Life and Works (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Life and works
Early life and education
Liz Lochhead was born in 1947 in Motherwell, a town in Lanarkshire, Scotland. She pursued her education at the Glasgow School of Art, where she trained as a visual artist. After completing her studies, she worked as an art teacher in schools across Glasgow and Bristol.
Lochhead's background in visual arts significantly influenced her later work, particularly her keen eye for imagery and visual elements in her poetry and theatrical productions.
First steps in writing
Lochhead's transition from visual arts to literature began in the early 1970s. She held prestigious residency positions that supported her development as a writer. Between 1986 and 1987, she served as Writer in Residence at Edinburgh University. In 1988, she took up a similar position at the Royal Shakespeare Company, gaining valuable experience in the theatrical world.
Her first poetry collection, Memo for Spring, appeared in 1972. The collection received immediate recognition, winning a Scottish Arts Council Book Award. This early success established her reputation as a poet. Her work has since been included in various anthologies, including Penguin Modern Poets 4 in 1995.
These early residency positions were crucial in Lochhead's development, providing her with the time, resources, and professional networks necessary to establish herself as a serious writer. The Royal Shakespeare Company residency, in particular, deepened her understanding of theatrical craft and stagecraft.
Development as a performance poet
Lochhead's career expanded beyond the written page into live performance. In 1978, she collaborated with Marcella Evaristi on Sugar and Spite, a theatrical revue that showcased her skills as a performer. The same year marked a turning point when she travelled to Canada after being selected for a Scottish Writers Exchange Fellowship. Following this experience, she committed to working as a full-time writer, performance poet and broadcaster.
The 1978 fellowship to Canada was a pivotal moment in Lochhead's career. It gave her the confidence and impetus to leave teaching and pursue writing full-time, fundamentally changing the trajectory of her professional life and allowing her to fully dedicate herself to her creative work.
Major theatrical works
Lochhead built an extensive body of work for the stage. Her plays demonstrate a range of styles and subjects, from historical drama to contemporary comedy, showcasing her versatility as a playwright.
Blood and Ice (1982) premiered at the Edinburgh Traverse Theatre. The play explores themes of creativity and identity.
Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off (1989) was first performed by Communicado Theatre Company at the 1987 Edinburgh Festival. The play uses historical material to examine Scottish identity and power.
Dracula (1989) represents her engagement with classic Gothic literature through theatrical adaptation.
Cuba (1997) was commissioned by the Royal National Theatre for the BT National Connections Scheme. Written specifically for young people, the play addresses contemporary issues relevant to younger audiences.
Perfect Days (1998) is a romantic comedy that premiered at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival. The play examines relationships and personal fulfilment with warmth and humour.
Lochhead's theatrical works span multiple genres and styles, demonstrating her ability to move seamlessly between historical drama, Gothic adaptation, contemporary comedy, and youth theatre. This versatility has made her one of Scotland's most performed playwrights.
Translations and adaptations
Lochhead made notable contributions to Scottish theatre through her translations and adaptations of classical works. She translated Molière's Tartuffe (1985) into Scots, creating a version that premiered at the Edinburgh Royal Lyceum in 1987. This work demonstrated how classical French drama could be reimagined through Scottish language and culture.
Her adaptation of Euripides' Medea (2000) for Theatre Babel achieved particular acclaim. The script won the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award in 2000. This recognition confirmed her ability to bring ancient texts into dialogue with contemporary Scottish theatre.
In Misery Guts (2002), based on Molière's The Misanthrope, she updated the action to the modern Scottish Parliament. This choice shows how she uses adaptation to comment on current political and social contexts.
Lochhead's approach to translation and adaptation is distinctive and culturally significant. By rendering classical works in Scots and setting them in contemporary Scottish contexts, she achieved two goals: making these texts accessible to Scottish audiences while simultaneously asserting the validity and richness of Scots as a literary language. This work has been crucial in the ongoing project of Scottish cultural identity and linguistic preservation.
Work for television and film
Lochhead extended her creative work into visual media. Latin for a Dark Room, a short film, was screened as part of the BBC Tartan Shorts season at the 1994 Edinburgh International Film Festival. She also wrote The Story of Frankenstein for Yorkshire Television, bringing her interest in Gothic themes to a television audience.
Later poetry collections
Her poetry continued to develop throughout her career. The Colour of Black and White: Poems 1984-2003 appeared in 2003, gathering nearly twenty years of poetic work. In 2011, A Choosing: The Selected Poetry of Liz Lochhead was published, offering an overview of her most important poems.
These collections demonstrate the sustained quality and development of Lochhead's poetic voice over decades. They provide readers with comprehensive access to her evolving concerns, themes, and stylistic innovations across her career.
Recognition and honours
Lochhead received multiple forms of recognition for her literary achievements. The University of Edinburgh awarded her an honorary degree in 2000. In 2005, she became Poet Laureate of Glasgow, representing the city's literary culture. In 2011, she was appointed Scots Makar, the national poet of Scotland. This position recognises her contribution to Scottish literature and her role in promoting poetry across the country.
She continues to live in Glasgow, maintaining her connection to the city that has shaped much of her work.
The appointment as Scots Makar is the highest honour for a Scottish poet, equivalent to the UK Poet Laureate but specifically for Scotland. This recognition placed Lochhead alongside previous Scots Makars like Edwin Morgan, confirming her status as one of Scotland's most significant living writers and her vital role in Scottish literary culture.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Lochhead began as a visual artist before becoming a full-time writer in 1978 after a fellowship to Canada
- Her first poetry collection Memo for Spring (1972) won a Scottish Arts Council Book Award, launching her literary career
- She works across multiple forms: poetry, original plays, adaptations, and performance, making her a versatile voice in Scottish literature
- Her translations of Molière and Euripides into Scots demonstrate how classical works can be reimagined through Scottish language and contemporary settings
- Her appointment as Scots Makar in 2011 confirmed her status as one of Scotland's most important literary figures