Skip navigation

Assistant Professor and playwright is recognised at national theatre awards

15th November 2023

Assistant Professor in Humanities at Northumbria University and award-winning playwright, May Sumbwanyambe, has won recognition from the UK Theatre Awards for his latest production Enough of Him.

Assistant Professor May Sumbwanyambe has received the award for ‘Best New Play’ at the 2023 UK Theatre Awards - the only nationwide awards to celebrate outstanding achievements in theatre across the UK.

Enough of Him was written by May and produced in 2020 by National Theatre of Scotland.

The play explores the true story of Joseph Knight, an African man who famously freed himself through the Scottish courts in the late 18th century after being enslaved by a plantation owner in Scotland.

As described in The Times by theatre critic Allan Radcliffe, Enough of Him was “gripping” and “unsettling”.

The play is largely based on a legal battle, however, it isn’t a courtroom drama. Its main focus is on the experience of Joseph Knight and questions whether he will ever be truly free.

Caption: May Sumbwanyambe, Assistant Professor in Humanities at Northumbria University

Assistant Professor May Sumbwanyambe, who teaches on the Creative Writing MA and English Literature and Creative Writing BA (Hons) courses at Northumbria, said: “As a country, we are educated on the part we played towards ending slavery, but we aren’t always taught about how we contributed to its existence.

Enough of Him makes the history of black people in the UK more visible. Black history is British history and British history is Black history. They are completely intertwined.”

Earlier this year May was also praised at the 2023 Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland, where he once again won ‘Best New Play’ in addition to ‘Best Production’ for Enough of Him.

May is currently working on a new play as part of the ‘Ephemera and writing about war in Britain, 1914 to the present’ project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

This project will explore small, portable items linked to the First World War - otherwise referred to as ephemera - to gain a clearer understanding of the past.

May’s stage play will draw on ephemera relating to Black British participants in the war. They will explore the lives of Black people in Scotland during the period 1919 – 1939 as well as working class white women – both of whom are fighting against patriarchal structures.

Discover more about study options and research being undertaken within the Department of Humanities, which includes the subject areas of History, English Literature, English Language and Linguistics, Creative Writing, American Studies and Music.

News and Features

This is the place to find all the latest news releases, feature articles, expert comment, and video and audio clips from Northumbria University

Institute of Humanities

Find out more about the research taking place as part of our Institute of Humanities Multidisciplinary research theme.

Department of Arts

Northumbria’s Arts Department offers a stimulating and dynamic learning environment in which to study flexible, student-orientated courses. Staff are globally-renowned, research-active experts in fine art, performance and visual cultures.

a sign in front of a crowd
+

Northumbria Open Days

Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.

Research at Northumbria
+

Research at Northumbria

Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.

NU World
+

Explore NU World

Find out what life here is all about. From studying to socialising, term time to downtime, we’ve got it covered.


Latest News and Features

Volunteering builds inroads and supports communities. In this photo, UN Volunteers interview community members to assess basic health services in the rural areas of Rwanda. Copyright UNV, 2023
HICSA partners at the site
Jupiter with a spot visible at the south pole
Image of mother and baby
Imogen Russell sitting on a sofa
Dr Rosie Morris, Director of Northumbria University’s Physiotherapy Innovation Laboratory.
3D construction printer at Northumbria University
Sycamore Gap
More events

Upcoming events

Commercialising Social Sciences for Impact
Northumbria University Carol Service
The Future of Evaluation in Health and Social Care Symposium
-

Back to top