Jonathan Bollen

Senior Lecturer
Associate Professor

My research in theatre studies is about performance, mobility and desire. Recently I have been studying the regional development of international touring, entrepreneurial diplomacy and commercial entertainment by mapping the touring circuits that stretched across Asia and the Pacific in the 1950s and 1960s. 

I am the author of Touring Variety in the Asia Pacific Region, 1946–1975 (Palgrave 2020) and co-author of A Global Doll's House: Ibsen and Distant Visions (Palgrave 2016) and Men at Play: Masculinities in Australian Theatre since the 1950s (Rodopi 2008). I have also published on data models for theatre research and the network-cartography of theatre production.

My research has contributed to the AusStage database for Australian performance, the IbsenStage database at the University of Oslo, and the Philippine Performance Archive at the University of the Philippines. I am currently a research advisor on the international Dunham's Data project on 'digital methods for dance historical inquiry' and I lead the Performance Memories partnership between UNSW Library and the Dennis Wolanski Foundation.

PUBLICATIONS
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Books
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Bollen J, 2020, Touring Variety in the Asia Pacific Region, 1946-1975, Palgrave Macmillan, https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030394103
2020
Holledge J; Bollen J; Helland F; Tompkins J, 2016, A Global Doll's House: Ibsen and Distant Visions, Palgrave Macmillan UK, http://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137438980
2016
Bollen JJ; Kiernander A; Parr B, 2008, Men at Play: Masculinities in Australia Theatre since the 1950s, Australian Playwrights, Rodopi, Amsterdam & New York
2008
Book Chapters
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Bollen J, 2021, 'Visualizing the Entrepreneurial Networks of International Entertainment: The Dalrays Touring Beyond the Tivoli, 1956-66', in Garde U; Severn JR (ed.), Theatre and Internationalization Perspectives from Australia, Germany, and Beyond, Routledge, https://www.routledge.com/Theatre-and-Internationalization-Perspectives-from-Australia-Germany/Garde-Severn/p/book/9780367463540
2021
Bollen JJ, 2012, 'From Theatrical Nostalgia to Modernist Design: Nightclubs as Venues for Live Entertainments in Mid-20th-Century Australia', in Arrighi G; Emeljanow V (ed.), A World of Popular Entertainments: An Edited Volume of Critical Essays, pp. 68 - 82
2012
Bollen JJ, 2009, 'White men, wet dreams: fishing, fatherhood and finitude in Australian theatre, 1955-2004', in Hosking S; Hosking R; Pannell R; Bierbaum N (ed.), Something Rich and Strange: Sea changes, beaches and the littoral in the Antipodes, Wakefield Press, Adelaide
2009
Bollen JJ, 2008, 'Dressing up and growing up: rehearsals on the threshold of intelligibility', in Davies B (ed.), Judith Butler in Conversation, Routledge, pp. 217 - 234
2008
Bollen JJ, 2007, 'As Seen On TV: Kinaesthetic cross-over and the animation of social dance pedagogy', in Lyons J; Plunkett J (ed.), Multimedia Histories, pp. 98 - 113
2007
Bollen JJ, 2006, 'Boxing the man: fighting the choreography of gender, race and generation in recent Australian theatre', in Kiernander A; Bollen JJ; Bruce P (ed.), What A Man's Gotta Do? Masculinities in Performance, pp. 152 - 169
2006
Bollen JJ, 2005, 'How to stand out on a dance floor', in Critical Issues 9: Exploding Dandy, Artspace, Sydney, pp. 51 - 75
2005
Bollen JJ, 2001, 'Queer kinaesthesia: Performativity on the dance floor', in Desmond J (ed.), Dancing Desires: Choreographing Sexualities On and Off the Stage, University of Wisconsin Press, pp. 285 - 314
2001
Bollen JJ, 2000, 'Animated suspension: Moving bodies and the choreography of community', in Tait P (ed.), Body Show/s, Rodopi, pp. 187 - 198
2000
Edited Books
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Kiernander A; Bollen J; Parr B, 2006, What a Man's Gotta Do? Masculinities in Performance, CALLTS, Armidale
2006
Journal articles
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Bollen J, 2018, '‘As Modern as Tomorrow’: Australian Entrepreneurs and Japanese Entertainment, 1957–1968', Theatre Research International, vol. 43, pp. 147 - 164, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0307883318000275
2018
Bollen J; Brewster A, 2018, 'NADOC and the National Aborigines Day in Sydney, 1957–67', Aboriginal History Journal, vol. 42, pp. 3 - 30, http://dx.doi.org/10.22459/AH.42.2018.01
2018
Bollen JJ, 2017, 'Then and Now – Sorlie's Tour to Broken Hill in 1960', Popular Entertainment Studies, vol. 8, pp. 54 - 72, https://novaojs.newcastle.edu.au/ojs/index.php/pes/article/view/203
2017
Bollen JJ, 2017, 'Revisiting and Re-imagining The One Day of the Year', Southerly: a review of Australian literature, vol. 77, pp. 92 - 105, https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=134895469944830;res=IELLCC
2017
Bollen JJ, 2016, 'Data Models for Theatre Research: People, Places, and Performance', Theatre Journal (Baltimore), vol. 68, pp. 615 - 632, http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tj.2016.0109
2016
Bollen JJ; Couch M, 2014, 'From The Silver Lining to The Roaring Days!: Amateur theatre and social class in Broken Hill, 1940s-1960s', Australasian Drama Studies, vol. 2014, pp. 257 - 276, http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=257722442078030;res=IELAPA
2014
Couch M; Bollen JJ, 2014, 'Sex, gender and the industrial: Plays performed by Broken Hill Repertory Society', Australasian Drama Studies, vol. 64, pp. 277 - 296, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000349886300016&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a
2014
Bollen JJ, 2013, 'Here from There - travel, television and touring revues: internationalism as entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s', Popular Entertainment Studies, vol. 4, pp. 64 - 81, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000343664500005&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a
2013
Bollen JJ, 2013, 'Show girls and choreographers in Australian entertainment – the transition to night clubs, 1946-1967', Australasian Drama Studies, vol. 63, pp. 52 - 68, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000419084700005&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a
2013
Bollen J; Holledge J, 2011, 'Hidden dramas: Cartographic revelations in the world of theatre studies', Cartographic Journal, vol. 48, pp. 226 - 236, http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/1743277411Y.0000000026
2011
Bollen JJ, 2010, 'Cross-dressed and crossing-over from stage to television', Media International Australia, vol. 134, pp. 141 - 150
2010
Bollen J, 2010, 'Don't Give Up the Strip! : erotic performance as live entertainment in mid-twentieth century Australia', Journal of Australian Studies, vol. 34, pp. 125 - 140, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14443051003724530
2010
Bollen JJ, 2009, 'Maybe we're not human: Translating actions and affects between humans and machines in Australian Dance Theatre's Devolution', Brolga: an Australian journal about dance, vol. 31, pp. 9 - 18
2009
Bollen JJ; Harvey N; Holledge J; McGillivray G, 2009, 'AusStage: eResearch in the Performing Arts', Australasian Drama Studies, vol. 54, pp. 178 - 194
2009
Bollen JJ; McInnes D, 2006, 'What do you like to do? Gay sex and the politics of interaffectivity', Gay and Lesbian Issues in Psychology Review, vol. 2, pp. 107 - 113
2006
Bollen JJ, 2005, 'Remembering masculinities in the theatre of war', Australasian Drama Studies, vol. 46, pp. 3 - 19
2005
Bollen J; McInnes D, 2004, 'Time, relations and learning in gay men's experiences of adventurous sex', Social Semiotics, vol. 14, pp. 21 - 36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1035033042000202906
2004
Dowsett GW; Bollen J; McInnes D; Couch M; Edwards B, 2001, 'HIV/AIDS and constructs of gay community: Researching educational practice within community-based health promotion for gay men', International Journal of Social Research Methodology, vol. 4, pp. 205 - 223, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13645570121259
2001
Bollen JJ, 2001, 'Performance studies: A tour through the field', Australasian Drama Studies, vol. 39, pp. 125 - 139
2001
McInnes D; Bollen JJ, 2000, 'Learning on the job: metaphors of choreography and the practice of sex in sex-on-premises venues', Venereology : official publication of the National Venereology Council of Australia, vol. 13, pp. 27 - 36
2000
Couch M; Dowsett G; McInnes D; Bollen JJ; Edwards B, 1999, 'HIV/AIDS health promotion: strategic deployment of 'gay community' in the framework of the National Public Health Partnership', Third Sector Review, vol. 5, pp. 81 - 89
1999
Bollen JJ, 1997, ''What a queen's gotta do': Queer performativity and the rhetorics of performance', Australasian Drama Studies, pp. 106 - 123
1997
Bollen JJ, 1996, 'The parties are for us', Xtext, vol. 1, pp. 48 - 53
1996
Bollen JJ, 1996, 'Sexing the dance at Sleaze Ball 1994', TDR: the journal of performance studies, vol. 40, pp. 166 - 191, http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1146561
1996
Bollen JJ, 1995, 'Laughing at the difference: theories of translation in rehearsal', About Performance, vol. 1, pp. 47-56
1995
Other
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Bollen J; Nyhus SH; Gunn ON, 2020, Doctoral Defense: henrik Ibsen in the American Theatre, 1879–1914, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15021866.2020.1823630
2020
Bollen J, 2019, Book review of Australian Theatre, Modernism and Patrick White: Governing Culture, Australasian Drama Studies, https://search-informit-com-au.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=381739386983330;res=IELAPA
2019
Arrighi G; Bollen J, 2019, Editorial
2019
Bollen J, 2013, Book review of Wild and Dangerous Performances: Animals, Emotions, Circus., CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0307883313000461
2013
Bollen J, 2011, Australia Dances: Creating Australian Dance, 1945-1965 – Alan Brissenden and Keith Glennon' (book review)
2011
Bollen J, 2009, Belonging: Australian Playwriting in the Twentieth Century – John McCallum’ (book review)
2009
Bollen J, 2008, Book review of Power Plays: Australian Theatre and the Public Agenda, CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0307883308004045
2008
Bollen J, 2003, The Seventies: the Age of Glitter in Popular Culture by Shelton Waldrep (book review)
2003
Bollen J, 1995, Male Impersonators: Men Performing Masculinity by Mark Simpson (book review)
1995

AWARDS
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I was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship from the Australian Research Council (2002-2004) and a research fellowship by the National Film and Sound Archive (2008). 

The International Association for Australian Studies awarded the 2010 John Barrett Award for Australian Studies for my article ‘Don’t Give Up the Strip!: Erotic performance as live entertainment in mid-twentieth century Australia’ in the Journal of Australian Studies, 34/2 (2010): 125-140.

The Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies awarded the 2006 Marlis Thiersch Award for Research in Theatre Studies for my article ‘Remembering masculinities in the theatre of war' in Australasian Drama Studies, 46 (2005): 3-19.

My doctoral research won the The Drama Review Student Essay Contest and was published as ‘Sexing the dance at Sleaze Ball 1994’, TDR, 40/3 (Fall 1996): 166-191. 

GRANTS
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I have been Chief Investigator on two Discovery Projects: ‘Ibsen Between Cultures: The Australian Experience’ ($124,000 DP0988350) and ‘Marking Masculinity in Australian Theatre’ ($279,925 DP0210510), for which I was awarded an ARC post-doctoral fellowship. The major outcomes of these grants are my books: A Global Doll’s House: Ibsen and Distant Visions (Palgrave 2016) and Men at Play: Masculinities in Australian Theatre since the 1950s (Rodopi 2008).

I was Chief Investigator on three ARC LIEF projects for the AusStage database ($300,000 LE0775527; $650,000 LE100100028; $325,000 LE140100024). I also attracted funding for AusStage from other sources, including the substantial Aus-e-Stage project funded by the National eResearch Architecture Taskforce through the NCRIS Platforms for Collaboration program ($500,000), the Australian National Data Service ($65,000) and the Australian Access Federation ($40,000).

Subject areas
lensTheatre & Performance