Theatre, Drama and Performance Collections
Manuscripts and Special Collections holds a wide range of material relating to theatre, drama and performance. These collections primarily cover Nottingham and the East Midlands more widely, and relate to theatre organisations, including those involved in student theatre at the university, and material relevant to the academic study of drama, theatre, and performance. There is a particular focus amongst our holdings on smaller, touring theatre companies and theatre-in-education companies.
Archives relating to theatre and performance are a growing strength of Manuscripts and Special Collections, owing to the acquisition of the papers of a number of dramatists and theatre companies since the 2000s. Although we have long held some collections, the most recent additions have come to pass in response to research undertaken by academics in the Department of English here at the University of Nottingham. Through their connections, we have been able to take in several significant collections relating to the local area.
We are grateful to have received funding through The National Archives’ ‘Archives Revealed’ grant programme, enabling us to catalogue the collections of two small, community-focused theatre companies: Nottingham Youth Theatre (1987-2020) and Footprints Theatre Trust (1978-2018).
Scope of the collections
Our Drama, Theatre and Performance collections consist of both archives and special collections (printed resources). Some of the major areas represented within the collections include:
- Nottingham Theatres and Theatre Companies
- Youth Theatre and Theatre in Education
- Student Theatre and University of Nottingham Theatre Societies
- Personal papers of individuals involved in drama, theatre and performance
- Amateur dramatic societies
- History of British theatre, 1750-1850
- Editions of works by or about William Shakespeare, dating from the 17th century onwards
Details of a few of our most notable collections are listed below:
Archives
Special Collections
Explore
For an illustrative list of all of our collections relating to theatre, drama and performance, please see our detailed Research Guide.
The September 2023 issue of Discover, the Manuscripts and Special collections magazine was a special edition focused on music and performance.
Please be aware that cataloguing for many of our theatre, drama and performance collections has yet to be undertaken. Email us at mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk to enquire about access to any uncatalogued material.