European Theatre (Research)

Make an original, positive and lasting contribution to the study of European theatre. A PhD is an opportunity to expand upon your interests and expertise as part of an active research community making impact across the globe.

Edinburgh is one of Europe’s foremost festival cities, with a rich artistic and performance heritage. It is an inspirational place to study theatre. Researchers and practitioners are drawn here from across the world.

As well as the Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the city is a year-round cultural treasure trove. Venues range from pop-ups and community spaces to the multi-stage Traverse Theatre, which provides support and opportunities for new and emerging writers.

Based in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC), you will benefit from our expertise in:

• English and Scottish theatre

• French and Francophone theatre

• German theatre

• Italian theatre

• Russian and Russophone theatre

• Scandinavian theatre (particularly Danish, Norwegian and Swedish)

• theatre from the many countries in which Spanish or Portuguese is spoken

We have specialists in theatre from the medieval period right up to the contemporary. Cross-cutting research themes include:

• theatre and cultural politics

• digital philology and electronic publishing

• theories of performance and performativity

• gender and performance

• reception studies and popular culture

• word and image

Over the course of your PhD, you will complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of at least two supervisors. Your thesis will be around 80,000 words.

Our programme includes access to skills training, including research methodologies specific to theatre studies. Our research collections, resources and facilities are outstanding.