Dr John Matthews
Profiles

Dr John Matthews

Associate Head of School for Theatre, Dance, Music, Creative Writing, English

School of Society and Culture (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)

Biography

Biography

An Associate Professor in Theatre, John's first professional role was in BBC Film Drama while still a schoolboy in South Wales and his most recent parts have been on BBC Radio, where he voiced Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury in John Nettles' production of Sir Walter Raleigh. John is recognised internationally for his research in the field of training and, as well journal articles and edited collections he has authored three acclaimed books on the subject. John was the inaugural Research Fellow of the Stanislavski Centre and was a recipient of an AHRC Leadership Fellowship. Awarded his PhD by University of Surrey, John holds a First Class honours degree from University of London, where he was awarded the Prize for Excellence in the Field of Drama as an undergraduate.


Qualifications

PhD, Roehampton, University of Surrey

Supervisors: Professors Alan Read, Adrian Kear, Joe Kelleher, and Reader Simon Bayly 

Examiners: Professor Adrian Heathfield and Reader Martin Welton

BA (Hons) First Class, Goldsmith College, University of London

University of London Prize for Excellence in the Field of Drama


Teaching

Teaching

Teaching interests

John is currently supervising PhDs in the areas of acting, training, embodiment, disability and emergent technology in training practices. 

Staff serving as external examiners

John has served as an External Examiner for programmes at UK HEI as well as for PhD level students at University of London. He has served on QQA Audit panels and validation events in addition to writing new programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Research

Research

Research interests

John's research interests include acting and training theory and practice as well as philosophy of performance. His most recent published work has focused on performance ontology and the role of temporality in training, and his most recent funded research projects have been in virtual, immersive and wearable technology in and for actor training.

Other research

John has published on the subject of ethics in performance and his co-edited collection, A Life of Ethics and Performance, is now available in a second paperback edition.



Grants & contracts

Story Futures National Centre for Immersive Story-telling Project Grant

WaterCourse: Immersive Acting Training for Virtual Production engage STEAM approaches through exploration of climate change using flood data visualisation. Watercourse places actors within a visualisation of dramatic precincts as they become flooded. 

AHRC Leadership Research Fellowship, 2013-2015 

A monograph and a series of related video artworks that illustrate aspects of the embodied experience of training accompanying each chapter. The fellowship also includes the development of a workshop series for professional theatre makers at Theatre Royal Plymouth based on the findings of the research, sensitizing performance trainers to how they train.

Research Fellow of the Stanislavski Centre, 2009-2011

inaugural Fellow of the Stanislavski Centre and for two year term. Working with the archives and expertise of the centre to produce a series of articles for Stanislavksi Studies journal. 

Creative practice & artistic projects

John's most recent artistic project has been for a BBC radio 4 xtra production about the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower from Plymouth to America

Publications

Publications

Key publications

Key publications are highlighted

Journals
Articles
Matthews J & De Guevara VL (2019) 'Auditions and … more auditions' Stanislavski Studies 7, (2) 145-158 , DOI Open access
Ladron de Guevara VM & Matthews J (2018) 'Auditions and..' Stanislavski Studies , DOI Open access
Matthews J & Ladron de Guevara V (2017) 'Auditions and stress' Stanislavski Studies 5, (2) 217-231 , DOI Open access
Matthews J (2012) 'What is a Workshop?' Theatre, Dance and Performance Training
Matthews J (2009) 'Acting Freely' Performance Research 14, (2)
Books
Matthews J (2019) The Life of Training. Methuen Drama
Matthews J (2019) The Life of Training. Bloomsbury Publishing , DOI
Matthews J (2014) Anatomy of Performance Training.
Matthews J (2011) Training for Performance. Methuen Drama
Matthews J (2011) A Life of Ethics and Performance. Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Chapters
Matthews J (2011) 'A Life of Ethics and Performance' in Matthews J; Torevell D A Life of Ethics and Performance Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Personal

Personal

Reports & invited lectures

‘HEART’, radio broadcast of a public lecture on Resonance FM                                  

‘BODY OF WORK’ a five part, week long series of ‘lunchtime lectures at The Old Operating Theatre Museum, London                                      

‘ANATOMY: JOHN MATTHEWS IN CONVERSATION WITH DAWN KEMP’, Centre of the Body, University of London

'THE SIGNIFICANCE OF STRESS IN DRAMA SCHOOL TRAINING’ Research Seminars on Theory, Practice & History of Performance at Goldsmiths University of London

‘TRAINING IN THE CLINIC, THE CLOISTER AND THE STUDIO’, Spirituality, Education and Exegesis Lecture Series at Liverpool Hope University

‘ASKEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS’, How To Act, international conference at Central School of Speech and Drama

‘THE BODY IN THE MAGIC BOX’ The Centre of Theatre Research in Europe at Roehampton University

‘INSCRIBING THE PALIMPSEST FLESH’ The Changing Body Symposium, international conference at Exeter University

Conferences organised

Material Engagements Conference, British Library Sound Archive,  Dec06 – May 07, Co-organiser

Other academic activities

John reviews proposals and manuscripts for Bloomsbury, Methuen Drama and Palgrave MacMillan publishing houses as well as peer reviewing papers for Theatre, Dance and Performance Training and the Stanislavski Studies journal. 



Additional information

John enjoys open water swimming in the beautiful Plymouth Sound, and cycling to work.