Prometheus Productions, Sydney. Singapore (touring production)
Dir. Damien Parker
1995
Presenter
Before Cinema: The Magic Lantern
BATS Theatre
Dir. Jonathan Dennis
1995
Titania
The Fairy Queen
Downstage Theatre
Dir. Alison Hodge
Feature Film
Year
Role
Production
2002
Lanarch: Castle of Lies
Lead Reader: Initial rehearsals
Gibson Group
Dir. Yvonne Mackay
1996
Julie
The Ugly
Dir. Scott Reynolds
Short Film
Year
Role
Production
2007
Sarah (Female lead)
A Night of Sunshine
Independent, Wellington
Dir. Alan Morrison
2006
Betsy (lead)
Truce
NZ Film School Graduation Films
Dir. Bruno Dubois
2006
Jen (lead)
(Jen and the Art of) Motorcycle Maintenance
Fat Circus Films. Victoria University Graduation Films
Dir. Gregor Cameron
2005
Neighbour
NZ Film School (Wellington)
Dir. Naomi Wallwork
2001
Carol (lead)
Fable
NZ Film School (Wellington)
Dir. Alex Greenhough
1999
Woman (female lead)
Self Aware
Awareness Films
Dir. Alex Greenhough
1998
Ivy
2,3,4, Stories
Fever Films Co-op
1996
Janet (female lead)
BOB Productions
Dir. Derek Pearson
1994
Maria (lead)
I Only Came To Use The Phone
Toi Whakaari
Television
Year
Role
Production
2021
Nurse Sally Phillips
The Panthers (ep.2)
Four Knights Films
Dir. Tom Hern
2018
Dr. Tammy Lawson
Shortland St
South Pacific Pictures
Dir. Jacqui Nairn/ Ian Hughes/ Richard Barr
2013
Mother (Ep.2)
Step Dave
South Pacific Pictures
Dir. Britta Hawkins
2010
101 Dates
101 Takes (Wellington)
Dir. Jane Chapman
2002
Dark Knight
Cloud 9 Productions
2002
Mrs Cohen (Ep. 7)
The Strip 2001/2002
Gibson Group
Dir. Robert Sarkies
2001
Ms. Cohen
The Strip
Gibson Group
Dir. Robert Sarkies
1997
Washerwoman (Ep. 7)
William Tell
Cloud 9 Productions
Dir. Declan Eames
1997
Jane Forbes
Mirror Mirror II
Gibson Group / Millennium Pictures
Dir. Sophia Scheding
1996
Pauline Postlethwaite (Ep. 6)
Coverstory
Gibson Group
Dir. Mike Smith
Commercial
Year
Role
Production
2003
Lead Actor 2001 - 2003
Open Polytechnic / The Picture House
Dir. Greg Schmetzer
1999
Actor
Telecom Business
Sydney Film Company
1998
Sarah (female lead)
Silverscreen Productions
Dir. Geoff Dixon
1994
Featured (speaking)
Coffee
Granbrook Films
Video
Year
Role
Production
2006
Lawyer for the Child
Parenting Hearings Programme DVD and Brochue
Ministry of Justice Legal Resources Trust
Dir. Brent Williams
2004
Lead character and Presenter
National Bank: Business Banking Promotional CD-Rom
Kraft: Haus Films
Dir. David Stubbs
1997
Teacher
The Conflict Partnership Process
Legal Resources Trust
Dir. Robin Greenburg
1996
Josie (lead)
Money Laundering: The Soap
Legal Resources Trust
Dir. Steve La Hood
1996
Bank Clerk
Legal Resources Trust
Dir. Brent Williams
Other
Year
Role
Production
2021
Leader/ Co-Facilitator
National Creative Industries Hui/ Talanoa
Unitec (Auckland)
2021
Member
WIFT
2020
Writer
Recherche littéraire/Literary Research (Belgium)
2018
Founder
Women in Creative Leadership
Auckland
2016
Antony and Cleopatra
Pop-up Globe Theatre: Byrnes Productions Ltd
2015
Writer: PhD
Removing the ‘Cloak of Invisibility’: New Zealand Directors Discuss Theatre
Uni of Waikato
2014
Reviewer 2010 - 2014
NZ Theatreview online Website
www.theatrereview.org.nz
2014
Artistic Assessor 2010 - 2014
Theatre Section
Creative NZ
2013
Writer / Director
Tarnished Frocks and Divas
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2013
TFD Trust (Tauranga)
2012
Executive Producer
Seven Shorts 2012
Dir. Peter Burger
2011
Director
Tarnished Frocks and Divas
Millsreef Vineyard, Tauranga
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2011
Advisory Director
Colourful Soul
MauaoPAC, Mount Maunganui
2011
Director
TFD Trust
2009
National Assessor
Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival
SGCNZ University of Otago
2009
Director / Writer / Producer
Tarnished Frocks and Divas
Baycourt Theatre, Tauranga
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2007
Director
Twelfth Night
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2006
Director
Short Sharp Shakes: Scenes from Shakespeare
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2006
Director
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2006
Director and Co-devisor with performer Sara Standring
BATS Theatre (Fringe Festival). Baycourt Theatre, Tauranga
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2005
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2005
National Assessor
Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival
Shakespear Globe Centre NZ/University of Otago
2005
Director
Short Sharp Shakes; Scenes from Shakespear
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2005
Director and Mentor
Go Solo
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2004
Director and Mentor
Go Solo
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2003
Director
Lifestyle Block
Radio New Zealand Drama
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2002
Director and Mentor
Go Solo
Toi Whakaari Graduating Students Solo Performances
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2002
Director
History Never Repeats
Queenstown Winter Festival
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2002
Director
If Pain Persists
BATS Theatre. Wellington Fringe Festival
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2001
Director
Playing from the Heart
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2001
Director
Cooking with Elvis
Te Haea - Blood Sugar Co-operative, Wellington
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2001
Director
Between
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2000
Director
The Mysteries
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2000
Director
Box/Role Dream
FUEL Festival July, Meteor Theatre, Hamilton
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2000
Assistant Director (Observing Vanesa Redgrave as Prospero)
The Tempest
Dir. Tim Carroll
2000
Director
Te Raukura - Songs of the Judges
Parihaka xhibition Wellington City Art Gallery
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
2000
Assistant Director
The Two Nobel Kinsmen
Dir. Tim Carroll
1999
Director
The Cherry Orchard
Victoria University
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1999
Director
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1999
Director
Phaedra
Victoria University
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1999
National Assessor
Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival
SGCNZ University of Otago
1999
Director
Serious Money
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1999
Director
Bondagers
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1998
Director
Sexual Perversity in Chicago
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1998
Director
Scenes from Shakespeare
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1998
Director
Nga Pou Waahine
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1997
Director
The Changeling (execerpts)
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1997
Director
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
1997
Director
Measure for Measure (excerpts)
Toi Whakaari
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
Presenter
Year
Role
Production
2020
Conference Paper
‘Here is my space; the nobleness of life is to do thus’: Democratizing Performance and Embodying Presence at the Pop-up Globe Theatre in Auckland’
The 15th International Arts in Society Conference (Galway, Ireland)
2019
Conference Paper
‘SHARP’ Skills: The Need for Creativity for Tomorrow’s Learners’
The 7th Sino NZ Vocational Education and Training Model Symposium (Qingdao, China)
2019
Conference Paper
How to start a Creative (R)evolution. Empowering Women, Growing Artists, and Reclaiming the Real through Live Performance
Performing the Artefact Conference (Uni of Otago: Dunedin)
2018
Conference Paper
Collaborative Creativity: Pedagogical Practice and Relational Innovation in Aotearoa/ New Zealand Contemporary Dance Training’
Beijing Dance Academy: International President’s Dance Forum: An Outlook on Future Dance Training
2018
Guest Speaker
TEACHING CREATIVITY IN AOTEAROA/ NEW ZEALAND: International Dance Forum
Beijing Dance Academy
2017
Keynote Address
‘Creative ‘Response-ability’: Teaching, Directing, and Practicing Creativity in a Contemporary World’
Drama NZ Conference (Dunedin)
2017
Conference Paper
‘Directing, ‘Fraternity’, and Belonging on the Threshold’
ADSA: Australasian Drama Studies Association Conference (AUT: Auckland)
2017
Panel Discussion on Directing
‘Shared Truths’: Directing Praxis in New Zealand’
Drama NZ National Conference (Dunedin)
2016
Public Lecture
‘The Value, Place, and Need for Creativity’
Shanghai Theatre Academy
2016
Lecture
‘Working the Open-Air Stage’
Pop-up Globe Theatre Symposium (Auckland Uni)
2016
Guest Speaker
Creativity in Action
Beijing Dance Academy
2014
Conference Paper
‘‘Shared Experiences’: Influence, Tradition and the Legacy of Mike Alfreds in NZ Professional Theatre Practice’
Australasian Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies Association (ADSA) Conference (Wellington)
2012
Co-presented with Professor David McKie
Performing Emotion. Stand and Unfold Your Praxis: Reflections in connecting experiments to make theatre directing and leadership learning more dynamic.
Sixth Art of Management and Organisation Conference, University of York, UK
2008
Guest Speaker
The Value of, Place of, and Need for Creativity
2008
Keynote Speaker
The Value of, Place of, and Need for Creativity’
NZ Women’s Business Conference
2007
Keynote Address
Keeping It Fresh
Learning Curves FASS Graduate Conference, University of Waikato
2000
Keynote Address
‘Around the Globe in 70 Days: Directing Shakespeare in Performance at the Globe Theatre’
George Andrews Memorial Lecture, Wellington Shakespeare Society
Radio
Year
Role
Production
2004
Actor - Remembrance
The Elk Safari with Dame Kate Harcourt and Donogh Rees
Dir. Uri Khein
2003
Director
Lifestyle Block
Radio New Zealand Drama
Dir. Vanessa Byrnes
Training
Year
Role
Production
2022
Actor
Master Class Series - You and the Camera
The RBA Studio
Dir. with Ian Mune & Elena Stejko