The actor, the audience and the spy: Tracing actor training methodologies within twentieth century espionage practice and performance

Abstract

The research builds a genealogy of actor training methodologies as used within espionage practice, and presents a post-positive historical study with narrative research and phenomenological framework as its methodology. The thesis examines historical case studies where espionage and performance overlap. It analyses Second World War training sites created for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the personnel, and the training methods used to prepare agents, and how that training was realised in performance in the field from the 1930s to the end of the Cold War. The historical study is preceded by an examination of the 'audience' of undercover events, analysing the actor-spectator relationship, and theorising how undercover operations can be considered acts of theatre as well as performance. To address the theoretical intersections between espionage and theatre, an audience framework entitled Circles of Impact is proposed. The historical study is organised chronologically and is divided into three parts. The first surveys the state of theatre in twentieth century Britain and presents an original study of actor Peter Folliss, who later became an instructor of spies at the SOE's training school at Beaulieu. It argues that the performances that took place at Beaulieu can be linked to forms of theatre practice and modes of rehearsal popular at the time. This is followed by a chapter which explores how this undercover training was realised in performance venues of the Second World War— both by SOE agents and other actors. The final chapter explores approaches to Cold War espionage training, the long-lasting influences of Peter Folliss, and legacies linking to contemporary discussions of actor training.