Program Overview

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Overview

The Department of Theatre offers supervisory expertise in a wide range of subject areas, including early modern theatre and performance practices; 19th- and 20th-century theatre and performance histories and practices; contemporary British theatre; adaptation and translation of theatre and performance; contemporary performance practices; performance archives; dance histories and practices; the role of the body in performance; philosophy and performance; virtual and augmented reality; immersive theatre and audience studies.

The department has particular strengths in historical research, digital and immersive theatre, and practice-as-research. We offer the opportunity for practice-based projects as well as projects based in the archives of the Theatre Collection, an accredited museum and archive service housed in the department. The Theatre Collection is the second-largest theatre archive collection in the UK with particular strengths in theatre in the South West, 19th-century theatre, post-Second World War theatre, live and performance art, scenery and costume design, and theatrical or related artwork.

Should research proposals span various disciplines, a supervisory team will be assembled across departments and faculties to meet the needs of the project.

Key Information

Programme Duration

• MPhil: one year full-time; two years part-time
• PhD: up to four years full-time; up to eight years part-time

Start Date

• January 2025, September 2025, January 2026

Application Deadline

• January 2025 start: 1 December 2024
• September 2025 start:
  • Overseas applicants: 25 July 2025
  • Home applicants: 1 August 2025
• January 2026 start: 1 December 2025

Delivery Method

• Distance Learning, On-Campus

Location

• Clifton

Awards Available

• PhD, MPhil

Programme Structure

MPhil

• A standalone, one-year (full-time) research degree
• Students will undertake their own research project, concluding in the submission of a 25,000-word dissertation
• Students may have the option to audit units from our taught master's programmes if they are relevant to their research

PhD

• A research project undertaken across four years (full-time, minimum period of study three years), culminating in an 80,000-word thesis
• As well as having the option to audit taught units, there may be the potential for PhD students to teach units themselves from their second year of study onwards

World-Leading Research

• 5th: The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education)
• 94%: 94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent

Entry Requirements

MPhil

• An upper second-class degree or international equivalent
• Acceptance will also depend on evidence of your readiness to pursue a research degree

PhD

• A master's qualification, or be working towards a master's qualification, or international equivalent
• Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree (or international equivalent)
• Applicants with a non-traditional background may be considered provided they can demonstrate substantial equivalent and relevant experience that has prepared them to undertake their proposed course of study

Fees and Funding

Home

• Full-time: £4,850 per year
• Part-time: £2,425 per year

Overseas

• Full-time: £21,300 per year

Alumni Discount

• University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study

Funding and Scholarships

• The University of Bristol is part of the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (SWW DTP), which will be offering studentships for September 2025
• For information on other funding opportunities, including University-funded studentships, please see the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences funding pages

Career Prospects

• A large number of graduates from this programme develop careers in higher education or work on high-level research projects in the field of theatre and performance
• Some graduates take up careers in directing and producing

Meet Our Supervisors

• Dr Francesco Bentivegna
• Dr Paul Clarke
• Dr Mark France
• Professor Catherine Hindson
• Dr Katja Krebs
• Dr Jess McCormack
• Professor Elaine McGirr
• Dr Eleanor Rycroft
• Dr Kirsty Sedgman
• Dr Harry Wilson
• Dr Jan Wozniak

Research Groups

• There is a lively postgraduate community in the department which shares research through regular reading groups, symposia of current postgraduate research, and sharing performance and research work in progress
• The department has a programme of research seminars and public talks, and strong partnerships with regional theatre and performance companies and arts organisations
• Beyond the department, students participate in interdisciplinary research clusters, centres and institutes, working with colleagues across the University and the South West