author
Richard Ashby
A scholar of Shakespeare and modern theatre, his work explores how classic drama is reimagined in the shadow of historical catastrophe. His writing brings together literary criticism, performance, and cultural memory in a way that feels both thoughtful and accessible.
2 Audiobooks
The vertigo hook
by Richard Ashby
Master Race
by Richard Ashby
About the author
Richard Ashby is a lecturer in Theatre, Drama and Performance 1560–Present in the English Department at King’s College London. Across his academic and public-facing writing, he focuses on Shakespeare, adaptation, and the ways theatre responds to trauma, memory, and history.
He is the author of King Lear 'After' Auschwitz: Shakespeare, Appropriation and Theatres of Catastrophe in Post-War British Drama, published by Edinburgh University Press in 2021. He has also written articles on Shakespeare and his afterlives, and his work has appeared in venues including History Today.
Ashby has also been involved in research projects on Holocaust memory, antisemitism, and Jewish identity in contemporary performance. His work stands out for connecting literary study with urgent ethical and historical questions, showing how old plays can keep speaking to modern audiences.