Playing the Archival Resident

: Uncovering Brecon’s Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Theatre History

Abstract

This thesis is inspired by the archive of materials collated by the late Sister Bonaventure Kelleher of Brecon. Over several decades local historian Sister Bonaventure gathered extensive evidence of playbills, newspaper articles and cuttings to reveal the market town of Brecon in mid-Wales as an eighteenth and nineteenth century theatrical centre. Much of the content in the archive is underreported in academia and has been almost forgotten locally. This study uses the original archive and the author’s own research to uncover the story of Brecon’s theatrical past between 1699 and 1870 situating its place within wider provincial theatre circuits. The investigation centres on Brecon as an exercise in microhistory to uncover its position as a theatrical hub and (re)focus on the importance of provincial theatre and the stories of forgotten women within these narratives. Women are resituated in their position as influential theatre patrons and as theatre managers. Throughout it is argued that the sense of local - local people and the landscape of the area in which they live - is key to this history.

At the heart of the thesis is the position of the archival resident, an investigator who lives in the area which is the subject of their research. It is a position adopted by both the original archivist and the author of the study. The final chapter analyses a promenade theatre production on the streets of Brecon created as a means of sharing Brecon’s theatrical past with its community. The production was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and produced in partnership with a local amateur dramatics group. It is argued that the position of the archival resident brings a strength and nuance to the investigation which enables a deeper and more meaningful connection to the material and an efficacy to the processes of creative heritage and public histories.

Date of Award	29 Apr 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Catherine E Hindson (Supervisor) & Elaine M McGirr (Supervisor)