William Byam Shaw

I was born in Glasgow. Whilst living in Scotland I studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh where I made work with the Bedlam Theatre. I was also a member of the Scottish Youth Theatre. I recently graduated with an MA in Directing at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. I have been making digital-based work under the monicor Boiling Frogs.

The things I make are visceral, contemporary, and world-based.

I am a multidisciplinary director with an ambition to work in a variety of mediums, including theatre, television, film, video games, and new undiscovered media. I’m primarily interested in new writing and often act as a co-writer in the work I make.

I’m interested in examining the interaction between the personal and environmental and as such my work has a strong sense of character and place. All of my productions contain their own ecosystem, each with their own specific rules, aesthetic, and atmosphsere. Image is important to me.

I’m interested in telling stories that are yet to be seen and heard. I put a focus on queer stories.

I want my work to feel like it couldn’t have been made any other time than now. I take influence from a range of mediums, including graphic novels, club culture, high fantasy, horror, and anime.

Art is a site of emotional communication. I want to create new and powerful kinds of feelings in the stories I tell and make work that audiences feel with their whole bodies.

Credits

DIRECTOR, Toy Plastic Chicken, Wardrobe Theatre, 1 day, 2021
DIRECTOR, echo_deep, BOVTS, 2021
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, BOVTS, 2021
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Absolute Scenes, Motion, 4 days, 2021
DEVISER/PERFORMER, Once You See the Smoke, 3 days, 2020

Training

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, MA Drama Directing (September 2020-July 2020)