Behind the scenes of The Duchess of Malfi
Annabelle Terry as the Duchess, with Giles Stoakley as the Cardinal and Dharmesh Patel as Ferdinand
In March 2021, Creation Theatre produced a dazzling live online version of The Duchess of Malfi. Audiences were treated to a giallo-tinged feast for the senses, full of unease and innovative layering effects. Those who delved a little deeper discovered that the co-director of the show was Dr Laura Wright, a researcher and lecturer in English. Malfi was the result of a TORCH-funded collaboration between Creation and Laura, reborn from the challenges posed by the pandemic to their original idea.
The collaborators were keen to reflect on the process, so we commissioned a report on the making of The Duchess of Malfi. PhD student and director Fay Lomas interviewed the directors and actors and compiled reviews and evaluation to produce an extended reflective document. The report covers everything from the nuts and bolts of research-fuelled production, including innovative digital techniques, to the ways in which the knowledge exchange process challenged and benefitted the participants.
The success of this project prompts further exploration of collaborations between theatre and academia. How might it be possible to regularly embed knowledge exchange both at the heart of the professional rehearsal room and scholars' working processes? And what opportunities does the digital space offer for furthering such collaborations?
You can read the report here:
Flip through the report on Canva
Find out more about Creation Theatre, their upcoming productions, and their multiple engagements with research.
If you are a researcher or artist who is interested in pursuing a collaboration like this, find out more about our current opportunities here.
