Theatre PhD

Why choose this course
Our PhD in Theatre will provide you with a supportive and collegiate research experience within our conservatoire, the Guildford School of Acting (GSA). 

Our staff are internationally known for the quality and significance of their research, which includes taking on leading roles within national and international research organisations. All of our potential PhD supervisors regularly publish and present challenging work – an ethos that we would encourage you, as a prospective postgraduate researcher, to share with us. 

We have research strengths in a range of diverse areas including performance philosophy, scenography, directing and devising, actor training, musical theatre and Shakespeare.

You will benefit from first-class conservatoire facilities including a 200-seat theatre, 15 rehearsal-studios, six performance-studios, an art gallery, a design studio, digital media labs, and high-quality recording facilities. The University Library also hosts the long-standing and internationally renowned National Resource Centre for Dance. 

We’re part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s TECHNE doctoral training partnership, which offers funding and a fully-formed training programme for academic, professional and early-career development.

What you will study
The research activity in GSA at Surrey includes access to our two research centres hosted within the school: Centre for Performance Philosophy and the Surrey Shakespeare Centre.

PhD researchers on all programmes in GSA can expect three levels of research training and support: 

• University-level training provided by the Researcher Development Programme and the University Library, including a PhD induction, workshops on writing skills and preparation for your confirmation and viva. There is also an annual student-led University Postgraduate conference.
• School-level training is offered in the form of interdisciplinary seminars, visiting speaker events and conferences. This includes events supporting the Centre for Performance Philosophy and the Surrey Shakespeare Centre.
• PhD researchers also receive subject-specific feedback our biannual GSA PGR Symposium that allow you to share and develop ideas in a supportive environment.

As a research conservatoire, we are fully equipped to offer dedicated time and support to practice research experiments and practical modes of knowledge enquiry. We welcome proposals that will result in an 80,000-word thesis or a practice research curated portfolio. (c. 40,000).

Research support
The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College, which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate Careers and Employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.

Research themes
Selected areas of current staff research are outlined below, but supervision of other subjects may be accommodated – please enquire with the Director of Postgraduate Research: 

• Actor training
• Animals and performance
• Disability arts
• Immersive and interactive theatres
• Musical theatre
• Performance philosophy
• Phenomenology and time
• Shakespeare
• Scenography, costume and architecture
• Theatre and decadence
• Theatre making in an era of climate crisis