Debbie is a writer and director for stage and screen. They have been developing, dramaturging and directing new plays for 15 years, alongside their own writing and screen work, and are known for dynamic, politically urgent work focussing on LGBTQ+, disabled and working-class stories, with a love for dark comedy. 

They are currently Associate Artist at Cardboard Citizens. They were previously Associate Director at National Theatre of Scotland and were formerly Interim Artistic Director and Showrunner at Stockroom, theatre’s first writers’ room. They trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and as Trainee Director at the Royal Court. They have recently joined the board of political playwriting company, Theatre Uncut. 

Debbie has directed at theatres including theRoyal Court Theatre, the Young Vic, the Bush Theatre, Soho Theatre, the Unicorn, the Royal Exchange (Manchester), the Tron Theatre (Glasgow), the Citizens Theatre (Glasgow), the Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh) and with companies such as Complicité, Clean Break and Paines Plough. They received the Genesis New Director’s Award, an MGC Futures Bursary and won an Olivier as Associate Director for Best Revival of Constellations on the West End. As a writer, they have been commissioned by Cardboard Citizens for the More Than One Story project, who then produced their award-winning monologue Snakes and Landlords. Debbie was shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship Playwriting Award, is writing a new musical developed by Northern Stage, and adapted popular children’s book, Beegu, for the Unicorn Theatre in March 2025. 

Debbie has directed a short produced by Film4 and 104 Films, co-written with Matilda Ibini, which screened at London Film Festival 2023 and many festivals since. They were Shadow Director on Shetland Season 6 & 7, completed Screen Skills “Step Up to Features” training, and were part of two BFI Creative Challenge Labs to develop feature films, which included pitching at BFI Flare 2025. They have been co-commissioned by Fable Pictures and were a finalist in the Studio21 Pilot award. Debbie is currently redrafting their first feature, with research supported by the Miles Ketley Memorial Fund.