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Meera Syal named as next Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor at Oxford

19 October 2011

Meera Syal has been named as the next Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre based at St Catherine’s College at the University of Oxford. She will succeed the director Sir Trevor Nunn in October 2011.

Meera is a playwright, actress and writer and has managed to combine her writing and acting careers since leaving university.  She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK’s best-known Indian personalities in The Kumars at No. 42, having appeared on radio, television, film and on stage.  Her recent stage roles include Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine and in October she is appearing in The Killing of Sister George at the Arts Theatre, London in the grotesque role of June Buckridge.  She is the author of two novels, Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee and Anita and Me which won the Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Award. She has adapted both these novels for the screen.  She also wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed film Bhaji on the Beach.  

Meera said: ‘I am honoured and hugely flattered to be taking up this prestigious appointment at Oxford University and wish to thank both St Catherine's, Cameron Mackintosh and Thelma Holt for this singular opportunity. I look forward to a mutually creative partnership over the next year with some undoubtedly ferociously bright students whom I hope will enjoy the exchange and debate as much as I will.’

The Chair of Contemporary Theatre, founded through a grant from the Mackintosh Foundation at St Catherine's College, aims to promote interest in, and the study and practice of, contemporary theatre. The Visiting Professorship has previously been held by actors, writers, directors, and producers including Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Miller, Alan Ayckbourn, Richard Eyre, Phyllida Lloyd and Patrick Stewart.

Professor Roger Ainsworth, Master of St Catherine's College, said, ‘I am delighted that in Meera we have somebody who is so talented and multi-faceted. Our students I know will be thrilled to have the opportunity of interacting and learning from someone with such a range of talent in so many different genres. We are thrilled that she has agreed to give us some of her precious time this year.’

Her inaugural lecture will take place at St Catherine's College at 5pm in the Bernard Sunley Theatre on Monday 14 November.

For an image of Meera Syal, please contact Matt Pickles at the University of Oxford Press Office on 01865 270046 or matt.pickles@admin.ox.ac.uk .

To request an interview with Meera Syal, please contact Megan Parry at St Catherine’s College on megan.parry@stcatz.ox.ac.uk or 01865 271762 

Notes for editors

The Mackintosh Foundation was established by Sir Cameron Mackintosh in 1988 to promote and develop theatre and the performing arts; to provide relief for the homeless, to relieve suffering of and promote research into the causes and treatment of AIDS; and to provide for medical research and relief of sickness.

The Cameron Mackintosh Drama Fund for Contemporary Theatre has helped some of the University’s brightest young actors, directors, producers and writers, stage shows during the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Sir Cameron Mackintosh was knighted for services to the British Theatre in 1996 and is an Honorary Fellow of St Catherine’s College.

The Professorship is for one academic year only.  It is expected that the incumbent gives an inaugural lecture at the start of the new academic year in Michaelmas Term, then a workshop or seminar once every term thereafter. However, it is very much up to the individual concerned as to how they approach their tenure as Cameron Mackintosh Professor.  No teaching obligation is attached to the role.