Benjamin McDonald

Thesis

Thesis - Mental Illness and Dramatising Symptoms: A Playwright’s Perspective

My current research explores the relationship between historical and cultural understanding of mental illness and how characters suffering with ill mental health have been exhibited on the stage. This also includes an investigation of the presentation of characters who feign mental illness for external gain and the medico-legal repercussions of automatistic behaviours.

Biography

Biography

I am an experienced and passionate lecturer in theatre studies with a background in making theatre. I have seven years of teaching experience in secondary, FE and HE posts as well as offering private tuition and I am currently in the final stages of a PhD at The University of York. I have a passion for combining teaching, research and public engagement where I write and direct innovative theatre performances.

Research

Research

Research Interests

Script writing, theatre directing, mental illness and data collection.

External Activity

External Activity

I was a finalist in the HRC Doctoral Fellowships (July, 2019) where I had the opportunity to demonstrate the quality of my research and my ability to communicate this work to a non-specialist audience. I was awarded with a certificate and a stipend for the contribution.
https://www.york.ac.uk/hrc/news/2019/hrc-doc-fell-finals-2019/

I submitted a successful proposal for the University of York Postgraduate Virtual Symposium (June, 2020) and was invited to give a presentation on the theme of Global Concerns in Storytelling. My presentation title was, Ethnodrama: Staging Anthropological Data.
https://www.tftipgsymposium.co.uk/

Publications

Publications 

https://cashacc.wixsite.com/benmcdonald