May Sumbwanyambe is a librettist, radio dramatist, academic and playwright from Edinburgh. For this year’s Day of Drama at WayWORD, May speaks to Aberdeen Arts Centre Director Amy Liptrott, about his own journey in and through theatre, and  the rich and complex stories he most wants to tell. 

 

Described by The Scotsman as ‘one of the key creative figures in Scotland’s increasingly determined effort to come to terms with its own colonial past, and particularly with Scottish involvement in slavery and the slave trade,’ May Sumbwanyambe’s work ranges from eighteenth-century Scottish courtrooms, to post-independence Zambia and nineteenth-century America, looking at every turn for the nuance, complexity and contradiction to be found in real experience. Previous productions include Ghost Light, (Edinburgh International Festival and National Theatre of Scotland), Joseph Knight, (BBC Scotland, National Theatre of Scotland) After Independence (Arcola Theatre, Papatango Theatre) The Parrot House (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) as well as ‘After Independence’ and ‘The Trial of Joseph Knight' (BBC Radio 4). Most recently, his play Enough of Him (National Theatre of Scotland and Pitlochry Festival Theatre co production) won three prestigious CAT awards.
 

Amy Liptrott is a director, teacher and musician from Bolton. Amy trained at the University of Sheffield and the Royal Northern College of Music. After a successful career as a harpist, Amy moved into teaching, becoming the Head of Drama at one of England’s most prestigious schools before the age of 30. She then attended Mountview Academy to train as a Director. After graduating, Amy went on to work at the Octagon Theatre Bolton assisting critically acclaimed directors David Thacker and Elizabeth Newman before working as Douglas Gordon’s Assistant Director with Manchester International Festival. As well as directing various productions on the fringe and in drama schools, Amy has worked as a Youth Theatre Director, University Lecturer and Director and Producer of The Academy (Young People’s Touring Company). Amy became Associate Director at Pitlochry Festival in 2019 where she directed a number of productions, including Jekyll and Hyde by Hannah Lavery, The Covid Requiem by Jo Clifford and Lesley Hart, Private Lives by Noël Coward and The Maggie Wall by Martin McCormick. She has also written and directed sound installations and supported work with Artist Development amongst various other engagement initiatives. In October 2022, she joined Aberdeen Arts centre as their new Director.