[Portrait] Eleanor Stewart, Senior Lecturer in English

What is your research about?

My thesis was on the interaction between the women's emancipation movement in England at the turn of the 20th century and theatre. A significant part of my work was devoted to suffragist playwrights. I am interested in the links between theatre and female identity, and between theatre and socio-political issues. I have published articles on committed playwrights from the turn of the century such as Elizabeth Robins, Cicely Hamilton and Githa Sowerby, as well as on a contemporary playwright, Rebecca Lenkiewicz.

What are your current scientific activities?

My book, entitled "The New Woman on the British Stage, 1890-1914is in press with Editions Harmattan. It should introduce French readers to little-known British women playwrights. As part of a conference to be held at the Sorbonne at the end of 2020 ('The new wave of women playwrights on the contemporary English stage'), I will be presenting a paper on Enron (2009) by Lucy Prebble. This original play explores the downfall of an American multinational in 2001, and had a particular resonance for British audiences in 2009, in the midst of the financial crisis.

Why did you choose to work in academic research?

After doing a degree in modern languages (French and German) in England, I took the teaching exams and did a doctorate in France.

My career as a lecturer allows me to combine teaching English with specialising in a field I'm passionate about, theatre.

Research in theatre studies is very varied - it's not just about the text, because theatre is a living spectacle. We see productions, we work in archives, we study reception and I had the opportunity to interview a playwright. It's the diversity of this discipline and the fact that I'm studying an art form that is in direct contact with contemporary issues, an art form that is constantly renewing itself, that stimulates me the most.

What advice would you give to students who want to do research?

You need to be sure that you are ready to specialise in a very specific area and devote several years to it. You need to check what has already been done in the field in question, and then define your subject. It's important to anticipate the type of research that will be required (libraries, archives, visits abroad). Finally, it's important not to forget that digital resources are becoming increasingly rich. In the field of theatre, some pieces can be read and even viewed online.

Which object or image from your research best illustrates you?

As a specialist in British theatre, I attend productions in England several times a year. But it's the National Theatre, London (below) which is the most important place for me. Located in the heart of the South Bank, it is one of the symbols of contemporary British creativity. For a few years now, this theatre is trying to promote new playwrights and stage more plays written by womenwhile offering a classical repertoire. I've been going to the theatre since I was 10, when my father, a theatre critic, took me to see A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare.