BA Drama & Theatre Studies and Environmental Studies (Joint Hons) First Class
PhD Gagging For It: Women’s Comic Performance on the London Music-hall stage
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority
As Senior Lecturer in Theatre I teach across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, specialising in stand-up comedy, solo performance, and autobiographical performance.
Current modules taught:
THE2035 The Solo Performer (module leader)
THE2525 Performance Project (module tutor)
THE3035 Solo: Stand-Up Comedy (module leader)
THE3535 Theatre Festival (project supervisor)
THE3045 Theatre Lab (project supervisor)
THE4010 Exploring Practices (module tutor)
THE4020 Extending Practices (project supervisor)
Professional Practice:
Over the last 20 years, I have regularly collaborated in the UK and internationally as a comedy director, writer, producer, teacher and workshop facilitator. I work with comedians, theatre companies, community groups and performance festivals to create stand-up comedy and comedy-theatre performances and produce comedy events. I am co-founder and co-director of PalCom (Palestine Comedy Club), an international collaborative performance, knowledge exchange and practice research project working with artists and community groups in Palestine and the UK.
I research and write about the historical and contemporary practice of stand-up comedy; comic performance; women’s comic performance; solo and autobiographical performance; popular performance; 19th century British music hall; comedy and marginalised communities.
Postgraduate supervision: I currently supervise postgraduate/PhD performance research and written projects, and welcome new research proposals on topics including the contemporary practice and history of stand-up comedy, women and comedy, comedy and marginalised communities, 19th century British music hall performance, popular performance history, solo performance and autobiographical performance. Feel free to email me to discuss your research proposal.
Selected outline of recent research and practice
Articles
2022: Comedy Studies Vol 13, Issue 2. ‘Funny and disturbing: women’s serio-comic performance on the Victorian music hall.’
2019 Teaching Artist Journal, Vol 16, Issue 3-4. ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Checkpoint: teaching stand-up comedy in Occupied Palestine.’
2019: Women’s History Review. Book review of Kitty Marion: Actor and Activist by Viv Gardner & Diane Atkinson.
Book
2020: Brazen impudence and boisterous vulgarity: the comedy and legacy of women on the Victorian and Edwardian music hall. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Published in print and as eBook. Paperback issued 2021.
Practice and knowledge exchange projects
2022-present: Co-Artistic Director of PalCom: Palestine Comedy Club and UK (Rich Mix London; Hay Festival 2023)
2022-2023: Director/workshop facilitator of Balad. Performance and knowledge exchange project funded by British Council International Collaboration Fund in Palestine (Ramallah, Nablus, Haifa, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem, 2022).
2016-18 Comedy Director and teacher/workshop faciliator for Mark Thomas’ production Showtime From The Frontline. UK tour (66 venues); published script and film of production available.
2010 – present: Comedy workshop facilitator/teacher/mentor for community organisations, youth groups, women’s groups, and graduate students (including in Ibaa Cultural Centre, Dheishah Refugee Camp, Bethlehem (2022); Al Qattan Centre, Ramallah (2022); Yes Theatre, Hebron (2022); Ashtar Theatre, Ramallah (2019); Jenin Freedom Theatre, Jenin, 2017 & 2019; Cystic Fibrosis Trust (UK, online) 2020.
Conference paper presentations
2018 & 2019: Mixed Bill Gender & Comedy Symposium (Sheffield Hallam University; Salford University)
Artistic Director of PalCom (Palestine Comedy Club). Performance and knowledge exchange project (funded by British Council International Collaboration fund 2022-2023).
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority
Member of Advisory Group for the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Dance, Drama & Performance (2023)
