About Rocky Ji
Rocky Ji is an award-winning director with over 18 years of international experience across theatre, producing, and leadership, spanning Canada, India, the UK, and the US. His work has been presented across a range of independent and institutional contexts, including established Canadian organisations such as Bard on the Beach, Alberta Theatre Projects, and Theatre Calgary.
His directing career spans a broad range of Canadian institutions and is known for its blend of provocation, joy, and transformation. Productions such as All’s Well That Ends Well (Co-Directed, Bard on the Beach, 2019), set against the backdrop of the Partition of India, and The Jungle Book (Alberta Theatre Projects, 2022), reframed through a contemporary postcolonial lens, exemplify his interest in reimagining classical and contemporary texts for diverse audiences. Alongside this, his original work includes Dreams Across Borders, workshopped in New York in 2025, and Desi ROMEO, currently in development through international residencies. In addition to directing, Rocky has extensive experience supporting rehearsal and production processes across a range of contexts, including assistant and co-directing, touring adaptations, and productions requiring coordination across multiple creative teams and rehearsal rooms. His work in these environments has developed a strong focus on precision, consistency, and collaborative process, particularly within complex and large-scale settings.
Alongside his directing practice, Rocky has held senior artistic, executive, and management roles across both grassroots initiatives and mid- to large-scale organisations. His work has included founding and leading initiatives, as well as contributing to the development of new work, international collaborations, and multicultural programming. His work has been recognised through multiple Canadian theatre awards and honours, including Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, Betty Mitchell Awards, and the Vancouver NOW Representation and Inclusion Award. Internationally, Rocky has worked across projects connecting Canada, India, the UK, and beyond. This includes involvement in the global tour of Nirbhaya, as well as the touring of Piya Behrupiya, a Hindi adaptation of Twelfth Night originally commissioned by Shakespeare’s Globe. He has also collaborated with British artists such as Javaad Alipoor and Nadia Parvez Manzoor, contributing to the presentation and touring of their internationally recognised work.
Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Rocky speaks four languages and brings a cross-cultural perspective to his work. After over two decades in North America, he relocated to the UK in 2025, having been endorsed by Arts Council England under the Global Talent programme. He is now focused on expanding his directing practice across mid-scale and large-scale work, while continuing to develop projects and collaborations within the UK and internationally.