Dr. Kat Henry (she/her) is an Australian theatre director, performance artist, performance coach, and university lecturer based in Naarm (Melbourne). She has directed theatre at main stage companies around Australia, has a PhD in long durational performance art from Monash University, and is a full time lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne, where she coordinates the Master of Theatre (Directing) course. Pharmacy Performance is Kat's independent performance company dedicated to durational theatre and performance art experiments. Kat regularly directs theatre around the country, including productions at Queensland Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Chamber Opera, La Boite Theatre Company, Red Stitch Actors' Theatre, and Brisbane Powerhouse, among many others, and has been nominated for several Green Room and Matilda Awards. 

 

Positions:

2020 - ongoing: Lecturer, Theatre, VCA, University of Melbourne

2016 - 2018: National Artistic Team (Queensland Theatre) 

2016 Women in Theatre Program (Melbourne Theatre Company)

2015 Women Directors’ Program (Melbourne Theatre Company)

2014 - 2015: Resident Director (MKA: Theatre of New Writing) 

2012 and 2017: Artist in Residence (ZK/U, Berlin) 

 

Theatre works include: 

Neon Tiger (La Boite Theatre Company/Brisbane Powerhouse)

Constellations (Queensland Theatre); 

Orphans (Queensland Theatre);

Mayakovsky (Sydney Chamber Opera); 

Foxfinder (Red Stitch Actors' Theatre);

About Tommy (Red Stitch Actors' Theatre);

The Wind in the Willows (La Boîte Theatre Company),

The Son (Melbourne Theatre Company/CYBEC Electric),

Lord Willing and The Creek Don't Rise (MTC/MKA/NEON);  

Neon Tiger (Brisbane Powerhouse commission);

Company (Watch This).

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Performance Art works include: 

Deliverance (Adelaide and Berlin);

Spinning (Canberra, Melbourne, Berlin);

TimePod (Melbourne). 

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Acting/performance includes:

2018 The Sound of a Finished Kiss, Brisbane Powerhouse  

2011 Woyzeck, The Yashchin Ensemble, Brisbane Festival 

2006-2014 Six Women Standing in Front of a White Wall (Edinburgh, Brisbane, Canberra).

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Residencies 

2018 Bundanon Trust - with composer Felicity Wilcox 

2018 Darebin Arts Risk Residency 

2017 ZK/U, Berlin - Artist in Residence

2015 A Month in the Country (Hothouse), MKA

2015 ZK/U, Berlin - Artist in Residence

2011 A Month in the Country (Hothouse)

 

Education includes: 

2021 PhD (Performance Philosophy), Monash University

2014 Honours, 1st class, (Performance Philosophy), Monash University 

2009  Postgraduate Diploma (Directing), NIDA 

2008 B.A. (Double Major in Religion), University of Queensland

2002 Advanced Diploma of Acting, ACTT

 

Kat has taught extensively for universities including NIDA, VCA/University of Melbourne, Monash, QUT, and University of Queensland.

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