The physical heart of the Centre for Asian Theatre & Dance is the Handa Noh Stage, a full-size Japanese stage donated to the College in 1991.
The Centre has a number of print collections to assist with research, which can be accessed via Royal Holloway’s library services. These include collections of:
- English language books on Japanese theatre
- Japanese language books on Noh theatre, donated by Poh-Sim Plowright, founder of the Noh at Royal Holloway
The department also houses collections of:
- noh masks, costumes, fans and musical instruments
- Chinese opera (xiqu) costumes and props
Costumes and masks are not normally available for loan, but can be viewed on-site as a reference resource for educational research by appointment. Appointments, including requests to view the Noh stage, are only available on one specified afternoon per month during the academic term. Please contact Nicola Hewitt-George for more information and to book an appointment.