A University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate has been named on the Young Women’s Movement’s 30 Under 30 – a list of young women and girls in Scotland who are leading change and excelling in their fields.

Lucy Beth, who graduated from UWS in 2020 with a BA (Hons) degree in Performance is an award-winning performer, theatre-maker, and drama lecturer from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.   

A native Doric speaker (the traditional dialect of the Scots Language spoken in the North East of Scotland), Lucy seeks to make and perform work in Doric as a means of continuing to render the dialect present.

Her show Ma Name Is Isabelle won an Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Award and received 5-star reviews from Broadway Baby & Binge Fringe Magazine, alongside four-star reviews in The Edinburgh Reporter and The List. Her short film Fit Wye Nae? won Best Newcomer at the 2024 Doric Film Festival.

Lucy commented: “A am proud aat ma wark as a performer and theatre makker is recognised as contributing tae these positive changes. A continue makkin and performing wark in Doric tae help continue tae render e dialect present. Muckle thanks tae @youngwomenscot fur recognising ma wark. A am owwerjoyed tae be an honouree.”

“I am proud that my work as a performer and theatre maker is recognised as contributing to these positive changes. I continue creating and performing in Doric to help continue to render the dialect present. Thank you to The Young Women’s movement for recognising my work. I am overjoyed to be an honouree.”

Lucy’s work responds to the momentum around Scots languages, including the recent unanimous passing of the Scottish Languages Bill in Parliament and the National Theatre of Scotland’s commitment to present work that celebrates Scottish languages. Recent Census reports show that over one million people speak Scots.

Ma Name Is Isabelle was originally commissioned by Eden Court Theatre and Tobar an Dualchais/Kist O Riches for the Under Canvas Festival. The piece reimagines the story behind the famous bothy ballad, Bogie’s Bonnie Belle, from the perspective of the titular Isabelle, whose perspective of being impregnated against her will and ostracised by the society of the time has been overlooked. The piece seeks to celebrate Isabelle’s wit, warmth and triumph over adversity in her own tongue.

Lucy has toured Ma Name Is Isabelle around Scotland. She self-produced a Doric performance night in Huntly, where she presented Ma Name Is Isabelle alongside some more of her Doric work. This event responded to the community’s ongoing passion for the Doric dialect. 

Beyond solo projects, Lucy was cast in Ten Feet Tall Theatre’s production of Guilty by Rona Munro as part of the Granite Noir Festival. The run sold out and received strong reviews. She was hired as a Doric consultant for TaleGate Theatre’s pantomime of Dick Whittington at Aberdeen Arts Centre. Lucy adapted the script to include Doric, which was key for supporting early dialect exposure to young audiences.

The 30 Under 30 campaign seeks to celebrate young women and girls’ impact in Scotland across a diverse range of experiences. Previous 30 Under 30 honorees include Emeli Sandé, Sharon Rooney, and Katie Leung.

Emma Hill, Interim CEO of The Young Women’s Movement, said: “This is the tenth year that we have celebrated young women and girls across Scotland through our 30 Under 30 list, and it feels more poignant than ever to be doing so. This is a particularly challenging time to be a young woman – gender-based violence and misogyny are rising, and young women tell us that they feel let down by public services and decision-makers. The impact these young women are making in light of these challenges is significant and important, and we’re honoured to be celebrating their successes and courage.”

Find out more about Lucy Beth and her work at her website.