Abbie Longmate

My DPhil explores the cultural politics of twentieth century theatrical networks, paying particular attention to the material spaces in which communities gathered to discuss, rehearse and perform theatrical work. I'm interested in domestic spaces and alternative buildings that have been converted into performance venues, and I use network theories to reposition non-human, material spaces and objects as key players in theatrical networks. By examining how these networks were formed, how they operated, and how they were recorded, we can understand more about the influence collaborative activities had upon the theatre-making and political movements of the twentieth century. 

The primary focus of my research is Smallhythe Place, a National Trust property in Kent which was formerly owned by Victorian actress Ellen Terry, and upon her death, was converted into a memorial museum by her daughter, Edith Craig (director, actress, costumer designer and political activist). With the help of her theatrical network, Craig converted the Elizabethan barn at Smallhythe into a memorial theatre, producing an annual dramatic festival to commemorate Ellen Terry, along with a regular programme of local, amateur theatre with the Barn Theatre Society.

My Collaborative Doctoral Award is in partnership with the National Trust, and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)'s Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership scholarship and the Clarendon Fund at the University of Oxford.

Research Interests: Theatre History; Modern and Contemporary Theatre; Modernist Literature, Twentieth-Century Women's Writing; Victorian Fiction and Drama; Literary and Artistic Communities; Feminist Theory; Cultural Heritage, Performance Archives and Museum Collections