[1] As an educator she completed a PhD at the University of Waikato in 2015, titled Removing the ‘Cloak of Invisibility’: New Zealand Directors Discuss Theatre Directing Praxis.
[2] Byrnes has been in senior roles at both Toi Whakaari and Unitec Institute of Technology, leading drama training for many years.
She is an experienced theatre director and as an actor was in popular television soap opera Shortland Street.
[1] Byrnes has a PhD from Waikato University (2015) looking at 'the praxis of selected New Zealand text-based theatre directors'.
A review on Theatre Scenes said it 'manages to balance the play’s plot turns with a sense of wit and imagination'.