Performing since the age of four, her local production families include her father Wendell “Shine” Hayward’s Danji Productions, ASDE Productions,Black Box Productions, Linda Paynter Productions, THE Company, Image Entertainment, and Two Fools Entertainment taking on lead, supporting and ensemble roles collectively.
Locally, she takes pride in her roles as Ruth in “The Story of Ruth”,Queen Vashti in “The Story of Esther”, The Lady in Red in “For Colored Girls” and her self-developed character Sia in her one woman show “Sia Says A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste”, “P.H.A.T. Girls”, “Don’t Talk ToMe Like That” and “Keep It Up”; all written and directed by Bermuda’s own Patricia Pogson-Nesbitt.
Her overseas credits include award winning performances in plays such as “Shakin’ The Mess Out Of Misery”, “The Colored Museum”, Pearl Cleage’s “Late Bus to Mecca” and “A Song for Coretta” (World Premier); performances that garnered her an international accolade as the first actress to win the “Best Female Actress” award in 2007 at the Annual Ruby Awards in Atlanta, GA.
Branching from the “on-stage” scene, she is the founding Director and Producer of youth theatrical company, TROIKA. During her time with the company, she orchestrated the organization’s first two productions “AMMUNITION” and “H.I.S.T.O.R.Y.” Both productions undisputedly set a reputation of the highest standard for the organization as its “works” were not only original in concept and performance, but also gave the young people an opportunity to artistically present their voice on relative subjects/current events under the precedence of the group’s original mission.
Nishanthi is best known for her local & overseas performances as a lead actress. Leaving audiences awed after her many local and international features over her 20+ years of performing, she has truly shown her broad capabilities to perform in both the dramatic and comedic arena inthe Entertainment Industry.
Currently, Nishanthi is the Theatre & Drama teacher at Dellwood MiddleSchool. Under her direction, the DMS Drama T.E.A.M. (Taking Edutainment Above Mediocrity) have made an influential impact on the arts scene in their school and neighbouring community. They have been an annually invited act for the Bermuda Union of Teacher’s Annual Conference, performed in the prestigious Premier’s Concert and won the middle school drama competition in Chain Reaction’s “One Step Closer to Peace in Bermuda” campaign. Additionally, she serves as the Deputy Chair on the Bermuda Arts Council and has been a representative on the Teen Services Outstanding Teen Awards Performing Arts Committee for 6 years. Although she has explored many facets of the theatrical world as Producer, Stage Manager and Director, her first love is performing on the stage!