Jan Derbyshire

Jan "JD" Derbyshire (died September 26, 2025) was a Canadian theatre artist, comedian, and writer. They performed their one-person show, Certified, across Canada, including in Vancouver where it won two Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards.

Early life and education Derbyshire was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. They completed a master's degree from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Inclusive Design in 2014.

Career Derbyshire's play, Funny in the Head, about their experiences with bipolar disorder, was commissioned by Stage Left Productions, and it premiered at the Balancing Acts Disability Arts Festival in Alberta, Canada in 2008. In 2010, alongside the Paralympic Games, Derbyshire performed their one-person show Funny in the Head at the Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture Festival, and it was the only show performed at Kickstart.

Derbyshire developed another one-person show, Certified, which premiered at the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2016. They have performed Certified for Handsome Alice Theatre (Calgary) in 2018, Touchstone Theatre (Vancouver) in 2019, and at the Progress Festival (Toronto) in 2020. Derbyshire was set to perform Certified as part of Gateway's 2020–2021 season but the show was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Personal life Derbyshire and their ex-husband, TV director Michael Rohl, had a daughter, actress Kacey Rohl. Turkey in the Woods

Novels Mercy Gene: The Man-made Making of a Mad Woman (2023)

Exhibitions Re:purpose, August 9–September 7, 2014, Art Work: 'Value Village'. Curated by Syrus Marcus Ware and Elizabeth Sweeney, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Awards +YearAwardCategoryWorkResultNotesRef.2020Jessie Richardson Theatre AwardsOutstanding Original ScriptCertified Critics' Choice Innovation Awardfor Touchstone Theatre