Names to put back into the conversation about the history of British Theatre are suggested by Naomi Paxton’s guests in this New Thinking podcast. Stephen Bourne is the author of Deep Are the Roots – Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre. Nadine Deller is an academic whose research focuses on the place of Black women in the Black Plays Archive. She hosts That Black Theatre Podcast in collaboration with the National Theatre and is based at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Naomi Paxton is also at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She has written an introduction to the new book 50 Women in Theatre and her own research looks at the links between theatre, entertainment and the suffrage movement.

New Generation Thinkers is a scheme run by the BBC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to put research on the radio. This episode of New Thinking is made in partnership with the AHRC, part of UKRI.

You can find a playlist with topics including women and slavery, eco-criticism, fashion stories in museums, magic, and Aphra Behn on the BBC Free Thinking website https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03zws90

Stephen’s book Deep Are the Roots – Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre is published by The History Press and available now.

You can listen to That Black Theatre Podcast in all podcast places.

50 Women in Theatre is published by Aurora Metro and available now.

Producer: Tim Bano