Rob Croton

Biography

I’m a PhD student working within the English department at Keele. My research concerns post-apartheid South African theatre since the year 2000.

Research

I am currently in the second year of my PhD, following my BA and Master of Research degrees (both at Keele). My thesis explores the different frameworks and critical theories necessary for interpreting the diverse range of theatrical texts within the post-apartheid milieu.

These include contextual, critical frameworks such as Postcolonial theory, Animal Studies, Marxist and Postmodern theory, and Cultural Materialism. My thesis’ formal methodologies are derived from Theatre and Performance Studies, debates about page and stage, and the study of theatre’s staging and design (Scenography).

This latter commitment emerged out of my MRes research on Athol Fugard. My thesis’ practical methodologies involve interviews, and performance analysis of plays’ productions. The playwrights and texts in my thesis range from canonical figures like Athol Fugard, to emergent artists within post-apartheid theatre. I am currently co-supervised by Professor David Amigoni, Dr Mariangela Palladino and Dr Rebecca Yearling.

I have presented papers at the main conferences of both the Postcolonial Studies Association (at Kingston University in 2013) and the International Federation for Theatre Research’s New Scholars Forum (at Warwick University in 2014).

Extra-curricular activities

I co-run the Keele Postcolonial forum (KPoco), and the RI for Humanities’ Work in Progress programme (WiP). These two programmes bring together researchers and students from both Keele and elsewhere. The WiP programme simulates a conference environment for research students to present their research. KPoco is a venue for meetings, informal seminars, paper presentations and film screenings that are germane within postcolonial studies.

I am a member of both the Postcolonial Studies Association and the International Federation for Theatre Research. I am also learning to speak Dutch at the University of Manchester as part of my preparation for fieldwork in South Africa.