Theatre Studies

Theatre has recently become established as a major focus of research in the School. Members of staff working in this area include:

These colleagues are interested and committed to making theatre, as well as to studying it. Newcastle is a city fortunate in having a thriving theatrical culture, and those teaching and researching in theatre and performance make good use of their professional theatre-making partners, Live Theatre and Northern Stage, the on-campus theatre. The Royal Shakespeare Company is a frequent visitor to Newcastle and the School has a history of working closely with them to create public events in which their practice and the School's research come together. In June 2012, together with artists from Northern Stage and the RSC, Theatre Studies colleagues will be creating a symposium - 'Re-Making Shakespeare' - involving theatre makers, theatre spectators, and theatre educators in a series of talks, workshops, and performances as part of the RSC’s World Shakespeare Festival, an element of the Cultural Olympiad.

Theatre research at Newcastle is currently pioneering a number of exciting areas: documenting rehearsal strategies and outcomes; the history and current practice of dramaturgy; the representation of children and childhood on stage; Shakespeare in contemporary performance; writing for performance; audiences, participation and interactivity; archive theory and historiography; and British physical theatres. Colleagues have worked with external partners to create some important research and teaching resources, including Professor Peter Reynolds' BAFTA-winning collaboration with the National Theatre, Stagework.