Exploring 'Radical Mischief' at The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company, 2016-2020

Davies, Elinor Mary (2022). Exploring 'Radical Mischief' at The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company, 2016-2020. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis investigates the intentions behind the 2016 re-opening of the new The Other Place (TOP), the studio theatre of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon. Erica Whyman, Artistic Director of the new TOP, summarises the spirit of the new building as ‘Radical Mischief’. Using interviews, observational notes and publicity material, this thesis examines what ‘Radical Mischief’ means to the RSC and analyses whether such aims are visible in the work of the theatre through three case-study chapters — Mischief Festivals (annual or biannual showcases of new work), Research and Development projects, and the 2018 Radical Mischief conference, co-convened with the University of Birmingham. This research is the first to document the new TOP at length and sits within the body of literature already written about earlier incarnations of TOP: Alycia Smith-Howard’s Studio Shakespeare (2006) and Colin Chambers’ Other Spaces (1980). This thesis concludes that elements of ‘Radical Mischief’ have been visible in the work, but it has not been a consistent theme. The extent to which ‘Radical Mischief’ can impact the wider RSC and the University is questioned, and with the closure of the building in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is uncertain when TOP will re-open and if ‘Radical Mischief’ is still a key incentive.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):