Abstract

Expanding on Harris and Sinclair’s claim that ‘the writing of a play is an act of inquiry’, this article reflects on the joyful entanglements, messiness and friction-led use of creative methods within the context of a PhD in education studies. Amplifying the voices of both doctoral student and supervisor, we explain how the construction of a dramatic script informed the crafting of an alternative format thesis within which, “the play’s the thing” (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2). In responding to the influence of creative practice in the lives of both the student and the supervisor, the article uses creative and reflective writing as a method of inquiry to explore how policy and procedure are navigated in relation to non-standard theses submissions. We find that academic expectancy continues to influence the structure, form, and presentation of the PhD thesis and highlight how enduring tensions surrounding the reverence of “tradition” impacts the application and nature of creativity. The piece aims to bring together and consider the multiple challenges faced but importantly, highlights how the creative partnership between supervisor and student has forged changes in contemporary doctoral education in the awarding institution, and the implications for future practice within doctoral education more broadly.