Research News Last updated 04 September
A theatre show, inspired by a Birmingham City University (BCU) research project will be hitting the stage in September.
Baskerville & Birmingham will be performed by Theatre(ish) at the Midlands Art Centre on Sunday 21 September.
The show has been developed from the Small Performances research project, by BCU and the University of Cambridge.
2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Birmingham-based printer, John Baskerville.
His self-named typeface is on almost every computer in the world, and earlier this year, a blue plaque was unveiled in his memory.
“I think the show will tap into the memories of many people,” said Dr Caroline Archer, Professor of Typography at BCU and project lead.
“Some said they first encountered Baskerville’s typeface whilst studying decades ago at art school, others knew Baskerville’s name because of the local connection.
“Most people don’t know how a typeface is made, and after the show may appreciate the complexity and skill it takes to create one.”
John Baskerville (played by Marcus Paragpuri) and his wife Sarah (Antonia Parker Smith) will take visitors back to 18th century Birmingham and explore Baskerville’s life and legacy whilst introducing printing as a craft.
“Creating a piece of work in response to the research being done by the Small Performances team has been such a fun challenge and helped us to develop the way we work,” said actor and co-writer Marcus Paragpuri.
“We’ve used the Small Performances team’s exploration of the Baskerville punches as a metaphor for John Baskerville himself, challenging the myths around him and the mark he wanted to make in the world.”
Theatre(ish) have also worked with Digital Film Production students at BCU to tell Baskerville’s story.
Co-writer and actor Antonia Parker Smith said it’s been a great opportunity to make local history more accessible: “We’ve loved that this project has given us the opportunity to learn more about the lives and work of John Baskerville, and his equally impressive wife, Sarah!
“We hope that by exploring these figures of local history through live and filmed performances, we can make this brilliant research more accessible to the public, and how we, like Baskerville, can make our own mark.”
Photo credit: Theatre(ish) and BCU BSc Digital Film Production students