Professor Dr. Hannah Simpson

Biography

Hannah Simpson is a lecturer in Drama Performance at the University of Edinburgh, where she also serves as Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching. With a strong academic background including a BA from the University of Oxford and an MA from Boston University, she completed her PhD at Oxford as well. Her research primarily focuses on modern and contemporary theatre with an emphasis on the representation of the human body on stage and the intersection of theatre and politics. Simpson has a special interest in the works of Samuel Beckett and explores themes of physical pain, disability, sexual assault, and their depictions in popular culture. She has received several research awards, including the David Bradby Monograph Award for her work on Beckett and disability performance. In addition to teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses, she supervises doctoral projects and is involved in editorial work for prominent theatre publications. Her ongoing projects include a monograph on modernist playwrights and a co-authored book on a leading disability-led theatre company. Simpson has published extensively, contributing to academic journals and edited volumes on topics including the theatre of the absurd and the implications of Brexit on Northern Irish drama.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards