Performing Arts
The Library welcomes recommendations from staff and students, provided they are current editions and support the learning, teaching and research interests of the University. Make your request through the Collection Recommendation Service.
- Contemporary Theatre Review
Peer-reviewed journal on theatre and performance, including mainstream theatre, drama, performance histories, live and performance art, dance theatre and sound. - The Stage
Theatre news and reviews from London's West End and across the UK.
LGBTQ+ reading list – have you seen the LGBTQ+ reading list, which highlights recommended resources available in the library? Click on the “table of contents” to view books that are related to acting and performance.
The library offers over 200,000 print and electronic books. Print books are arranged by shelf number, which are found using LibrarySearch and on the book binding, the most relevant numbers are -
| Subject | Shelf Number |
| Acting | 792.028 |
| Directing | 792.0233 |
| Film acting | 791.43028 |
| Film genres | 791.436 |
| History of theatre | 792.09 |
| Plays and scripts | 822 |
| Stage productions | 792.9 |
| Television programmes | 791.456 |
Journals provide up to date research in your area of study, they may be available in print or electronic format and can be found using LibrarySearch. A list of all current journals can be found using the Journals A-Z, the most relevant are -
- Contemporary Theatre Review
Publishes research on theatre and performance, including mainstream theatre, drama, performance histories, live and performance art, dance theatre and sound. - The Stage
Theatre news and reviews from London's West End and across the UK - International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media
Research in music and performing arts. - Performance Research
Promotes interchange between scholarship and practice in the field of performance and emphasizes on contemporary performance arts within changing cultures - Studies in Theatre and Performance
Publishes international research on theatre and performance practice, including scenography, choreography, playwriting, dramaturgy and live art - TDR : The Drama Review
TDR is where leaders and future leaders of performance studies go for performance texts, performative writing, editorials, reviews, and articles about the performing arts, performance in everyday life, politics, popular entertainment, business, and sports. - Theatre, dance and performance training
Publishes research on performance training by practitioners, academics, creative artists and pedagogues, including training processes and performance making. - Theatre Journal
Drawing contributions from noted practitioners and scholars, Theatre Journal features social and historical studies, production reviews, and theoretical inquiries that analyze dramatic texts and production.
Databases bring together specialist collections of articles, images and electronic books. A list of all current databases can be found using the Databases A-Z, the most relevant are -
- Drama Online This link opens in a new window
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Drama Online is an online resource for theatre and performance, offering cross-searchable content, including e-books and transcripts of plays.
- Digital Theatre Plus This link opens in a new window
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Access to over 900 full length productions and educational resources. Digital Theatre collaborates with over 50 world class theatre companies and practitioners to capture and curate live performance bringing a range of insights from behind the scenes to support study.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
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An archive of scholarly journals covering the visual arts, including architecture, film studies, fine art, art history, the performing arts, religion, folklore and language, 1884-2009.
- National Theatre Collection 1 This link opens in a new window
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Drawing on 10 years of NT Live broadcasts, alongside high-quality archive recordings never previously seen outside of the NT's Archive, the National Theatre Collection 1 offers 30 filmed performances. - National Theatre Collection 2 This link opens in a new window
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This second National Theatre collection offers 20 more performances, ranging from Greek legend and Shakespeare to a wealth of contemporary plays including musical theatre. - National Theatre Collection 3 This link opens in a new window
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This third National Theatre collection offers 20 performances, from Greek tragedy, a medieval morality play, and Shakespeare, to plays about Generation Z - Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
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Indexes over 250 Film, Music and Performing Arts journals with 97 of these available in full text, including American Cinematographer, Dance Chronicle, Film Criticism, and Journal of Popular Film and Television.
- Scenesaver This link opens in a new window
The online hub to watch 600+ performances from off West End and fringe theatres from all around the world.
- Screen Studies This link opens in a new window
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Exceptional collection of award-winning screenplays, critical and contextual books on film from the late nineteenth century to the present, and an interactive timeline of cinema history.
- Spotlight This link opens in a new window
Spotlight connects performers with roles in theatre, television and film productions around the world. Casting professionals choose Spotlight to cast their projects because performers on Spotlight are recognised as the industry’s best.
- BoB This link opens in a new window
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BoB is on demand TV and radio service for education which allows staff and students to record programmes from over 75 free-to-air channels; and search our archive of over 2.2 million broadcasts. See - Using BoB to learn more about how to setup and use BoB.
- BFI Player This link opens in a new window
The BFI video on-demand streaming service, showing critically acclaimed classic, cult and archive films.
To create or reactivate an account go to the Academic Subscription Page
See the FAQ for further instructions on creating an account. - BBC Shakespeare Archive This link opens in a new window
Offers access to over 900 programmes, including contemporary productions, from the BBC’s archive of Shakespeare’s plays, poems and sonnets.
- Atlasshorts This link opens in a new window
Atlasshorts curates and delivers short films (under 60 minutes) and visual art across live-action, narrative, animation, documentary, VR/AR/XR, from the leading film, media, art and design schools.
- Kanopy This link opens in a new window
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Kanopy is a video streaming service with a Netflix-style interface which can be accessed via the link above or using the Kanopy mobile app for Android and iOS.
Login required off campus to watch films (log in with your UCA details to create a Kanopy login).
- Britannica ImageQuest This link opens in a new window
Over 2.5 million rights-cleared and high quality images from 46 of the world's leading collections.
- Bridgeman Education This link opens in a new window
Bridgeman Education is a complete visual resource offering over 800,000 digital images of art, history and culture from global museums, galleries, private collections and contemporary artists all copyright cleared for educational use.
Archives offer access to rare and unique insight into the work of artists and creators, and often include original letters and artwork. Details of all the collections can be found in the ArchiveSearch, the most relevant for performing arts are -
Tandem Film Daniel Greaves Studios
Animations produced by Tandem Films including ‘Flatworld’ (1997) and ‘Manipulation’ (1991) - this collection consists storyboards, scripts, and artworks.
A selection of animations are available on ResourceBank
Tessa Boffin Archive
Photographer and performance artist, this collection reflects her artistic practice developed around LGBTQ, gay and lesbian culture and producing work in response to HIV/AIDS
A selection of digitised archives are available on ResourceBank
Zines
Are a unique form of self-expression “do it yourself“ magazines. They cover any subject, common themes include feminism, music, politics, activism, literature, personal, crafts, art and design, and travel. Available at Canterbury, Epsom, and Farnham.
Digitised front covers can be viewed in ResourceBank
