My research work
I hold a PhD in Theatre History from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I also have an M.A. in Theatre Consultancy (University of Warwick), an M.A. in Cultural Policy (Sheffield Hallam University), and a B.A. (hons) in Art History (Northumbria University).
My PhD Research
Staging Professionalisation with the ABTT: Technical Theatre in Post-War Britain
My thesis examines the professionalisation of post-war British technical theatre via the rise of the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) and the effect of the resulting shift in practices between 1961 and 1991 on the theatrical landscape of regional playhouse design.
In the first chapter, I discuss the emergence of the ABTT at the beginnings of the post-war civic theatre boom in order to understand the advancement of the theatre technician as expert. In chapter two, I turn to investigate the establishment of the ABTT as the principal authority on non-proscenium stage design, an important facet of Arts Council policies that shaped a changing theatrical estate and their democratising impacts. Chapter three identifies the processes of modernisation, professionalism, and standardisation that necessitated the ABTT’s expansion of technical professionalisation, allowing for new styles of stage to emerge while ending the legacies and residues of pre-war technical practices. Chapter four examines the changing politics of Thatcherism and the shock of neoliberal arts policy reform on the ABTT, its self-conception, and its funding modes in a move away from its social democratic and civic origins. Chapter five concludes the thesis with a coda that shows the resilience of the ABTT and specifically its ability to adapt to the commercial, market-driven economy that has continued to dominate technical expertise in a neoliberal culture.
By telling the story of the ABTT, the thesis makes a contribution to the field by not only filling important gaps in the contextual history of post-war British theatre but by extending current debates on technical practice through the exploration of hitherto overlooked individuals, networks, processes, continuities, differences, and politics of change.
In this seminar, I discuss the best ways to preserve paper-based and audiovisual documentation, understanding records and archives and look in greater detail at some of the Theatre Collection’s archival collections. We also be conversed about the Records at Risk project.
I was joined by members of staff from the University of Bristol Theatre Collection including Lucy Powell, Keeper of Theatre Archives; Sian Williams, Project Archivist for the Theatre and Live Art Records at Risk project and Nigel Bryant, Audiovisual Digitisation Officer.
This seminar was followed by a Q&A session.
Papers and Talks
The National Fairground and Circus Archive
In this webinar, I chair a panel of experts in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the ABTT and the centenary of the birth of Stephen Joseph – one of the founder members of the Association of British Theatre Technicians.
We discuss the past, the present, and the future of the ABTT with panelists Matthew Freeman, Richard Pilbrow, Anette Ollerearnshaw and Ali Pottinger.
This seminar was followed by a Q&A session.
