David Francis Taylor

Professor David Francis Taylor is a Professor of English at the University of Oxford's Faculty of English Language & Literature, affiliated with St. Hugh's College. His expertise spans British literature and culture from the mid-17th to mid-19th centuries, with a focus on theatre, satire, oratory, and the cultural history of Shakespeare. He is a founding member of the R/18 Collective, collaborating with theatre practitioners to revive forgotten Restoration and 18th-century plays, particularly those by women playwrights. His recent project, the augmented reality app A Stage in Time, reconstructs Covent Garden Theatre's 1785 pantomime sets. Taylor has authored two books—Theatres of Opposition (2012) and The Politics of Parody (2018)—and co-edited The Oxford Handbook of the Georgian Theatre (2014). Current projects include a critical edition of Joseph Addison's Cato and a biography of satirical artist James Gillray.

Research interests include the interplay of words and images in theatre, the aesthetics of theatrical space, and the socio-political role of performance. His work bridges academic scholarship and public engagement, evidenced by collaborations with theatre companies and digital humanities initiatives. Awards and fellowships are not explicitly mentioned, but his contributions to theatre history and cultural studies are widely recognized.

Professor Taylor advises graduate students on topics related to 18th-century drama and has supervised numerous DPhil and Master's theses. He is actively involved in grant-funded projects exploring Georgian theatre archives and the revival of historical plays. His interdisciplinary approach integrates literary analysis with performance studies, visual arts, and digital technologies to illuminate the cultural significance of early modern theatre.