I am particularly interested in the intersection of theatre and sport, and the way that a deeper understanding of this long conjoined history might enable us to make sense of liminal practices like wrestling, bodybuilding, and physical theatre.
Publications
Here is the article that started it all (2013).
And here are the other articles, chapters and books in where I study wrestling and other sports as a performance art:
‘When was the Last Time that You Heard of Ian McKellen Blowing out His Knee? The Performance and Practice of Risk in British Professional Wrestling’, Survive and Thrive (2023): https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/survive_thrive/vol8/iss2/6/
‘Concussion in professional wrestling: agency, structure and cultural change’, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health (2023): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2159676X.2023.2175898
With Conor Heffernan, 'Just Look at his Vascularity: The Dangerous Theatricality of the World Bodybuilding Federation'. Journal of American Culture 45:1 (March 2022): 18-33.
‘Glitter and Broken Bones: professional wrestling, circus, the avant-garde and the radical participatory body’ in Anna-Sophie Jurgens and Mirjam Hildbrand (eds.), Circus and the Avant-Gardes (London: Routledge, 2022): 157-170.
With Ben Litherland and Tom Phillips, ‘Scholarly Grappling: collaborative ‘work’ in the study of professional wrestling’. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism 36:1 (Fall 2021): 213-228.
With Tom Dawkins, Martin Hargreaves, Claire Heafford, Joe Moran and Sam West, ‘Trying to Find the Real’ in Laura Purseglove (ed.), Bodies of Knowledge: Three Conversations on Movement, Communication and Identity (London: Live Art Development Agency, 2021): 72-99.
With Ben Litherland and Tom Phillips, ‘Is this Progress? Punk, Participation and Radical Politics in British Professional Wrestling’ in Nell Haynes, Eero Laine, Heather Levi and Sharon Mazer (eds.), Professional Wrestling: Populism and Politics (Calcutta: Seagull [Chicago UP], 2020): 119-139.
‘Queer Music Hall Sport: All-In wrestling and modernist fakery’. Modernism/Modernity 27:1 (Jan 2020): 147-164.
Contributed to Oliver Lee Bateman, 'Wrestling, Politics and the Violent Realities of 2016', Pacific Standard (December 2018).
'"Might all be a Work" Professional Wrestling at Butlins Holiday Camps', Journal of Popular Culture (July 2018).
With Broderick Chow and Eero Laine, Professional Wrestling and Performance (Routledge 2016).
Projects
In 2019 I was involved in an Arts Council-funded project entitled 'Bodies of Knowledge'. I worked with Tom Dawkins (Cara Noir) and Joe Moran to consider the intersections of dance (particularly ballet) and wrestling. Afterwards I wrote this article reflecting on the process. The book from this project was published by the Live Art Development Agency in 2021.
In 2020 we secured a British Academy grant to fund the Health and Wellbeing in Professional Wrestling project, an initiative that aimed to take a supportive healthcheck of British professional wrestling. The team (me, Dominic Malcolm, Anthony Papathomas, and Sam West) interviewed many wrestlers, referees, and promoters to talk about key health and wellbeing concerns in the industry. Here is the website from the project. There are lots of free resources up there and the team would be glad to hear from anyone in the wrestling industry who might value support or guidance as they seek to make wrestling safer.
We have since worked closely with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Professional Wrestling. In November 2022 we held a symposium to bring together wrestling change-makers. This was kindly funded by Loughborough University. (from l to r: Me, the wrestler Rhia O'Reilly, Alex Davies-Jones MP, APPG secretariat Danny Stone).
Wrestling Resurgence
I am the co-founder of Wrestling Resurgence and remain involved in the collective as academic lead and commentator.
We began the project with a series of talks and roundtable events (Cultural Exchanges 2017; Everybody's Reading 2017), before hosting our first wrestling event at Attenborough Arts Centre as part of the Being Human Humanities Festival (November 2017). The project won De Montfort University's 2017 Innovation and Impact Award. Since then Wrestling Resurgence has secured funding from the Arts Council three times (through co-founder Sam West) and won a Loughborough University Enterprise Grant to establish Wrestling Resurgence as an independent arts collective. The company runs shows across the East Midlands. I've enjoyed speaking about Wrestling Resurgence to/on newspapers, blogs and podcasts.
Keep up with Wrestling Resurgence by following on Twitter or Instagram. And do check out the YouTube channel for films and matches. There are links for tickets in case you are in the East Mids area and fancy catching a show.
Whether you are a huge wrestling fan or have never watched a match in your life, you will have a great night out!
Resurgence is committed to to creating a supportive, diverse, inclusive and safe environment for fans and wrestlers alike.
For the record, I am a big fan of Hiroshi Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Jnr, but will forever rank the 'Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels as my number one.
I am the co-founder of Wrestling Resurgence and remain involved in the collective as academic lead and commentator.
We began the project with a series of talks and roundtable events (Cultural Exchanges 2017; Everybody's Reading 2017), before hosting our first wrestling event at Attenborough Arts Centre as part of the Being Human Humanities Festival (November 2017). The project won De Montfort University's 2017 Innovation and Impact Award. Since then Wrestling Resurgence has secured funding from the Arts Council three times (through co-founder Sam West) and won a Loughborough University Enterprise Grant to establish Wrestling Resurgence as an independent arts collective. The company runs shows across the East Midlands. I've enjoyed speaking about Wrestling Resurgence to/on newspapers, blogs and podcasts.
Keep up with Wrestling Resurgence by following on Twitter or Instagram. And do check out the YouTube channel for films and matches. There are links for tickets in case you are in the East Mids area and fancy catching a show.
Whether you are a huge wrestling fan or have never watched a match in your life, you will have a great night out!
Resurgence is committed to to creating a supportive, diverse, inclusive and safe environment for fans and wrestlers alike.
For the record, I am a big fan of Hiroshi Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Jnr, but will forever rank the 'Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels as my number one.
