Emma Welton

Emma Welton is a Lecturer in the Drama Department at Queen Mary University of London’s School of English and Drama. Her research focuses on queer performance under Britain’s austerity era (2009–present), interrogating how camp aesthetics resist scarcity-driven societal constraints. She explores the intersection of material conditions and performative resistance through her drag king/drag statue persona Oliver Cumwell, which critiques austerity’s historical roots.

Her work bridges scholarship and practice, exemplified by her 2020 publication in Theatre Research International, analyzing migration theatre’s portrayal of borders and belonging. She actively contributes to academic communities, serving on the Quorum organizing committee, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue.

• Research Interests: Austerity’s cultural impacts, camp theory, drag performance, migration narratives in theatre
• Key Publication: Explores migration theatre’s role in framing contemporary belonging debates