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Since 2009 researchers Miriam Bernard and Michelle Rickett have been involved in a set of related projects under the title “Ages and Stages.” This is a collaboration with researchers at Keele University and theater specialists at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, UK, that examines the ways in which older people are involved in theatre and the impact that theatre has on their lives.

This report, one of several about the ongoing research, is a detailed case study of how participation by older people in the Victoria/New Victoria Theatre affected their lives.

The findings affirm “the continuing need to challenge stereotypes that the capacity for creativity and participation in later life are unavoidably and inevitably declining; show how participation in active and voluntary activities shapes meanings associated with key life transitions; and emphasize the positive role that theatre can play as a medium for inclusion of both older and younger people.”

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