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 grew up in Aberdeen and Newcastle upon Tyne, and 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 kindly funded by the Alice and James Penney Studentship in English literature.

Research Interests

My PhD centres on the hitherto unexamined archive of the playwright Peter Shaffer, held at the Trinity College Library in Cambridge. I have wider research interests in the literature and culture of mid-twentieth century Britain, with an especial emphasis on the period's theatre, performance, and film. More general areas of focus include: comparative drama and tragedy; genetic and textual criticism; Queer Theory; radio and sound studies; intermediality. 

Selected Publications

  • 'W. S. Graham: Composing The Nightfishing', Essays in Criticism (forthcoming, 2025)
  • 'Vaguening Revenge: Beckett, Marston, and All That Fall', Journal of Beckett Studies, 33.2 (2024), 162-180