Dr. Tom Payne is Co-Director General of internationally acclaimed UK/Australian performance company Doppelgangster (2015-). He is Senior Lecturer in Performance Studies within the College of Social Sciences and Arts at Sheffield Hallam University, and Course Leader on the BA (Hons) Acting and Performance. He specialises in site-specific, participatory, relational, and digital performance practices. His research expertise includes contemporary English language theatre in Wales, 21st century national theatre, site-specific performance, and political and activist responses to climate change and the Anthropocene.

 

His PhD is entitled ‘Locating National Theatre Wales: A Practice Based Enquiry into the Theatre Map of Wales and Practices of Location' (Aberystwyth University 2010-2015). His post-doctoral research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the large grant project: Towards Hydrocitizenship (Bath Spa University 2014-17). 

 

He has trained with Mike Pearson, Eddie Ladd, Simon Whitehead, Dead Good Guides, and Fern Smith. He has worked with National Theatre Wales (ARK), Pearson/Brookes (The Persians, Coriolan/Us), MKA Theatre of New Writing (Hot!Hot!Hot!), Bryan McCormack (Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow); Rimini Protokoll (Outdoors); Miranda Whall (The Proposal); Volcano Theatre Company / Emergence (Doin' Dirt Time); Cape Farewell (ArtCOP21); Good Cop Bad Cop (The Occupation); and Sam Christie (Notes from the Edge of the East).

 

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (FRSA), and has taught acting, theatre, performance, and media communication and production in Further and Higher Education since 2001. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).