Radical Shakespeare - the life and work of Michael Bogdanov
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: English and Comparative Literary Studies
Abstract
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) holds the archive of Michael Bogdanov (1938-2017), a leading
director of post-war British theatre. The collection consists of Bogdanov's papers from the period of 1965-
2010 and is, as yet, unexplored. This collaborative project will mark a timely and significant appraisal of
the life and work of this eminent director. Bogdanov's internationally important work spans over 4
decades. Crucially, he believed that theatre is a "powerful instrument of social change" and his radical,
ground-breaking work on many Shakespeare plays attempted to remove the barriers that exist between
language and audience by associating the events with contemporary politics.
The focus of this study will: firstly, explore new, unexamined evidence to consider Bogdanov's career, his
working methods and the artistic, political and personal influences behind his work; secondly, to
investigate his working relationships with the many practitioners, theatres and academics that he
collaborated with; thirdly, to analyse the wider social impact of Bogdanov's international work in theatre,
film and television. Ultimately, this thesis investigates how Bogdanov approached and developed his
work, the impact that it had then and the potential global impact it can have now and in the future. The
collection will be brought to wider audiences, reflecting Bogdanov's commitment to making cultural work
available and relevant to all.
director of post-war British theatre. The collection consists of Bogdanov's papers from the period of 1965-
2010 and is, as yet, unexplored. This collaborative project will mark a timely and significant appraisal of
the life and work of this eminent director. Bogdanov's internationally important work spans over 4
decades. Crucially, he believed that theatre is a "powerful instrument of social change" and his radical,
ground-breaking work on many Shakespeare plays attempted to remove the barriers that exist between
language and audience by associating the events with contemporary politics.
The focus of this study will: firstly, explore new, unexamined evidence to consider Bogdanov's career, his
working methods and the artistic, political and personal influences behind his work; secondly, to
investigate his working relationships with the many practitioners, theatres and academics that he
collaborated with; thirdly, to analyse the wider social impact of Bogdanov's international work in theatre,
film and television. Ultimately, this thesis investigates how Bogdanov approached and developed his
work, the impact that it had then and the potential global impact it can have now and in the future. The
collection will be brought to wider audiences, reflecting Bogdanov's commitment to making cultural work
available and relevant to all.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Paul Prescott (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Emma Sheppard (Student) |