Professor Dr. Stephen Scott Bottoms

Biography

Stephen Scott-Bottoms is a Professor of Contemporary Theatre Performance at the University of Manchester, having joined in 2012 after previous appointments at the Universities of Leeds and Glasgow. He has published widely in theatre performance studies and has a significant focus on interdisciplinary research. His recent book, 'Incarceration Games' (2024), explores themes related to psychology and penology while reconstructing historical social psychology experiments. Scott-Bottoms's practice-based research includes collaborations with stakeholders on climate resilience through storytelling methods. He has documented and contextualized contemporary theatre practices, notably through his work 'Playing Underground', which examines New York's radical Off-Off-Broadway theatre movement. His research interests extend to American theatre, with publications on playwrights such as Sam Shepard and Edward Albee, as well as performance artists like Penny Arcade. He is actively engaged in discussions surrounding performance theory and its applications, including the use of theatre in prison settings. As the Research Co-ordinator in the Department of Drama and Film, he has a commitment to bridging theatre/performance studies with broader societal issues, including environmental citizenship and social change.

Research Interests

Experience