British actor and writer Amanda Laird has brought a deeply personal narrative of identity, separation and historical memory to the stage with her debut play “Driftwood”, now being staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), marking a significant shift in her career from acting to playwriting.

Laird, widely recognised for her role as paramedic Comfort Jones in the long-running television drama “Casualty”, said the transition to writing was shaped by a prolonged sense of personal and professional stagnation. Speaking about that period, she recalled feeling that “things weren’t developing,” prompting her to confront unresolved questions about her early life.

Born in St Kitts, Laird was separated from her Black Caribbean mother at the age of three when her white British father took her to Trinidad, where she was raised. Despite describing her upbringing as relatively privileged, she said the absence of her mother left unresolved questions that later became central to her creative work.

Her return to St Kitts as an adult led to a reunion with previously unknown family members and, eventually, her mother. Laird said the experience challenged her attempts to remain emotionally guarded. “I thought that I could keep myself shielded and not let people in but that was not the case,” she said, describing the encounter as transformative.

The reunion was short-lived. Her mother died of pancreatic cancer within a year. Laird said she was able to spend limited time with her before her death, including a final private conversation in which her mother spoke about her life. Those interactions became foundational to “Driftwood”, which centres on the relationship between an estranged son and his mother.

Set in a gentleman’s club in 1950s pre-independence Trinidad, the play draws on extensive research and incorporates events grounded in real-life accounts, according to Laird. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a society undergoing political and cultural change, with Trinidad approaching independence in 1962.

The political context of the play includes references to Eric Williams, who would later become the country’s first prime minister, and whose political movement emerged in the mid-1950s.

Laird said the period was marked by a broader atmosphere of transformation following the Second World War, with shifting expectations among women and formerly colonised populations.“The second world war had blown things apart,” she said, noting that women who had entered the workforce during wartime were subsequently expected to return to domestic roles, while Black and Commonwealth soldiers returned home without recognition or compensation.

She described this as contributing to a growing momentum for change within Caribbean societies.Cultural expression forms a central component of the play’s setting. Laird highlighted the role of steel bands and calypso music in shaping a distinct Trinidadian identity during the period.

She said these art forms served not only as entertainment but also as vehicles for social commentary, addressing issues ranging from governance to social norms.“Calypso of this era was very much social commentary,” she said, adding that it functioned as a means of confronting authority and engaging with political and social structures.

“Driftwood” is written in Trinidadian patois, a decision Laird said was driven by a commitment to authenticity rather than audience considerations. Reflecting on earlier influences, she cited her experience reading and later performing works by Trinidadian playwright Errol John as formative in understanding the significance of language in capturing lived experience.

“You can’t not try to reflect a truth about the language if you want to capture people’s souls,” she said, describing language as inseparable from cultural history and identity.The play’s development spanned nearly two decades, during which it remained largely unpublished.

Laird attributed the delay in part to industry perceptions that categorised her primarily as an actor. She also acknowledged experiencing impostor syndrome, which contributed to her hesitation in seeking wider recognition for her writing.It was only in 2024, encouraged by a friend, that she submitted “Driftwood” to the Verity Bargate Award for new writing.

The play placed second among approximately 1,700 submissions, bringing it to the attention of the RSC.Laird said she was recovering from complications related to sepsis when she received a call from RSC co-artistic director Daniel Evans informing her that the company intended to stage the play.

She described the moment as unexpected, given the project’s long gestation and her own uncertainty about its reception.Before “Driftwood”, Laird had written privately, including a screenplay and another play titled “Fly Me to the Moon”, which was staged in London earlier this year.

Acting, however, had been her primary focus since childhood, beginning with performances in Trinidad.She said that while theatre was part of her early environment, it was not initially seen as a viable full-time profession. According to Laird, many actors in Trinidad during her youth held additional jobs, reflecting the limited opportunities in the sector at the time.

At 17, she moved to the United Kingdom to study French at the University of Kent, later combining it with drama. She described this decision as a turning point that led her to pursue acting professionally.

Laird has since worked extensively across stage and screen, including performances with the RSC, the National Theatre, and Shakespeare’s Globe. Her recent work includes a gender-inverted production of “Cymbeline”.

She also spoke about the contrast between her experiences growing up in Trinidad and living in Britain, particularly in relation to racial identity. In Trinidad, she said, she felt part of a majority population, whereas in Britain she encountered a different social dynamic that shaped perceptions of identity and belonging.

Her family background, she noted, included a strong engagement with political and cultural issues. Her father was involved in professional advocacy in Trinidad, including opposition to apartheid-era South Africa, while other family members contributed to cultural archiving initiatives in the Caribbean.

“Driftwood” reflects these intersecting themes of personal history, cultural identity and political transformation, situating individual relationships within broader historical processes.