Cornford, Thomas (2012) The English theatre studios of Michael Chekhov and Michel Saint-Denis, 1935-1965. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis charts the brief history of the theatre studios run in England
between 1935 and 1965 by Michel Saint-Denis (1897-1971) and Michael Chekhov (1891-
1955). They were the London Theatre Studio (1936-1939), run by Saint-Denis; The
Chekhov Theatre Studio at Dartington Hall (1936-1938); The Old Vic Theatre School
(1947-1952), initially part of the proposed Old Vic Theatre Centre, whose directors were
Michel Saint-Denis, George Devine and Glen Byam Shaw; and the RSC Studio (1962-
1965), run by Saint-Denis. All of these studios were dedicated to combining training and
experimentation in the development of ensemble companies and were therefore liminal
spaces combining elements of a theatre and a theatre school.
An introductory section briefly situates the practice of theatre studios in the
context of wider narratives of work, craftsmanship and artistry in the period and traces
their development from the Moscow Art Theatre Studio of 1905, as well as sketching
some significant parallels between Saint-Denis and Chekhov. The first two sections of
the thesis then explore the period from 1936 until 1952, looking first at Chekhov’s and
then at Saint-Denis’ studios, placing them in the context of the traditions of training and
exploration from which they emerged, and examining their practice and their legacies.
The final section of the thesis explores the direct impact of their practice on the Post
War British Theatre, focusing particularly on the Royal Shakespeare Company whose
Studio was run by Saint-Denis, and where Paul Rogers (one of Chekhov’s students) was a
leading actor. A short concluding section applies the principles of Chekhov’s and Saint-
Denis’ work to the practice of training and experimentation in 2012 and looks to the
future, to ask whether the studios whose work is explored in the main body of the thesis
have a role to play in the future development of the art of the theatre.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Theater -- England -- History -- 20th century, Chekhov, Michael, 1891-1955, Saint-Denis, Michel, 1897-1971
Official Date:	May 2012
Dates:	Date Event May 2012 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	[not provided]
Extent:	398 leaves : illustrations.
Language:	eng

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