Based in the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Classics, the APGRD (Archive of Performance of Greek and Roman Drama) is a pioneering centre for international research into performances inspired by ancient Greek and Roman tragedies, comedies, and epics.
Our focus encompasses performances taking place in any country and at any time, from antiquity to the present day. We consider performance in its broadest sense: professional and amateur alike, on stage, screen, radio, in opera, dance, burlesques, puppet-shows, and more.
We have built three online open-access databases, recording details of:
- performances in the ancient world (6th century BCE to 5th century CE).
- performances in the modern era (1315 CE to the present).
- the location of recordings of modern productions.
Our archival collection of scripts, programmes, posters, photos, recordings, designs, reviews etc. (viewable by appointment), captures traces of these performative acts of reception to inspire future scholarship and creative endeavours.
As well as our research projects, academic seminars, and conferences, the APGRD hosts high-profile public talks, exhibitions, and performance events. We are strong advocates for the benefits of practice as research, and of interdisciplinary collaboration. We support not only scholars and students working on classical reception or performance studies (at undergraduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels) but also creative practitioners developing new work.