I wrote an essay as part of the Bruntwood Prize series of essays on their Write a Play blog. It’s about getting over self-censorship.
BBC Writers Room
I’m chuffed to be part of this new group of BBC Writersroom writers.
Pick of the Week on Radio 4.
I wrote a Radio 4 comedy play, starring Doon Mackichan. It was featured on Pick of the Week on Radio 4 – 27 minutes into the show here.
The play is called Carbon Cleansing. Listen again on iPlayer until 10 September.
The play is about trying to be green – deep green – and it is also very funny, thanks to the fantastic actors.
The Clore Fellowship 15
As I wild camped on a beach yesterday, some exciting news broke about the Clore Fellows 2018/2019.
I’ve been awarded a Clore Fellowship (supported by Gatsby Charitable Trust). It’s a brilliant opportunity for me to get coaching, mentoring, to gain a wider understanding of the cultural sector, to learn from my 23 other fellows – and to go on secondment.
Augmented is coming to Ovalhouse 12-14 July
It’s been a delight to be working with the Augmented team at Ovalhouse this week, getting ready for our first sharings! Here are some rehearsals images, with enormous thanks to Craig Fuller for the photos.
To book tickets, click here.
Augmented R&D photos
Here are some photos (by David Monteith-Hodge) from my Unlimited and Ovalhouse supported writing R&D of Augmented. At the end of the month I shared the script with some invited guests at Poplar Union, to get their feedback.
Thank you to everyone who came to give feedback on the work at this early stage and to palantypist Norma MacHaye for the sharing captions and Martin Fox-Roberts for Q&A interpretation. And thank you all the artists who came to play with me over the last two months, Lucia Tong, Adrienne Quartly, Lee Affen and Martyn Garside and to producer Kendall Masson, dramaturge Sarah Dickenson, director Rachel Bagshaw. I feel very fortunate to be working with such skilled, talented, lovely people. It was great to finally leave my house and work in actual venues – a month at Ovalhouse with extra time and space at Poplar Union, Sheffield Crucible and New Wolesy Theatre.
If you would like to come and give feedback on the next R&D (where I work on performance ideas) you can book to see the public scratch performances for a fiver in advance at Ovalhouse 12-14 July. Every date has live palantype captions. (When the show goes into full production in 2019, the subtitles will be designed as part of the show.) On 13 July there will be an after show discussion which is palantyped and BSL interpreted by Jacqui Beckford.
Augmented wins Suitcase Day Prize at Pulse Festival.
I performed a 20 minite scratch of my one person show, Augmented, at Pulse Festival and won a grand and a loan of an old suitcase!
“The Suitcase Prize challenges theatre makers to think in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. The 10 participants compete to win £1,000 by presenting a 20 minute scratch which can be transported on public transport! Yes, literally in a suitcase!”
Thank you to everyone who has attended our sharings and contributed feedback. Thank you to Unlimited for funding the writing R&D and to Ovalhouse and Poplar Union. The script will go through several more drafts.
The full length scratch performances are on 12-14 July at Ovalhouse. Tickets are a fiver in advance and eight quid on the door. The performances are palantype captioned and in the downstairs accessible theatre. Your feedback at these performances will help me create the full production in 2019.
Augmented wins Unlimited R&D award!
I’m massively chuffed to be a recipient of this year’s Unlimited R&D award. The award funds my Augmented R&D, in partnership with Ovalhouse Theatre, with additional support from Poplar Union. Follow my Augmented blog for updates on my process and scratch performance dates.
Told by an Idiot
I learned loads whilst working with Told by an Idiot’s Paul Hunter and Stephen Harper. And from the other eleven actors in the ensemble too. There were extra sessions with Lisa Hammond, Wardrobe Ensemble, Little Soldier and Rachel Bagshaw. I discovered I like playing with half masks. A lot.
We did three improvised Let Me Play the Lion Too performances at The Barbican, along with a panel discussion, due to be broadcast by Sky Arts next March, in a short film presented by Sally Philips.
Every day was fun, exciting, risky and inspiring.
More photos and information about the project here.
Let Me Play the Lion Too
This is happening! I’m going to be working with 11 other performers in a Told by an Idiot production in February 2018 at the Barbican Pit Theatre.
Here’s the information…
19 Feb, 2018 – 03 Mar, 2018
“an improvisational experiment
Let Me Play the Lion Too sees Told by an Idiot use our trademark working practices to tackle the lack of diversity on stage as part of the Sky Arts Art 50 initiative.
In an intensive two week residency in The Pit, a group of 12 performers, six of whom have a disability, work with us to devise new improvised evenings of anarchic spontaneity. The process enables artists to develop their theatre making skills, and to push their imaginations and creativity in new ways, whilst looking to affect change in the wider arts infrastructure.
Let Me Play The Lion Too is part of Sky Arts Art 50, a landmark project to commission 50 artworks that will explore what it means to be British in a post-Brexit Britain.
Art 50 is a partnership between Sky Arts, the Barbican, Sage Gateshead, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Storyvault Films.
‘In a new partnership with the Barbican we announce our unique project entitled ‘Let Me Play The Lion Too’. This will bring together twelve performers of exceptional promise, with an equal mix of those with a disability and those without. An intensive two week period of improvisation will empower them to take responsibility for their own creativity, and will culminate in evenings of anarchic spontaneity.’ Paul Hunter, Artistic Director of Told by an Idiot
Public performance at the Pit, Barbican Centre on 3rd March 2018. Booking details released soon.”