Philip Watkinson

Dr Philip Watkinson is a Lecturer in Theatre Research at Lancaster University's Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA), part of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His research interrogates the cultural politics of contemporary European performance, focusing on neoliberalism's socio-political impacts, affect theory, and postdramatic theatre forms. His current project, Performance and the Politics of Abstraction, explores abstraction's role in capitalist ideologies through works like Elfriede Jelinek’s Rein Gold.

Education:

• PhD in Drama (2017), Queen Mary University of London
• MA in European Theatre (2012), University of Kent
• BA (Hons) Performing Arts (2011), University of Winchester

Research Interests: Watkinson’s work bridges performance studies with political economy, examining how theatre engages with socio-historical moments. Key areas include feminist performance, spectatorship dynamics, and the intersection of theatre with postmodern economic systems. He employs affect theory to analyze formal structures in plays by figures like debbie tucker green and Anders Lustgarten.

Teaching: In 2024/25, he teaches modules on gender/sexuality in performance, environmental theatre, MA dissertation supervision, and foundational drama studies. His pedagogy emphasizes critical reflection and creative practice.

Publications: His work spans peer-reviewed journals (Performance Research, Theatre Journal), edited collections, and critical reviews. Notable outputs include analyses of electro-pop’s patriarchal subversion and abstraction’s role in post-2008 financial crisis theatre.

Professional Engagement: Co-edited Performance Research’s 'On Dialectics' issue (2016). Engages with community initiatives like Morecambe Bay Community Primary School projects, blending academic rigor with public outreach.