Lucy Holehouse

I joined Royal Holloway in 2024 as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of English, where I have been researching sixteenth and seventeenth century civic performance in London and the intersections between player, playgoer, playwright, and playreader. My research exists at the cross-section of theatre history, material culture studies, audience studies, and identity studies. 

Prior to joining Royal Holloway, I completed my PhD at The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, entitled, The Materiality of Disguise in the King's Men's Repertory, 1603-1625. My thesis explored the costumes, cosmetics, prosthetics, props and characterisation in the King's Men's repertory to argue that the company were at the forefront of disguise innovation on the early modern commercial stage. Throughout, I am interested in the heterogenous audience and consideration of the individual demonstrates how the ambiguity of the early modern stage and acknowledgement of uncertainty can illuminate, not obscure, our understanding of disguise drama and the questions of identity therein. From this project, I have published a chapter in The Theatrical Legacy of Thomas Middleton, 1624-2024 and am currently developing my first monograph.

At Royal Holloway, I have taught on EN3/2012: Drama and Witchcraft, 1576-1642 and EN1112: Introducing English Poetry. I have also taught on the plays and poems of Shakespeare, theatre history, and research skills.