Leah Mercer

Leah Mercer is an Associate Professor at Curtin University's School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, part of the Faculty of Humanities. She serves in the Office of the Provost and teaches Theatre Arts, specializing in new work development, directing, and devising performance. Her research focuses on theatre directing practices, feminist performance, and mythology integration.

Education: PhD (Performance as Research, Queensland University of Technology, 2009); MFA (Directing for Theatre, California Institute of the Arts, 1999); MA and BA (University of Queensland, 1998/1990). A Fulbright scholar, she has extensive international training in theatre practices.

Research interests include collaborative performance creation, feminist thematic exploration, and interdisciplinary performance. Her work with The Nest Ensemble since 2004 emphasizes devised theatre, with notable productions like Joey: the Mechanical Boy (2014 WA Best Director Award) and Home (2015). Her academic work bridges practice and theory, exemplified by her Philip Parsons Prize-winning PhD project The Physics Project (2008).

Publications span creative works and scholarly articles, including contributions to Live Research: Methods of Practice-Led Inquiry in Performance and Social Construction in Action. Awards include the Silver Matilda Award for Directing (2007) and recognition for cross-disciplinary educational initiatives. She advises student productions through Curtin's Hayman Theatre Company, directing works by Sarah Ruhl, Bertolt Brecht, and others.

Labs/Teams: Co-founder of The Nest Ensemble, a collective producing innovative theatre. Engaged in workshops on mask work, Suzuki training, and Theatre of the Oppressed methodologies.