Areas of expertise |
I am a theatre historian whose work focuses on popular stage performance and celebrity performers in the long nineteenth century. I have published on the theatre industry and charity, skirt and serpentine dance, celebrity performers including Jane Avril, Yvette Guilbert and Lillie Langtry and the role of theatre history in theatre redevelopment, particularly in relation to the Bristol Old Vic.
Currently I am working on a book project exploring the relationship between West End Theatre between 1880 and 1920 and charity work. The Stand and Deliver Business: Charity, London Theatre and the Actress, 1880-1920 traces back our current ideas about celebrity and philanthropy to the late-Victorian period. This project looks at charity stage performances, but also at bazaars, balls, fetes and wartime entertainment.
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