Natasha Oxley

Dr Natasha Oxley DPhil, MA, PGDip Acting, BA

Senior Lecturer in Drama

Dr Natasha Oxley holds a DPhil in contemporary Polish drama from the University of Oxford, an MA in Actor Training and Coaching from RCSSD, a PGDip Acting from LAMDA and an undergraduate degree in Theatre Studies and Polish from the University of Glasgow. Natasha is a member of the Young Vic Directors Program / Genesis Directors Network and she completed the Royal Court Young Writers Program led by Simon Stephens. She is a Board Member of the British Friends of the Gdansk Shakespeare Theatre.

Natasha is the founder and director of Chiffchaff Children's Theatre which since 2012 has been performing stage adaptations of children's books for young children and their families in East London, including in educational settings and libraries. Natasha recently set up Theatre Zurybida to stage contemporary European plays in translation.

Natasha has worked as an actor, director, lecturer, teacher, acting coach, translator, drama worker and workshop leader in several contexts. At Greenwich she leads the course in Applied Drama and teaches on other drama courses.

Drama

Responsibilities within the university
  • Senior Lecturer in Drama
  • Course Leader, Applied Drama
  • Joint Course Leader, Placements
  • Lecturer, Modern Stages and Performance Skills

Recognition

Full Member of Equity

Research / Scholarly interests

Applied drama, including theatre for young children in the UK and elsewhere; contemporary Polish drama; European playwrights; cultural memory, drama translation; acting and actor training; directing.

Key funded projects

  • Waltham Forest Council, Arts Development Grant, Chiffchaff Children's Theatre, Banana! and Whatever Next!, 2016
  • Wolfson College, University of Oxford, Travel Grant for fieldwork on theatre productions in Poland, 2015
  • Arts Council England, Grant for the Arts, Chiffchaff Children's Theatre, Peace At Last, London, 2012
  • Jagiellonian University Polish Research Centre in London, PON Research Grant towards DPhil project, 2012
  • University of Oxford, Vice Chancellors' Fund, 2012
  • CEELBAS, Full Award for full time DPhil, University of Oxford, 2008-2011
  • AHRC, Full Award for full time MA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, 2005-2006
  • Polish Government Postgraduate Scholarship, for independent research into Polish acting and theatre, based at PWST theatre academy, Warsaw, 2000-2001

Recent publications
  • Monograph based on DPhil thesis under consideration with publisher
  • Oxley, N. 'Theatre as a site of social conflict', confirmed to appear in second issue of Polish Theatre Journal, www.polishtheatrejournal.com, due online 2016
  • Oxley, N. 'Modernisations of Polish Identities in Contemporary Polish Plays', https://www.sant.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/related-documents/post-1945_poland_working_papers_pomp_2016.pdf, 2015
  • Oxley, N. 'Getting to Grips with Grotowski', published by The British Grotowski Project on www.britishgrotowski.co.uk, 2009

Presentations
  • Oxley, N. 'Modernisation of Polish identities in contemporary Polish plays', Programme on Modern Poland Postgraduate conference on Post-1949 Poland, University of Oxford, June 2015
  • Oxley, N. and others 'To what extent does UK actor training meet industry need?', postgraduate student conference, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, 2006