6 questions with Naeem Hayat
Naeem is the newest member of the Headlong team, joining us as Associate Artistic Director, fresh from co-directing our recent production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
We spoke to him to discover a little bit more about his career and what he’s looking forward to, working at Headlong.
What has been your proudest professional moment?
My proudest professional moment was completing a two year tour of Hamlet to every country in the world between 2014-2016. It was a mad , exhausting and exhilarating journey that was both massively rewarding as an artist and as a human. I saw some of the most memorable theatre in those years, watching creatives from all over the world make work that was exciting and challenging.
How did you get into theatre?
Truth be told when I was 14 I had a massive crush on a girl who was in the school production of Grease. I thought “if I do the show maybe she will talk to me”. She didn’t… but I had a blast doing the show, singing the wrong lyrics and dancing the wrong way. That moment was the seed that led me to other school productions and then the National Theatre’s Young Company.
I spent 5 years workshopping plays for the Connections Festival every week (a festival for young people hosted by the NT). I was lucky enough to work with many wonderful writers during that time including Patrick Marber , Abi Morgan , Bryony Lavery and Phillip Ridley to name a few. This led me to drama school auditions and after 3 years at RADA, to graduating in 2013. I’ve been privileged enough to make shows with some of the most talented and generous people.
What advice would you give to young Naeem, from where you are today?
I would have little advice for that tenacious young rascal, but I would thank him for being relentless in the face of many challenges. He was clear eyed in his pursuit of wanting to work in the creative world and for that I have huge admiration for him.
My advice might be to find a better balance between his obsession and seeing friends and family. Try to be more present for the life markers of the people most closest to you.
Ultimately, take the work seriously and yourself not so seriously.
What attracted you to working with Headlong?
Headlong is - and has been for a long time - one of the most imaginative and creative companies making work in the UK.
It consistently produces high quality work often under multiple pressures, the work is always innovative, bold and thoughtful. This felt clear to me when working alongside Holly (Race Roughan, Artistic Director) and Headlong on Henry V a few years ago.
I felt everyone at Headlong shared a passion for making work that is exciting, dynamic and politically engaged. That process was very energising for me and the clear vision and leadership from Holly and Lisa, alongside the joyful, generous and incredibly talented team at Headlong, attracted me to working at this brilliant company.
It is an organisation focused on creating the highest quality work with the most inspiring artists of the moment. It’s this combination that makes me thrilled to have joined the company at this very exciting time.
Tell us about your favourite moment in the theatre?
The most memorable moment in the theatre for me was as a 15 year old watching His Dark Materials at the National Theatre.
I was given free tickets to watch both parts of the massive show by the NT as part of the Young Company. The show was epic in its scale with what felt like hundreds of actors. It was such a visceral and immediate experience. I never knew that theatre could feel like an up-close cinema experience happening right in front of you.
It was definitely a show that set off a spark inside me to work on a stage. It is one of the most memorable, exciting moments I have ever had in a theatre. It had everything - puppets, a massive revolving stage, hundreds of performers and Timothy Dalton!
What are you looking forward to in the coming year?
This coming year is a very exciting year for Headlong - and me - with two brilliant teams taking on two fantastic stories.
ROBOTA, directed by Roy Alexander Weise and adapted by Ella Road, promises to be a thought provoking, sharp , funny way to kick start Headlong’s relationship with the Schwarzman centre in Oxford. It’s adapted from a Czech classic and looks set to give us a human take on AI.
Following that, Daniel Bailey directs Fences by the magnetic August Wilson. Headlong have championed Wilson’s work before with Jitney. No doubt this will be another gut punch of a show led by a dynamite creative team.
I can’t wait.