Hayley

Stuart-Smith

Standby (For Boarding)

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Hayley Stuart-Smith (she/her) is an emerging stage manager and technical production professional, originally from Melbourne and now based in Brisbane. With a background as an elite-level competitive cheerleader and a lifelong passion for sport, Hayley thrives under pressure and brings a unique blend of discipline, teamwork and creative flair to the world of live performance.

Currently completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Production) at QUT, Hayley has already made her mark on a diverse range of productions, including serving as stage manager and sound designer for Blood Wedding by Timothy Wynn (2025) and technical manager for Unseen Threads (2024).

Hayley also served as Assistant Director and stage manager for a large-scale primary school production of The Lion King Jr., coordinating over 950 students and leading a 20-person teacher and student production team. Passionate about education and mentorship, Hayley assists in workshops across primary and high schools to support the development of future technical artists.

Hayley is passionate about commercial theatre and dreams of working on productions that tour internationally. She is also particularly interested in exploring the intersections of sport, technology, and performance and how they can be harnessed to create high-energy and innovative theatrical experiences.

Standby (For Boarding)

Standby (for Boarding) invites audiences into a space where the worlds of travel and theatre merge, blurring the boundaries between an airport terminal and a backstage environment. Inspired by how the technical production industry, like travel, connects people worldwide, the installation celebrates the transport of stories and performances across borders.

Paying homage to stage management, the work weaves in subtle nods to backstage life. The rhythm of show calls reimagined as flight announcements and a departures board echoing the language and precision of a prompt desk, highlighting the choreography, communication and coordination that define both theatre and travel. Amid a world increasingly shaped by computers and AI, the piece includes a small nod to the irreplaceable human touch of stage management.

At its core, Standby (for Boarding) reflects the creator’s dream to tour with a production and experience the universal language of performance. Hayley explores how a single production can exist across the globe, uniting artists, technicians and audiences through shared scripts, music, and creative purpose. By stepping into this space, audiences join an international network of performance - a community bound by creativity, collaboration and the shared experience of preparing and departing together.

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