Meet John Whitney

John Whitney is exploring the relationship between games and performance in his PhD study.  

Specifically, he’s examining what games can do for performance, and what elements from games can be brought into the performance space. Linked to this, he’s looking at the idea of agency. 

John was drawn to the Department of Film, Theatre & Television because of its history of expertise in practice-based research. 

He spends a lot of time working inside a studio theatre and using the facilities at Minghella Studios. 

He is working with three different types of game: board games such as backgammon, party games such as Mafia, and puzzle games on television programmes such as The Crystal Maze. He is exploring these through collaborating with actors in workshop practice. 

For example, in one research workshop he filmed actors playing a game of backgammon. He then asked the participants what feedback they thought would come from the game, and how this could be applied to performance.

In this Department, doctoral students undertaking a practice-based PhD can present practice as part of the examination process. 

John is planning to submit a series of short play texts he has written and stage one of these for examination. He’ll also write an exegesis (a critical interpretation of his practice research) to accompany these. 

John has found that working on practice-based research is a much more fluid process than he expected. His supervisors have helped him navigate this.

The Department has offered John opportunities to gain teaching experience while studying. 

John has led workshops on topics that align with his personal interests, unconnected to his PhD. This includes teaching as part of modules on drag and queer performance, and on Brechtian theatre.  

As John has progressed during his degree, he has taken on more teaching responsibilities. He has also supervised undergraduate projects.