About
Originally from Herefordshire, Hamish is a director and writer for stage and screen based between London and Amsterdam, with an MA in Theatre Directing from Mountview.
For theatre, he has had his productions programmed at Soho Theatre, Southwark Playhouse, King's Head Theatre and Turbine Theatre. He has also achieved Runner-Up for Best Comedy at Standing Ovation Awards 2021; directed at The Other Palace, Theatre503, Canal Café Theatre and Old Red Lion; produced and directed multiple productions at Edinburgh Fringe; directed at VAULT Festival and toured to Sheffield. He has assisted and worked with respected creatives such as Mark Ravenhill and Mark Bell at NT Studio and Gregory Doran at RSC rehearsals.
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His writing has been awarded Runner-Up for Best Audio Play at Pen To Print Awards 2023 as well as multiple runs at Edinburgh Fringe.
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For comedy, he has directed at The Bill Murray, 2Northdown and Just The Tonic, Edinburgh Fringe.
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For screen, he has written and directed a short film, a Finalist for Best Picture at Big Fridge International Film Festival and a TV pilot screened at Close-Up Cinema. He has worked on multiple other shorts, TV pilots and screenplays.
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Hamish has also been invited to teach on the MA for Theatre Directing at Mountview and Durham University and become a paid script-reader at ScriptUp and Stagescripts11@11. He is the artistic director of Slow Mojo Collective and, whilst at university, co-founded Wrong Tree Theatre, who have since been programmed by Underbelly. He is also the Board Secretary for King's Head Theatre.
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Looking back through his work, he is drawn to offbeat comedies with a serious edge. He also loves work that seeps beyond the realms of reality, playing with time, form and magical realism.
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And finally, he has been in Graham Norton's Red Chair... Watch here.
Reviews, Press and Testimonials
COCKFOSTERS
★★★★★ RatedReviewed: "This fast-moving, energetic show is impossible not to love"
★★★★★ MindTheBlog: "A brilliant hour of escapism"
★★★★★ NothingInTheRulebook: "An excellent surrealist comedy"
★★★★★ LondonCulturalist: "Hilariously relatable"
★★★★★ CurtainsUp: "Brilliantly funny and clever"
★★★★★ LondonBornAndBred: "Truly brilliant"
★★★★★ LondonTheatreDoc: "The only negative was that it only lasted an hour"
★★★★★ LoveLondonLoveCulture: "Delightfully silly"
★★★★ TheUpcoming: "The pace flows at a healthy tempo and the cast do not miss a beat"
★★★★ TheatreAndTonic: "I was laughing throughout at the crazy, strange and memorable cast of characters"
★★★★ ThePeg: "Madcap and surreal energy"
★★★★ AlwaysTimeForTheatre: "A brilliant show with a lot of heart"
★★★★ WestEndWithMe: "Quirky, silly and joyful"
★★★★ TheatreAndArtsReview: "Hamish Clayton clearly understands his subject"
★★★★ AllThatDazzles: "the same level as Police Cops and Mischief Comedy"
★★★★ BroadwayWorld: "A laugh-out-loud riot"
★★★★ AdventuresInTheatreland: "An excellent and masterfully produced show"
★★★★ WestEndBestFriend: "Cockfosters will not disappoint"
★★★★ TheatricEllie: "Unforgettable and unique"
★★★★ CurtainCallReviews: "An hour's worth of chaos"
★★★★ StageToPage: "A raucously relatable hour of theatre"
★★★★ LondonPubTheatres: "A comedy that doesn't try to do anything apart from being funny"
★★★★ MatineeMouse: "Unapologetically hilarious"
★★★★ LiamODellReviews: "A theatrical thrill-ride"
gosh!
★★★★★ EdFringeReview: "One of the best pieces of comedy I've seen in ages"
★★★★★ FairyPoweredProductions: "This is genius... A unique one person show"
★★★★★ StageyLady: "A dizzying, adrenaline-fuelled triumph"
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Badgers Can't Be Friends
Runner-Up for Best Comedy at Standing Ovation Awards 2021
★★★★★ LondonPubTheatres: "A riveting play with relentless energy... very, very funny"
★★★★ PocketSizeTheatre: "Moments of honesty that seem to stop time"
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Sad Pretty Pictures
Finalist for Best Picture at Big Fridge International Film Festival 2021
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Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons
★★★★★ PocketSizeTheatre: "Heart-breaking and tense... exceptionally powerful"
★★★★ BroadwayBaby: "Hamish Clayton creates an intelligent production"
★★★★ EverythingTheatre: "Exactly the way theatre should be done"
★★★★ LondonTheatreReviews: "The perfect setting for this dystopian low-action nightmare"
★★★★ LondonTheatre1: "This is an intelligent and intricate production"
★★★★ CloseUpCulture: "Great direction from Hamish Clayton"
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Blackheath
★★★★★ BreakingTheFourthWall: "Definitely a contender for one of my favourite plays this year"
★★★★ EverythingTheatre: "A fully engaging and thoughtful drama"
★★★★ LondonTheatre1: "A modern play for modern times"
★★★★ LostInTheatreland: "This is a work on full-charge"
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Comatose
Runner-Up for Best Audio Play at PenToPrint Awards 2023
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The Problem With Fletcher Mott
★★★★ EverythingTheatre: "This sure beats a lot of the shows on bigger stages"
★★★★ SpyInTheStalls: "Funny and genuine and well meaning"
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A Year of Minutes
★★★★ EdFringeReview: "Fringe comedy at its finest... An hour of comic hilarity"
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Auditions
★★★★ EdFringeReview: "Brilliantly self-referential... Comedy gold"
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CV
For a downloadable PDF of this CV, click here. Or view Projects for all details.
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DIRECTING
COCKFOSTERS - 40 performances - Turbine Theatre / Drayton Arms Theatre
gosh! - 35 performances - JustTheTonic, Edinburgh Fringe / The Bill Murray / 2Northdown / Canal Café Theatre / Drayton Arms Theatre
Badgers Can't Be Friends - 25 performances - Southwark Playhouse / King's Head Theatre / Drayton Arms Theatre / Abbeydale Picturehouse / Greenside, Edinburgh Fringe
Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons - 21 performances - Baron's Court Theatre
Blackheath - 9 performances - Old Red Lion Theatre / White Bear Theatre
The Problem With Fletcher Mott [Musical] - 5 performances - Seven Dials Playhouse / Drayton Arms Theatre
Cherry! - 2 performances - Soho Theatre / VAULT Festival
Yosemite [Workshops] - 1 week - Mountview Studios
Tears Are A Luxury - 2 performances - Theatre503
Out of Step - 6 performances - Drayton Arms Theatre
The Sweet Tin - 1 performance - Old Red Lion Theatre
Iron [In training] - 1 performance - Mountview Studios
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ASSISTANT DIRECTING
The Boy In The Dress [as Shadow AD in Workshops] - 3 weeks - Sadler's Wells - dir. Gregory Doran
Speculators - 4 performances - New Diorama Theatre - dir. Max Key
The Hostage - 6 performances - Jacksons Lane - dir. Chris Larner
The Winter's Tale - 2 performances - Mountview Studios - dir. Eve Matheson
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SCREEN
Down With The Moles [TV Pilot] - Director
Sad Pretty Pictures [Short Film] - Writer, Director and Producer
Flash Musicals [Short Film] - Writer and AD
Was That Love? [Music Video] - Director
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WRITING
COCKFOSTERS - 40 performances - Turbine Theatre / Drayton Arms Theatre
Comatose [Audio Play] - Runner-Up for Best Audio Play at Pen To Print Awards
gosh! - 35 performances - JustTheTonic, Edinburgh Fringe / The Bill Murray / 2Northdown / Canal Café Theatre / Drayton Arms Theatre
Sad Pretty Pictures [Short Film]
Flash Musicals [Short Film]
Veritas - Reading, Mountview Studios
A Year of Minutes - 20 performances - Edinburgh Fringe / Durham University - dir. Hamish Clayton
Auditions - 14 performances - Edinburgh Fringe / Durham University
The East Wind Rages - 10 performances - Edinburgh Fringe / Durham University - dir. Hamish Clayton
Whistles - 3 performances - Durham University - dir. Hamish Clayton
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OTHER EXPERIENCE
Comedy on Stage [teacher] - Mountview
Directing for Screen [teacher] - Durham University
Board Secretary - King's Head Theatre (2021-2023)
Alice in Sunderland - NT Studio - Writer's Assistant - dir. Mark Bell
FOH Usher - Soho Theatre
Stagescripts 11@11 - Script-reader
ScriptUp - Script-reader and script-consultant
Nightwatchman - JustTheTonic, Edinburgh Fringe / The Bill Murray / The Pen Theatre - Co-Creative
Role Play - Manchester International Film Festival - Runner
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EDUCATION/TRAINING
Mountview - MA Theatre Directing - Distinction
Durham University - BA Economics with Year Abroad - 1st Class w/ Hons.
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REFERENCES
Mark Ravenhill
Peter James
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