Phil Hayes is a multifaceted performance-maker, theatre director, actor, and musician who has also worked in a variety of settings, including kitchens, restaurants, pubs, factories, on the radio, on television, and on building sites.
Born on the south coast of England, Phil studied Creative Arts in Newcastle upon Tyne many years ago.
Based in Zurich since 1998, Phil has been creating performance and theatre work, primarily under the label First Cut Productions.
His work often involves a collaborative process, where he generates content and form together with a rotating cast of new and regular partners.
Phil's work has toured internationally and he has also created performance-based works in various contexts.
As a freelance performer, director, advisor, or musician, Phil has collaborated with other artists and groups.
Phil has appeared in films by Angela Schanelec, Thomas Imbach, Peter Volkart, and Sabine Boss, and in 2008, he played the character Peter Tate in thirty episodes of the SRF Swiss television show Giacobbo/Müller- Late Service Public.
In 2013, Phil was awarded a Werkstipendium prize by the city of Zurich for his work to date.
In 2020, Phil Hayes - First Cut Productions received a "kulturelle Auszeichnung" award from the City of Zurich for the "Under the Influence" I-III series of performances.
