Frances Babbage

Professor Frances Babbage holds a faculty position at the University of Sheffield's School of English, where her work bridges academic research and creative practice in theatre and performance studies.

• Expertise in theatrical adaptation
• Focus on participatory and immersive performance
• Specialist in early modern literature adaptation
• Researcher in animal studies and archival performance

Babbage's research explores prose-to-performance translation, site-specific dramaturgy, and the role of audience agency in contemporary theatre. Her 2018 monograph Adaptation in Contemporary Theatre: Performing Literature examines immersive stagings of complex literary works like Infinite Jest, while the Beware the Cat (2018) adaptation combines historical textual analysis with modern performance techniques.

Recent publications focus on Jane Austen adaptations, Angela Carter's gothic influence, and cross-artform collaborations merging digital technologies with promenade performance at cultural sites like Chatsworth House. Her work with Forced Entertainment and Burn the Curtain demonstrates ongoing engagement with radical theatre practices.