Alexander Rawlins

Major Project: A Queer Guide to Contemporary Opera

My writing practice involves a critical analysis of contemporary dramaturgy in opera. My interests in this field encompass contemporary interpretations of the standard operatic repertoire and realisations of new operas, both on stage and in film and television. My portfolio of writings includes a history of the origins of Regietheater (Director's Theatre) at the Frankfurt Opera (1970s and '80s), and a collection of essays on contemporary dramaturgy in opera. The preoccupation of these essays was primarily representations of gender and sexuality. In addition to first-hand analysis of performances, my research has involved a series of interviews with leading practioners in the world of opera: Kasper Holten, Richard Jones and David Pountney. I have contributed to the forthcoming publication by graduating students on the Critical Writing MA programme: After Butler’s Wharf- Essays on a Working Building (published Royal College of Art, June 2013). My contribution to this publication was an essay introducing a previously unpublished conversation between filmmaker Derek Jarman and art historian and AIDs activist Simon Watney.