Elizabeth Schafer

Elizabeth Schafer is a Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at the Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance, Royal Holloway, University of London. Her research focuses on Shakespeare in global cultural contexts, women's contributions to theatre, Australian drama, and the works of Caroline playwright Richard Brome. She has authored seminal works such as Twelfth Night: Shakespeare in Production (2009) and Lilian Baylis: A Biography (2006), and edited critical editions of Brome's plays. Schafer co-dramaturged the controversial Margaret of Anjou (2016), a purported 'new' Shakespeare play. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a leading advocate for gender equity and sustainability in academia, serving as Royal Holloway’s UCU Green Rep since 2021.

Educational Background:

• PGCE in Drama and English (University of Nottingham)
• Extensive international teaching experience at institutions including La Trobe University (Melbourne), University of Wollongong, and universities in France, Brazil, Canada, Hungary, and Finland.

Research Interests:

• Shakespeare's cross-cultural interpretations across time and geography
• Women's roles in theatre creation and direction
• Early modern women playwrights like Elizabeth Cary (The Tragedy of Mariam)
• Eco-performance and sustainability in theatre practices
• Textual analysis of 17th-century dramatists like Richard Brome

Recent Projects:

• Co-led the Mariam Project (2013), commemorating Elizabeth Cary's 400th anniversary
• Contributing to Bloomsbury's Shakespeare in the Theatre series on Phyllida Lloyd's productions
• Editing Brome's plays for Oxford University Press

Recognition:

• 2022 College Team Teaching Commendation (Royal Holloway)
• Lead author of UN SDG-aligned research on theatre and sustainability

Advocacy Work:

• Successfully contested a gender pay gap case in 2010
• Teaches Carbon Literacy Training at Royal Holloway since 2021