Purpose

Research

The provision of cutting-edge research is one of the APGRD’s primary aims, with a publication record to match.

Our research team of experienced and emergent scholars has produced pioneering studies and our digital resources include freely available databases of both ancient and modern productions. New research includes ‘Performing Epic’ and ‘Translating Ancient Drama’.

The APGRD aims to create a wider community of scholarship, drawing upon experts and practitioners from the worlds of classics, theatre, music and dance. This unique, multidisciplinary, and inclusive approach gives the APGRD additional vitality and relevance.

Preserve

Our archives contain over 10,000 items relating to modern performances of Greek and Roman drama. The centrepiece of the archive is the Leyhausen-Spiess collection, which documents European theatre history from the 1920s to the 1970s.

Managed by a professional archivist, the APGRD archives are accessible to scholars and practitioners. To make an appointment to consult the collections, go to use the archives.

Our video, audio and manuscript collections provide the raw materials for future scholarship and allow modern performances to be preserved for posterity. Donations to the archive are welcome.

Create

From commissioning new plays to hosting rehearsed readings, the APGRD works to further the understanding of ancient theatre - where western drama began and where the first musical theatre appeared.

The APGRD’s members have been producers, academic advisors and consultants on internationally acclaimed productions. The APGRD provides directors, writers, actors, choreographers and composers with a space to speak and engage with academics and students.