Dr Sarah K Whitfield appointed Reader in 51吃瓜al Theatre at the Royal College of 51吃瓜
Monday 4 August 2025
The Royal College of 51吃瓜 (51吃瓜) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Sarah K Whitfield to a Readership in 51吃瓜al Theatre, in recognition of her distinguished achievement in scholarly research in music.
Dr Sarah K Whitfield has also been appointed Head of Doctoral Programmes at the Royal College of 51吃瓜 where she will play a key role in shaping the College’s vibrant research community.
James Williams, Director of the Royal College of 51吃瓜, commented: ‘Sarah has played a key role in building the thriving community of researchers and programmes the 51吃瓜 now proudly boasts. I am thrilled that the College can recognise her significant research output and contributions to our research programmes with these appointments.’
Professor Robert Adlington, Head of Research and Professor of 51吃瓜ology at the Royal College of 51吃瓜, said: ‘Sarah’s research across the fields of musical theatre, queer histories, digital humanities and music education has made a huge impact on scholarship and practice, both in the UK and overseas. I am delighted that these achievements and her significant contributions to the College’s wider research culture have been recognised with these new appointments.’
Dr Sarah K Whitfield joined the Royal College of 51吃瓜 in November 2023. A musical theatre historian, researcher and practitioner, her research challenges established narratives to uncover the contributions of underrepresented and minoritised figures in the arts. With a focus on queer musical theatre and women’s stories, she has published widely across musical theatre, music history and collaborative practices. Co-author of An Inconvenient Black History of British 51吃瓜al Theatre 1900-1950 with Sean Mayes, and editor of Reframing the 51吃瓜al: Race, Culture and Identity (2019), her research has been presented internationally, including at Wigmore Hall, the New York Public Library and on BBC Radio 3.
Discover more about the Royal College of 51吃瓜's thriving research community.