We work among extraordinary people doing extraordinary things; get to know some of them by reading these quick-fire interviews.
Name: Esme Somerside Gregory
Job title: Undergraduate student
What are you currently working on?
I am currently revising for my third-year finals, but in my spare time I am working on my play Noether. Noether was performed in Hilary 2026, but it has since been selected as Oxford University Dramatic Society’s National Tour Play, so I am developing it ahead of that.
Describe a typical day
I have lectures from 10 am until 12pm, but I’ll usually head to the physics department a little early to grab a coffee in the physics café with my friends. After lectures I’ll head to my college, Wadham, for lunch. If I have a tutorial in the afternoon, I will have a look over what I’ve submitted, then head to that, or I’ll go to one of the many libraries to work on my next problem set (my favourite is probably the Radcliffe Science Library!). In the evenings I usually have play rehearsals, most recently I’ve been directing Noether, so I’ll run a rehearsal room for a few hours with the cast and crew. After dinner, I’ll either work on some more physics, or make changes to the play by reflecting on what was done in rehearsals. I usually read before bed; my recent favourite has been When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut.
What got you into physics?
When I was quite young, I loved the film Wall-E and was always fascinated by all things space-related. My parents took me to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich pretty much every weekend, as well as frequent trips to the Science Museum. In school, I enjoyed maths and problem solving and at GCSE realised that physics was the ultimate combination of mathematics and problem solving – the pursuit of understanding the universe was definitely what excited me.
If you had an entire day at your disposal (not at work/studying), what would be your ideal way to spend it?
I’d probably spend a lot of time walking in Port Meadow, followed by a coffee in the Botanical Gardens. I’d like to split my time between reading a good book and developing Noether further. I originally wrote the play around my normal work schedule, but it would be nice to spend a whole day in Oxford writing.
What is your favourite place in Oxford?
Indoors: Common Ground, a lovely place to work and have a coffee. They also have some great gigs in the evenings.
Outdoors: Port Meadow, but only if it’s nice weather!
Plan B: what would you be if you weren’t doing the job you are currently doing?
When I was applying to university, I was very split between applying for physics or auditioning for drama school. I think if I weren’t a physics student I would probably be training as an actor. I still get to train part time through my membership with the National Youth Theatre, as well as directing and acting in student theatre, but I think I would probably be trying to do it full time.