RHYS CHANT
DIRECTOR & THEATRE MAKER
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Rhys Chant is a Director, Theatre-Maker and Researcher, specialising in new works, devised theatre and verbatim/testimonial practice. Their work focuses on queerhood, archive within performance and human connectivity through community led storytelling. Rhys is Creative Director of Kitchen Sink Productions CIC and Director in Residence at Groundlings Theatre where they manage and produce the annual in-house programme including overall responsibility for delivery of youth productions and training.
As a director, their work includes Fishville at The Minerva, Chichester; Things A Bright Young Queer Can Do at The Source; DNA and Death Over Pancakes at Groundlings; Back In The Day at The Tramshed, Dulwich; My Dearest Boy as part of the Beatz in the City Festival; and A Deceit of Dying Flowers at Chichester Fringe.
Rhys is currently developing and touring Things A Bright Young Queer Can Do, a research-performance project examining the lived experiences of young queer people in contemporary Britain. The piece combines testimonial theatre-making, ensemble narrative, and vignette-style storytelling to craft an eclectic “state of the nation” production. Developed through workshops and interviews, the work captures the complexity, resilience, and joy of queer youth today.
Rhys is also a Trustee of the Chichester Festival Theatre.
RHYS CHANT
(THEY/THEM)
CURRENT PROJECTS
THINGS A BRIGHT YOUNG QUEER CAN DO
An evocative and profound translation of the lived experiences of young queer people in modern Britain. Curated from a collection of extensive interviews conducted across the UK, and combining them together in a dynamic presentation of sharp and poignant vignettes to amplify the voices of the LGBTQ+ community.
THINGS A BRIGHT YOUNG QUEER CAN DO seeks to provide agency and empowerment against the growing socio-political backdrop of growing hate crimes and violence. Platforming experiences from across the spectrum of queerhood and engaging a variety of themes and lived experiences to bring out both the positive and negative aspects of society which young LGBTQ+ people face, this new work strives to give breadth to the audience, rather than resonate as ‘the’ experience, moving across different moments of queer experience - showing instances of collective and individual experience in relation to the queer identity and experience.
In creating this piece of performance-research, the process has been met with overwhelming hospitality, providing the opportunity to hear about the brilliant work being done by young queer individuals. Connections have been made with writers, psychologists, teachers, artists, national and local government officials, nurses, veterinarians, and many others—people filled with life and hope.
THEATRE
FILM & DIGITAL
REVIEWS & TESTMONALS
TRISTAN DULLFORCE - ACTOR
Working with Rhys as a director is both intellectually engaging and creatively energising. They have a strong command of narrative, supporting the actor to connect with the wider world of the text, drawing out the political, social and economic tensions that sit beneath the text and drive the story forward. In rehearsal, characters never feel isolated from their context; instead, there is a real sense of what shapes a character, what drives them forward, and the urgency behind the stakes of a play and you develop a momentum to propel yourself forward with a clarity routed in a well researched reality.
FISHVILLE - AUDIENCE MEMBER, JESS
"The young cast brought great energy and sensitivity to the story, capturing both the humour and the more reflective moments of the text. Rhys Chant’s direction allowed the characters and relationships to feel natural and grounded, creating a production that was engaging and thoughtful. The use of movement gave the ensemble a texture and depth that was gripping and connected instinctively to the idea of the sea, delivering Rhys' signature use of imagery and tableau in a vivid and imaginative way.
A compelling piece of youth theatre that balances imagination with emotional honesty."
THINGS A BRIGHT YOUNG QUEER CAN DO - OPHELIA ARTS
Centring queer experience with honesty, vulnerability, and care, the power of this eclectic testimonial piece lies in its universality. While rooted in LGBTQ+ stories, the play ultimately explores something far broader: the journey of becoming who we are.
Rhys' process is marked by emotional honesty and restraint, allowing voices and experiences to exist without over-dramatization. The result is theatre that invites reflection, connecting deeply with audiences regardless of background.
Short yet poignant, Bright Young Queer is thoughtful, moving, and quietly hopeful — a reminder that the process of growing into ourselves, at any stage of life, is something shared by all.