Executive Producer, Stages

Dr Molly McPhee is a researcher in applied and socially engaged theatre, with expertise in theatre in prisons and at-risk communities, and in theatre in health education practices. In addition to her work with Stages, Molly is Lecturer in Applied Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she directs the BA and MA programmes in Applied Theatre, and teaches Theatre in Education practices.

Molly’s most recent research explores theatres that were pressured by the UK Government to become courts during the pandemic – what were called ‘Nightingale Courts’ – and the betrayal of theatre communities and artists that this created. Although the Nightingale Courts have been largely closed, the fallout to communities and arts organisations remains. Molly has assembled a Nightingale Collective, made up of health, justice, arts and education activists to respond to how post-pandemic arts organisations continue to be compelled by the government to co-deliver health and justice services in a variety of ongoing ways – and how we can shape this trend to create more equitable structures of health and justice in our society.

She also investigates how theatre companies operate and flourish within the contemporary UK arts sector, drawing on six years of producing, dramaturgy and company management as a member of the internationally renowned theatre company Clean Break, who work with criminalised and justice-experienced women; with the Royal Court Theatre, as freelance dramaturg; and with the producing company Fuel. 

As a bid-writing consultant she has worked extensively with Fuel, The Verbatim Formula/ People’s Palace Projects, and Clod Ensemble on fundraising, including successful bids to National Archives and National Lottery Heritage Fund. She is a Fulbright Fellow and a Clore Foundation Emerging Leader, with an MFA from CalArts and PhD from University of Melbourne.