University of Oxford

Graduate Student, English

DPhil Candidate, Non-stipendiary college lecturer in English

Brasenose College / Keble College

Thesis Title: Shakespeare's Women and the Fin de Siècle

About

I am a DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford, studying women's performances of Shakespeare at the end of the nineteenth century. I focus on a group of actresses which includes Ellen Terry, Mrs Patrick Campbell, Lillie Langtry and Madge Kendal, although anyone board-treading and female is of interest to me.

Using Shakespeare to illuminate fin-de-siecle culture has taken my research in all sorts of interesting directions; most recently this has included vampires and back copies of the British Gynecological Journal. In the past, I've researched at the Garrick Club and taken tea at Fortnum and Mason's (a more refined period in my research).

I like presenting papers on Victorian actresses, Shakespeare, feminism, cross-dressing or some combination of the above.

I also research Oscar Wilde (and have published on him, see my "papers" page), review books/plays for anyone who'll pay me (most recently the Postgraduate Contemporary Women's Writing Network) and am submissions editor for the AHRC-funded journal, Victorian Network. Write for us.

Teaching:

For Keble College, I'm jointly responsible for the teaching of FHS Paper 1: English Language, and also teach Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare to Finals level. Elsewhere across the university, I've taught or am teaching Modern British Drama (Stoppard, Churchill, Kane and Ravenhill in particular), Victorian Drama, more Oscar Wilde, and, bizarrely, for the Final Honours School in Philosophy.

I am also a research assistant for highly exciting top-secret Faculty research projects that MIGHT be about e.g. bombs, MI6, but are more likely to in fact revolve around English Literature.

I can't cook, knit, drive, or ride a bicycle. If I could only read one type of book for the rest of my life, it would be detective novels. Theatre is my favourite thing.

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