‘I first came to Nottingham in 1964 as an undergraduate, never thinking I would spend most of my working life here. I did go off to London between 1967 and 1972 as a postgraduate, and was then appointed to a lectureship at Nottingham when Monica Partridge was Head.
My initial interests were in poetry and painting, but as a young lecturer I found myself teaching across the curriculum in language, literature and history. From school I had had an abiding interest in drama, and participation in a play as an undergraduate and then as a member of staff showed me what value there is in drama as an instrument of language learning.
Peter Herrity and I set up the beginners' course in Russian in 1977. It was the Cold War and travel to Russia was rarely possible, so any means we could develop to give students language practice was to be welcomed. I began with small sketches for Russian Days, and then developed a full blown project each year. In the mid-90s the transition to modules changed the shape of the academic year and projects as such became difficult to manage.
At the same time I developed a research interest in Russian drama and performance, and eventually taught Russian drama in the Department and in the Faculty. I gained practical experience by participating in a local theatre. Plays in translation are crucial to cultural transference, and it is in this area that my current research mostly lies. I retired in 2010. As well as many plays from the British repertoire, I have directed several by Chekhov and Gorky for this local theatre. And still do. It makes for a busy retirement!’
Cynthia MarshEmeritus Professor of Russian Literature and Drama