Theatre PhD student — Lizzie Hughes

Following a career working as a professional actor, Lizzie decided to set up Shake-Scene Shakespeare, a UK-based performance company. She's now studying a seven-year part-time, practice-led PhD at the University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute

How did you find a suitable PhD? What is your reasoning for choosing this PhD?

It was tricky, as my topic is too theatrical for most English departments, and too Shakespeare-y for drama departments. It was a process of elimination, and I gravitated to the place with the greatest focus on Shakespeare.

I also discovered that choosing an institution depends on finding someone willing to be your supervisor. I was initially shared between the drama department and the Shakespeare Institute, with drama in the lead. However, after a year, my drama-based supervisor left, and it had already become clear that the Shakespeare Institute would be a better fit, as I had expert actors and spaces to work with in London to fulfil my practical needs. My (previously) second supervisor was content to become my lead supervisor, so I became fully based at the institute.

As a practitioner in an extremely academic environment, I am a bit of a 'cat among the pigeons', but that is the remit I have for my Doctorate - to use my practical knowledge in putting a new slant on theory-based research.

My practice is in performing Shakespeare (and contemporary playwrights) from cues only, where the actor only has their parts of the script to work from.

What are your main study activities?

So far, it's involved five years of reading, assessing, interviewing and writing. This year is practice year, with revisions and write-ups to complete. My remit is broadly that theoretical historical research is limited and can be prone to assumptions and misconceptions, which practice and practical experience can inform.

I began by reading everything I could find with any link to performing in the Renaissance - including articles, theatrical memoirs, theses and books - building a picture of the current theory, and identifying gaps and inconsistencies.

I also interviewed archaeologists and various actors, stage managers and practitioners, as different aspects of performance, stagecraft, theatre practice and theatre architecture came into focus.

I then devised my practice questions, to be explored over a sequence of five workshops, which will be the final factor in my thesis.

How are you funding your PhD?

My family are supporting me.

What do you enjoy most about studying a PhD in Shakespeare?

The opportunity to see things from a completely different angle, and ground them in research. It's fascinating to look deeply into the history, the origins, of modern practice - it gives practical work a new aspect, as well as (annoyingly) blowing some aspects out of the water.

What are the most challenging aspects of studying at this academic level?

Academic writing and talking requires vocabulary which is not my natural vocabulary, which I find uncomfortable.

Tell us a bit about your work as a theatre professional.

I was a professional actor for 20 years, with experience of directing, producing, writing, and teaching. Through researching more on acting Shakespeare, I discovered performing from cued parts, which I just had to do. Once I did it, I wanted to do more, to develop it, to know more about it, and finally to write about it in a research format.

I am the artistic director, partner and founder of Shake-Scene Shakespeare, currently the only UK-based company specialising in performing Shakespeare and his contemporaries from cued parts.

How have you managed working while studying part time?

I run every day on calendar reminders on my phone; there is a time for everything.

My basic programme has been to do an hour a day of PhD work, to keep a drip-feed growing gradually. This has inevitably been a bit flexible, but has worked well for me.

When I have less paid work, I work more on the Doctorate, to get ahead; then the pressure is less when the day job is busy.

What are your career ambitions?

To be the world's authority on what I do - to have my thesis become a book that informs and changes research and practice. It's also to travel, teach and talk about the technique and my research, and for it to be respected, discussed, and integrated into industry practice and further research (it's starting something, not finishing it).

What advice can you give to others thinking of studying a PhD?

• Ask lots of questions at the start, get all the dates, schedules and expectations sorted.
• Be clear about your research topic and be certain that it's your passion. If that's the case, you will wake up thinking about it every day until it's done.
• Make friends. Knowing others are having your problems, or have discovered things you need to know, is very helpful.

Find out more

• Consider 5 routes to getting a Doctorate.
• Discover 7 skills you need to succeed in performing arts.
• Explore PhD opportunities at the University of Birmingham.