James Critchley, Trinity

Degree: PhD
Course: English
Supervisor: Prof Drew Milne
Dissertation Title: The Peter Shaffer Papers: Writing, Revision and Collaboration in Twentieth Century Theatrical Culture

Biographical Information

I read English as an undergraduate at Trinity. I returned to the college to begin a PhD after completing an MSt in English (1900-Present) at the University of Oxford, where I was a Harris Manchester Graduate Scholar. My doctoral work is funded by the Alice and James Penney Studentship in English literature.

Research Interests

I have wide-ranging interests in the literary and performance cultures of the twentieth-century. My PhD centres on the unexamined archive of the playwright Peter Shaffer, and investigates his formation by a culture of intermedial dramatic exchange (primarily the interplay between theatre, opera, and cinema). I have broader theoretical and methodological interests in queer theory; genetic and textual criticism; radio and sound studies; and the history of media and mediation. 

I supervise students working on a variety of topics within drama and performance, as well as occasionally further afield. 

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

Conference/Seminar Presentations

  • 'Anti-Theatre and Artificial Performance', Trinity Lunchtime Seminar Series, 29 October 2025