Dr. Hassan Hussain

Dr Hassan Hussain is a writer, researcher and cultural facilitator, specialising in contemporary British theatre, performance and the representation of identity. He holds a PhD in English, with a specialist focus on theatre and performance. His doctoral research, which is currently being reframed for trade publication, explored the de/construction of gay men in contemporary British theatre, examining the representation of LGBTQ+ narratives within twenty-first-century British playwriting. His wider research interests sit at the intersection of theatre, performance and identity, with a particular focus on representations of gender, sexuality, race and faith, alongside queer and cultural theory. These interests are reflected in forthcoming academic publications with Bloomsbury.

Hassan currently teaches on the BA (Hons) Acting for Stage, Screen and Digital Media and BA (Hons) Musical Theatre and Dance courses at our Birmingham campus. His teaching spans Levels 4, 5 and 6, and brings together theoretical enquiry, critical analysis and practical application. He is particularly interested in supporting students to develop sophisticated critical perspectives alongside their creative practice, encouraging them to engage with diverse voices, histories and perspectives within contemporary theatre and performance.

He has experience supporting students across a range of academic and practical projects, including written research, performance-based enquiry and final-year dissertation work. His approach to teaching is grounded in creating inclusive and critically engaged learning environments, in which students are encouraged to question established narratives and consider the cultural, social and political contexts in which performance is produced.

Alongside his academic work, Hassan maintains strong links with the wider theatre and performance sector. He was a co-convenor for the Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA) working group 'Performance, Identity and Community' between 2020 and 2023, and has since contributed to a range of Arts Council England-funded projects focused on queer identity, queer grief and South Asian representation (2023 to present). His practice encompasses research panels, creative workshops, festivals and live-art events, allowing him to connect academic research with contemporary professional and cultural practice. He is particularly committed to using theatre and playwriting as spaces through which underrepresented experiences and voices can be explored and amplified.

Hassan's current creative research focuses on redressing the lack of queer South Asian voices in British playwriting, and he is developing his first full-length play about his own lived experiences. His creative and scholarly practice explores how queer histories and lived experiences can develop understandings of identity, community and culture within contemporary British theatre and performance.