The place of a dramaturg in twenty-first-century England 1

Between 2002 and 2005, I was one of few people in the UK with the job title of dramaturg, having been recruited to the post jointly by the Northern Stage theatre and Newcastle University. Even when confronted with the friendliest of dispositions, being a “dramaturg” in England ² inevitably goes hand in hand with having to explain what your job title means. Having continental roots (especially German, Scandinavian, or Eastern European) appears to bestow more of a natural entitlement to the D-word; however, this by no means guarantees freedom of access to the English rehearsal room.