Research-informed fictional histories: Dramatizing the stories of marginalised women

Authors

Keywords:

RbT, Women, Histories, Fiction

Abstract

This article documents the work of two Research-based Theatre practitioners. The two case studies featured were written in different cultures, for different purposes and audiences. However, both share some common elements. They feature marginalized and largely forgotten women. One tells of the plight of foreign domestic helpers in Singapore and East Asia. The second case documents the achievements of women painters whose contribution to the Australian en plein air movement has been undervalued. In both instances we included in our playwriting what we have come to refer to as research-informed fiction. The subject matter, the intended audience, and the real-life women on whom the plays were based necessitated including fictional elements into our respective plays.

Author Biographies

Richard Sallis, The University of Melbourne

is leader of drama / theatre education in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne and a co-director of its Researchbased Theatre Lab.

Prue Wales, The University of Melboure

is senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne. She is a co-director of its Research-based Theatre Lab.

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Published

2025-05-31

How to Cite

Sallis, R., & Wales, P. (2025). Research-informed fictional histories: Dramatizing the stories of marginalised women. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 59(1), 60–81. Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/10206