Ben Humphrey is a director, writer, and researcher working across theatre, education, and heritage. He is the Artistic Director of Tortive Theatre and The Straw Yard, a small venue and creative space in Northumberland that supports new writing, historical drama, and community-led performance. His work often explores historical figures through contemporary forms, with a particular interest in physical comedy and early modern performance traditions.

Ben is currently undertaking a Creative-Critical PhD focused on William Kemp, the Elizabethan clown and performer. His research brings together historical scholarship and creative practice to reconsider Kemp’s “Nine Days Wonder” and its wider cultural context. His interests span clowning, gesture, Shakespeare in performance, adaptation of early modern works, regional theatre in the 20th century, and the history and traditions of pantomime.

Alongside his academic work, Ben regularly acts as a freelance adjudicator and theatre reviewer, with a focus on encouraging participation and development in amateur and grassroots theatre. He has contributed as a scriptwriter and consultant to heritage projects, including with the National Trust for Scotland, and is committed to widening access to the performing arts and supporting sustainable regional practice.

Ben has presented research at recent British Shakespeare Association conferences and continues to combine creative and scholarly approaches in his directing and writing.