I am a London-based academic and writer with interests in political economy, art (specifically theatre), and Marxism. Most recently, I wrote the book The Arts of Logistics, which was shortlisted for the Deutscher Memorial Prize, recognizing “the best and most innovative new writing in or about the Marxist tradition.” It is also on the shortlist for the 2026 David Bradby Prize from the Theatre and Performance Research Association.

Currently, I am writing two books: Theatre and Marxism, forthcoming from Bloomsbury/Methuen Drama in 2027; and Commercial Performance: The Political Economy of Show Business, a collaboratively written book, under contract with Northwestern University Press.

I have worked at Queen Mary University of London since 2014, and I am currently Senior Lecturer in Drama, Theatre, and Performance at the School of Arts.

In 2024-25, I was a Research Fellow at the Käte Hamburger Research Centre (global dis:connect) at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where I started research for a project on raw material and the extractive infrastructures that support the art world.

Previously, I taught at Stanford University and Harvard University. I received my PhD from UC Berkeley through the Graduate Program in Performance Studies, with my fieldwork and archival research supported by a Fulbright Grant and the Social Sciences Research Council. I am originally from California.

I am a member of the University and College Union and was formerly a head steward of UAW 2865.

I can be reached at:

• email: m.s.boyle at qmul.ac.uk.
• social media: @brechtfast