Prof Nadine Holdsworth
BA, PhD (Loughborough)
Biography:
I completed my PhD at Loughborough University in 1995 and lectured at De Montfort University for six years from 1993-1999, where I co-created the MA in Performance Studies. I joined the department at Warwick in January 2000 where I have continued to develop my research and teaching interests focus on post-war British theatre. Whilst at Warwick I have designed modules that address my interests in twentieth and twenty-first century political theatres and contemporary theatre and theories of identity, particularly in relation to nation, gender, ethnicity and globalisation. I also supervise students undertaking practical projects, research topics and MA and PhD research.
My research has two distinct, but sometimes interconnected strands in Twentieth Century popular theatre practitioners and theatre and national identities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I have conducted a significant amount of research on John McGrath and edited Naked Thoughts that Roam About (Nick Hern, 2002), a selection of McGrath’s writings on theatre that was shortlisted for the 2002 Theatre Book Prize, and edited and introduced a collection of McGrath’s plays in Plays for England (Exeter University Press, 2005). More recently, I have been researching the theatre, creative processes and community activism of the theatre director Joan Littlewood. I published Joan Littlewood as part of the Routledge Performance Practitioners Series in 2006 and have recently published Joan Littlewood’s Theatre with Cambridge University Press (2011). This book is the culmination of a substantial period of AHRC funded research and draws on research in theatre/performance studies, ethics, citizenship, cultural democracy, space, community, class and culture to explore various strands of Littlewood’s work including her anti-war plays, the Fun Palace project and her playground schemes with children in the East End of London. I have also published work on Littlewood and Theatre Workshop in the journals New Theatre Quarterly and Research in Drama Education.
My interest in theatre and national identities has resulted in Theatre & Nation (Palgrave, 2010) for the Palgrave theatre & series and several essays on modern and contemporary Scottish and Northern Irish theatre that have been published in journals and edited collections including Contemporary Theatre Review (2003), The Cambridge History of British Theatre Vol. 3 (Cambridge University Press, 2004) and Cool Britannia: Political Theatre in the 1990s (Palgrave, 2007). I have also co-edited A Concise Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Theatre (Blackwell, 2007). These essays address the work of leading contemporary playwrights including David Greig, Sue Glover and Gary Mitchell. I have essays forthcoming on David Greig’s work from 2000-2010; Cardboard Citizens and current research projects include an edited book project provisionally titled Theatre and National Re-Imaginings for Routledge, and an essay on theatrical representations of ‘the north’.
Research Interests:
Twentieth Century Popular Theatre Practitioners and Practices
Theatrical processes and the animation of community-based activity, spaces and politics
Contemporary Theatre and Cultural Identities
Theories of Identity, particularly in relation to nation, gender, ethnicity and globalisation
Contemporary British Theatre
Research:
Books:
2011 Joan Littlewood’s Theatre, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 323 pages
2010 Theatre & Nation, Basingstoke: Palgrave, 88 pages
2006 Joan Littlewood, London: Routledge, 154 pages
Edited Books:
2008 A Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Drama (co-editor with Mary Luckhurst 50% contribution), Oxford: Blackwells, 295 pages
2005 John McGrath’s Plays for England, Exeter: Exeter University Press, 340 pages
2002 Naked Thoughts That Roam About: Reflections on Theatre by John McGrath, Nick Hern Books, 259 pages*
* Shortlisted for Society for Theatre Research Book Prize 2002; reviewed in: The Independent, The Times Literary Supplement, The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, Contemporary Theatre Review, Research in Drama and Theatre Education, Plays International
Book Chapters:
2008 ‘The Landscape of Contemporary Scottish Drama: Place, Politics and Identity’ in Nadine Holdsworth and Mary Luckhurst, eds. A Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Drama, Oxford: Blackwells, pp. 125-145
2007 ‘A Legacy of Violence: The Theatre of Gary Mitchell’ (co-written with Wallace McDowell 50% contribution) in Graham Saunders and Rebecca D’Monte, eds., Cool Britannia: Political Theatre in the 1990s, Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 176-191
2005 ‘Introduction’ in John McGrath’s Plays for England, edited by Nadine Holdsworth, Exeter: Exeter University Press, pp. 1-70
2005 ‘Joan Littlewood’ in Fifty Key Theatre Directors, edited by Shomit Mitter and Maria Shevtsova, Routledge, pp. 75-80
2005 ‘Finding the Right Places, Finding the Right Audiences’ in Freedom’s Pioneer: John McGrath’s Work in Theatre, Film and Television, edited by David Bradby and Susannah Capon, Exeter: Exeter University Press
2004 ‘Case Study: Ena Lamont Stewart’s Men Should Weep’ in Cambridge History of British Theatre Vol.III, edited by Baz Kershaw, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 228-241
1998: ‘Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere Before: Melodrama, Postmodernism and Victorian Culture’ in Varieties of Victorianism: Victorian Culture and the Postmodern Condition, edited by Gary Day, Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 191-205
Journal Articles (all refereed):
2007 ‘Spaces to play/playing with spaces: young people, citizenship and Joan Littlewood, in Research in Drama Education, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp.293-304
2003 ‘Travelling Across Borders: Contemporary Scottish Theatre’ in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 13, no.2, pp. 25-39
2003 ‘Remembering John McGrath’ in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 111-114
1999 ‘They’d Have Pissed on My Grave: the Arts Council and Theatre Workshop’ in New Theatre Quarterly, Vol.15, no.57, pp. 3-16
1997 ‘Good Nights Out: Finding and Activating the Audience with 7:84 (England) in New Theatre Quarterly, Vol.13, no.49, pp. 29-40
Short articles, Interviews and book reviews:
2008 Book review of Staging New Britain: Aspects of Black and South Asian British Theatre Practice and British Theatre of the 1990s: Interviews with Directors, Playwrights and Critics, in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 526-528
2008 ‘Interview with Lisa Goldman’, Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 134-137
2008 Book review of Class Act: the Cultural and Political Life of Ewan MacColl in New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. 24, no. 4, p. 394
2008 Book review of Impossible Plays: Adventures with the Cottesloe Company and Taking Stock: The Theatre of Max Stafford Clark in Theatre Research International, Vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 218-219
2005 ‘Theatre Royal Stratford East: Philip Hedley and Beyond…’ in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 491-494
2005 Book review of The Censorship of British Drama 1900-1968 Vol. 1, in Modern Drama, Vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 204-206
I completed my PhD at Loughborough University in 1995 and lectured at De Montfort University for six years from 1993-1999, where I co-created the MA in Performance Studies. I joined the department at Warwick in January 2000 where I have continued to develop my research and teaching interests focus on post-war British theatre. Whilst at Warwick I have designed modules that address my interests in twentieth and twenty-first century political theatres and contemporary theatre and theories of identity, particularly in relation to nation, gender, ethnicity and globalisation. I also supervise students undertaking practical projects, research topics and MA and PhD research.
My research has two distinct, but sometimes interconnected strands in Twentieth Century popular theatre practitioners and theatre and national identities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I have conducted a significant amount of research on John McGrath and edited Naked Thoughts that Roam About (Nick Hern, 2002), a selection of McGrath’s writings on theatre that was shortlisted for the 2002 Theatre Book Prize, and edited and introduced a collection of McGrath’s plays in Plays for England (Exeter University Press, 2005). More recently, I have been researching the theatre, creative processes and community activism of the theatre director Joan Littlewood. I published Joan Littlewood as part of the Routledge Performance Practitioners Series in 2006 and have recently published Joan Littlewood’s Theatre with Cambridge University Press (2011). This book is the culmination of a substantial period of AHRC funded research and draws on research in theatre/performance studies, ethics, citizenship, cultural democracy, space, community, class and culture to explore various strands of Littlewood’s work including her anti-war plays, the Fun Palace project and her playground schemes with children in the East End of London. I have also published work on Littlewood and Theatre Workshop in the journals New Theatre Quarterly and Research in Drama Education.
My interest in theatre and national identities has resulted in Theatre & Nation (Palgrave, 2010) for the Palgrave theatre & series and several essays on modern and contemporary Scottish and Northern Irish theatre that have been published in journals and edited collections including Contemporary Theatre Review (2003), The Cambridge History of British Theatre Vol. 3 (Cambridge University Press, 2004) and Cool Britannia: Political Theatre in the 1990s (Palgrave, 2007). I have also co-edited A Concise Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Theatre (Blackwell, 2007). These essays address the work of leading contemporary playwrights including David Greig, Sue Glover and Gary Mitchell. I have essays forthcoming on David Greig’s work from 2000-2010; Cardboard Citizens and current research projects include an edited book project provisionally titled Theatre and National Re-Imaginings for Routledge, and an essay on theatrical representations of ‘the north’.
Research Interests:
Twentieth Century Popular Theatre Practitioners and Practices
Theatrical processes and the animation of community-based activity, spaces and politics
Contemporary Theatre and Cultural Identities
Theories of Identity, particularly in relation to nation, gender, ethnicity and globalisation
Contemporary British Theatre
Research:
Books:
2011 Joan Littlewood’s Theatre, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 323 pages
2010 Theatre & Nation, Basingstoke: Palgrave, 88 pages
2006 Joan Littlewood, London: Routledge, 154 pages
Edited Books:
2008 A Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Drama (co-editor with Mary Luckhurst 50% contribution), Oxford: Blackwells, 295 pages
2005 John McGrath’s Plays for England, Exeter: Exeter University Press, 340 pages
2002 Naked Thoughts That Roam About: Reflections on Theatre by John McGrath, Nick Hern Books, 259 pages*
* Shortlisted for Society for Theatre Research Book Prize 2002; reviewed in: The Independent, The Times Literary Supplement, The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, Contemporary Theatre Review, Research in Drama and Theatre Education, Plays International
Book Chapters:
2008 ‘The Landscape of Contemporary Scottish Drama: Place, Politics and Identity’ in Nadine Holdsworth and Mary Luckhurst, eds. A Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Drama, Oxford: Blackwells, pp. 125-145
2007 ‘A Legacy of Violence: The Theatre of Gary Mitchell’ (co-written with Wallace McDowell 50% contribution) in Graham Saunders and Rebecca D’Monte, eds., Cool Britannia: Political Theatre in the 1990s, Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 176-191
2005 ‘Introduction’ in John McGrath’s Plays for England, edited by Nadine Holdsworth, Exeter: Exeter University Press, pp. 1-70
2005 ‘Joan Littlewood’ in Fifty Key Theatre Directors, edited by Shomit Mitter and Maria Shevtsova, Routledge, pp. 75-80
2005 ‘Finding the Right Places, Finding the Right Audiences’ in Freedom’s Pioneer: John McGrath’s Work in Theatre, Film and Television, edited by David Bradby and Susannah Capon, Exeter: Exeter University Press
2004 ‘Case Study: Ena Lamont Stewart’s Men Should Weep’ in Cambridge History of British Theatre Vol.III, edited by Baz Kershaw, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 228-241
1998: ‘Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere Before: Melodrama, Postmodernism and Victorian Culture’ in Varieties of Victorianism: Victorian Culture and the Postmodern Condition, edited by Gary Day, Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 191-205
Journal Articles (all refereed):
2007 ‘Spaces to play/playing with spaces: young people, citizenship and Joan Littlewood, in Research in Drama Education, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp.293-304
2003 ‘Travelling Across Borders: Contemporary Scottish Theatre’ in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 13, no.2, pp. 25-39
2003 ‘Remembering John McGrath’ in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 111-114
1999 ‘They’d Have Pissed on My Grave: the Arts Council and Theatre Workshop’ in New Theatre Quarterly, Vol.15, no.57, pp. 3-16
1997 ‘Good Nights Out: Finding and Activating the Audience with 7:84 (England) in New Theatre Quarterly, Vol.13, no.49, pp. 29-40
Short articles, Interviews and book reviews:
2008 Book review of Staging New Britain: Aspects of Black and South Asian British Theatre Practice and British Theatre of the 1990s: Interviews with Directors, Playwrights and Critics, in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 526-528
2008 ‘Interview with Lisa Goldman’, Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 134-137
2008 Book review of Class Act: the Cultural and Political Life of Ewan MacColl in New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. 24, no. 4, p. 394
2008 Book review of Impossible Plays: Adventures with the Cottesloe Company and Taking Stock: The Theatre of Max Stafford Clark in Theatre Research International, Vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 218-219
2005 ‘Theatre Royal Stratford East: Philip Hedley and Beyond…’ in Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 491-494
2005 Book review of The Censorship of British Drama 1900-1968 Vol. 1, in Modern Drama, Vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 204-206
024 765 22878 (direct)
024 765 23020 (office)
024 765 23297 (fax)
024 765 23020 (office)
024 765 23297 (fax)
G25, Millburn House
Office Hours:
See noticeboard for available times each week
Courses taught 2011/12:
Introduction to Performance
Contemporary Performance Practices
Performing Ethnicity, Culture and Identity
3rd year Practical Option and Dissertation supervision
