Women and marginal identities: performing Shakespeare's male characters 2012-2020

Drawing upon my 30years’ experience of acting, directing and theatre making, my argument concerns issues ofrepresentation in contemporary theatre. My study explores how these performances challengedtraditional cultural representations, and became platforms for portraying identitiesmarginalised by gender, race, class, regionality, sexuality, body type, and disability.

Using anintersectional lens, I analyse how each production reflected its political moment and engagedwith broader social issues. I argue that Shakespeare’s works and the modern stage serve aspowerful cultural platforms, shaping perceptions of who belongs in society. Theseperformances used Shakespeare’s national and cultural status to reimagine contemporaryvisions of society and nationhood.