Dr Ollie Jones
Senior Lecturer in Theatre

Profile

Biography

BA Hons in Archaeology (York), MA Dist in Medieval Studies (York), PhD in Archaeology and Theatre (York).

I am a theatre historian and director working primarily on early modern touring theatre, theatre architecture and performance. My work necessitates a holistic and truly interdisciplinary approach, combining methodologies from archaeological, historical, literary and theatrical academic traditions.

I first came to York to study Archaeology, after which I moved to the Centre for Medieval Studies, where I specialised in medieval drama and the Mystery Plays of York, Beverly and Chester. My doctoral research, on the all-star Elizabethan acting company, The Queen's Men, was undertaken in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies and the Department of Archaeology. Working with students from TFTV and across the University, I directed a number of performances of The Troublesome Reign of King John in the Guildhall at Stratford-upon-Avon, the site of William Shakespeare's school.

Since 2009 I have been a Research Associate at Shakespeare’s Globe, where I held a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in 2011-12, examining the evidence for Jacobean theatres and associated buildings that have informed the design of the new Sam Wanamaker Theatre.

Departmental roles

TFTV Careers Liaison Officer

University roles

Member of:

Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies (CREMS)

Centre for Digital Heritage (CDH)

Research

Overview

My research focuses primarily on early modern drama, on approaches to staging on the modern stage, and on the intersection between theatre architecture and performance. My wider interests include: touring Elizabethan players and performances at provincial venues, Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre architecture, the development of dramatic verse, approaches to staging early modern drama - both 'Original' and modern practices, (non-)Shakespeare on the small screen, and live and recorded theatre broadcast.

Projects

The Queen's Men on Tour

This project investigates the plays of the Queen's Men, the Elizabethan royal troupe of players, and performances in provincial vernacular buildings. In 2011, I took student actors from the departments of TFTV, History and English to Stratford-upon-Avon Guildhall to work on The Troublesome Reign of King John. The film of the performance can be seen at www.thequeensmen.co.uk.

Staging Jacobean City Comedy

With Michael Cordner (PI).  Launching with the Dutch Courtesan Project in 2013, the Staging Jacobean City Comedy project seeks to build on a long tradition of investigating Jacobean drama on the modern stage.

Live Theatre Broadcasts: Hybridity and Intermediality

Started in September 2014, this scoping project seeks to explore the new research opportunities offered by the emergent phenomenon of the theatrical cinema broadcast. With Hannah Andrews, Tom Cantrell, Tom Cornford, Jon Hook, and Jenna Ng.

Publications

Selected publications

• (2012a) 'A Feast for the Senses', Around the Globe 51: 20-21.
• (2012b) 'Let a Chair Come Down', Around the Globe 52: 32-33.
• (2012c) ‘The Queen’s Men in Stratford and the Troublesome Reign of John, King of England’ in J. R. Mulryne (ed.) The Guild and Guild Buildings of Shakespeare’s Stratford. Farnham: Ashgate.
• (2013a) The Dutch Courtesan project website
• (2013b) 'A death's head on their middle finger', The Dutch Courtesan website
• (2014) 'Documentary evidence for a Jacobean indoor theatre', in Andrew Gurr and Farah Karim-Cooper (eds) Moving Shakespeare Indoors. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• (in press) 'A Mad World My Masters: report', Research on Medieval and Renaissance Drama.

External activities

Memberships

Society Memberships

Society for Renaissance Studies

Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society

Advisory Groups

Member of the Architectural Research Group at Shakespeare's Globe, conducting research into Elizabethan and Jacobethan playhouse architecture and advising the Shakespeare Globe Trust about developing the Globe theatres according to new research.

Academic consultant for The Rose Revealed project and Purcell Architects in preparation of an HLF bid to excavate the site of the Rose Playhouse and construct a museum and theatre on site.