Jonathon Hendry

Jonathon (Jonty) is delighted to return to the stage in his Court Theatre acting debut. A fellow of Shakespeare's Globe in London and a graduate of Toi Whakaari, he’s played Shakespeare in various theatres around Aotearoa NZ.

In 1989 he was Malvolio in a raucous late night offering at The Depot and BATS Theatre Wellington under the direction of Simon Bennett. He returned to the role in 2017 at the Fortune Theatre Dunedin with director Benjamin Kilby-Henson.

Jonty’s passion for Shakespeare has led to success in other roles such as Richard III (1992, 2002), Macbeth (2000), Iago (2001), Jaques (2003), and Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream which toured to the Isaac Theatre Royal in 2001.

He’s directed for Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre, Downstage, Circa, Centrepoint, Fortune, and BATS. As well as presenting premieres of work from Aotearoa, Jonathon has received acclaim revisiting classic plays in surprising ways. For example, a touring production of An Iliad starring arts icons Michael Hurst and Shayne Carter created excitement in venues and festivals across the country during 2018-2020.

Over the last six and a half years he drove a strategic refresh of BATS theatre. Before then he was Artistic Director of Fortune Theatre after nearly a decade and a half of leading actor training at UNITEC and Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School.

Currently he is Acting Manager of Toi Pōneke Arts Centre and will appear as Peter Whittall in the upcoming Pike River movie due for nationwide release in November 2025.