28.11.2025
At ArtsEd, students are taught by some of the most accomplished professionals in the business. Every day, these experts are stepping out of rehearsal rooms, sound stages and directing meetings to pass on their first-hand experience to the next generation of talent. Among them are Jonathan O’Boyle, Director of the School of Musical Theatre, and Mike Hayden, Co-Deputy Director of the School of Acting/Head of Voice. We recently caught up with them to discuss how they balance teaching with their thriving creative careers.
Louise Jackson, Principal of ArtsEd, has said that what sets our training apart is the standing of those who lead it. “Our teaching staff are working professionals at the height of their craft. Their industry excellence is the true scholarship of the Performing Arts. This direct connection between practice and teaching ensures that our students are immersed in real-world expertise, inspired daily by those who define the standards of the profession itself.”
Jonathan O’Boyle: Directing and developing talent
When Jonathan O’Boyle describes his latest project, a semi-staged concert version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there’s an unmistakable spark in his voice. With a 22-piece orchestra, 20-person choir and a 14-strong cast, it was a huge undertaking. “Disney were very supportive,” he says. “Stephen Schwartz came to rehearsal, and he was thrilled with how we’d interpreted his work. It was a privilege to bring it to life here in the UK.”
O’Boyle’s directed more than 35 productions across the West End, regional theatres, and internationally in Europe, Asia and New York. That experience gives his students a genuine insight into the world they’re preparing to enter. “Working at ArtsEd, you’ve got to put your money where your mouth is,” he says. “You want to do work that inspires students and shows them the industry we’re all part of. We’re working towards the same shared goal.” It’s an approach that keeps his teaching fresh and his students connected to the realities of the profession.
He’s honest about the emotional ups and downs of creative work, too. The rush of a standing ovation one night, the sting of a critical review the next. “It can be daunting,” he admits. “Reviews can knock your confidence sometimes, but you have to trust your instincts. You learn to navigate that, and it makes you stronger.”
He’s quick to credit ArtsEd for giving him the freedom to keep directing while leading the School of Musical Theatre. “I’m really lucky that ArtsEd lets me do it,” he says. “It’s demanding, it’s challenging, but it’s also exciting. I come back from each project feeling refreshed and full of ideas.”
Mike Hayden AKA Michael Brophy (stage name): A life on stage inspires learnings in the studio
This summer, Mike Hayden returned to the stage for the first time in over a decade, performing in, As You Like It at Theatre Royal, Bath, under the direction of Ralph Fiennes. “It was intense,” he admits. “Six shows a week and long rehearsals. Even when you’re not on stage, you’re in the space; the mental space completely focused. At the end of the night, you’re exhausted, but it’s the best kind of exhaustion.”
Teaching voice, sonnets and Shakespearean text at ArtsEd gave him the grounding to walk into the rehearsal room with confidence, but performing again brought new perspective. Returning to the stage after 12 years – he last performed at The Globe Theatre – reminded him what it feels like to be in that vulnerable place his students know so well, facing uncertainty, finding confidence and building the performance step by step. “You’re there because you’ve been chosen. You must have something to offer,” he says. “But you can’t help thinking, ‘Have they made a mistake?’ That’s when you fall back on your craft; your technique, to find your feet grounding, and as so, progress from there.” It’s a reminder that even seasoned professionals never stop learning.
Hayden’s philosophy is refreshingly simple: the best actors live fully. He calls it a “jobbing profession,” one where there will inevitably be quiet spells, and that’s okay. What matters, he says, is having a life beyond the work. “Watch TV/Films, theatre, football matches, read, hobbies, go for walks, go out; do whatever it is that makes the mind tick and your heart beat; give yourself a licence to experience life and take it from there.” Mike is thrilled that ArtsEd supported this experience, which keeps his work with his students alive and rich.
The ArtsEd approach
O’Boyle and Hayden work in different disciplines but share the same belief that staying active in the profession makes them better teachers. Between directing large-scale musicals and performing in classical plays, they bring the pace and rhythm of the industry straight into ArtsEd’s studios.
As Jonathan puts it, “Bringing that real-world experience into the classroom is what makes it all worthwhile.” Their commitment ensures that the next generation of actors, directors, and performers aren’t just learning their craft, they’re preparing for a career that’s creative, demanding and endlessly rewarding. Together, they represent the very best of ArtsEd, experts who teach, and teachers who never stop creating.
(Jonathan O’Boyle with Stephen Schwartz, Peter Parnell and the full company of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Photo by Danny Kaan)