Traverse podcast

I spoke to the ace Associate Director of the Traverse, Hamish Pirie, on Tuesday for their monthly podcast.

Here is me talking about writing things. 

The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot

Yes I know it's only November but we are already at the end of our first week of rehearsals for my new play, created with and directed by Gareth Nicholls, The Little Boy at Santa Claus Forgot at the Macrobert in Stirling. An adventure for 3-6 year olds, it tells the story of Johnny (who hates Christmas) and his jolly neighbour, Mr McGregor (who loves Christmas) and what happens when Christmas is cancelled...

I'm sitting at the back of the rehearsal room looking at a roaring fire, a shy turkey and a massive pile of brussel sprouts. Oh and there's also a big bottle of Christmas Spirit in the corner. It's been a lot of fun this week. I hope you'll join us when we open on Tuesday 3rd December.

For tickets, book here.

Dragon flies into Edinburgh & Salford... PLUS a new trailer

Dragon - Production Trailer from National Theatre of Scotland on Vimeo.

We've had an incredible first two weeks on the tour of Dragon. The response from audiences has been brilliant.

Tomorrow night we open at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and run there until Saturday 2nd November. Following that we finish our tour at The Lowry in Salford on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th.

Please come along, if you can.

Here is the brilliant trailer by NTS Seth & team...

Up, up, up and away...

Dragon opens tomorrow at the Citizen's Theatre, Glasgow.

It's taken three years, three house moves, two computers and a lot of paper but I'm finally there. It's happening. Phew.

The first couple of previews (last Friday and Saturday) were incredibly positive. The audience seemed involved and excited. We have to make a couple of tweaks here and there but we have a show. And it's absolutely the show I wanted to make when we started this project.

A lot of people ask: how do you write a play with no words? My answer is: very slowly.

When Jamie Harrison and Candice Edmunds of Vox Motus approached me to write Dragon they weren't sure what they needed. They wanted a boy, a story of grief and a dragon. The how was up to me.

I had a few false starts. Lots actually. I wrote a play with dialogue with a covering note to say that the actors could just not say the words. I wrote a scene-by-scene synopsis but that was dry as dust and incredibly boring to read. I read a heap of plays for children, lots of novels and picture books, and the only other silent play I know, Request Programme by Franz Xaver Kroetz.

The problem was how to convey the story, the characters' journey and the world to the actors and directors and designers in a useful way but that wouldn't limit them but let them imagine and invent.

Then two things happened.

I asked myself the question as to why the play was silent. Why doesn't anyone speak? Tommy is twelve years old and has lost his mum. His dad is stricken with grief, his big sister ignores him and his pals aren't his pals anymore. He doesn't speak because he can't. And if Tommy can't speak and the play is from Tommy's point of view then the play must be silent.

The other thing that happened was that we went into development. Three actors, two directors and a dragon. We played and tried things out in silence and I went away into the next room to write a scene before bringing it back for the director's to try out. Quite quickly we found a formula that worked for us.

It wasn't a film script, it wasn't a short story. It was a silent play.

Over the last six weeks, I've had the privilege of watching the actors, directors and production team turn  the script into a piece of theatre. More than anything I've done before it is absolutely a team effort. Without that thing happening then or that person doing that at this point, none of it would work.
And of course, the thing about a silent play is that when you need to re-write a scene everyone has to be involved. It isn't simply a matter of me writing and the actor learning. Someone has to work out how those eighteen things that were happening now don't happen and those twenty-five things happen instead. It's incredibly complex and the fact that everyone makes it look so easy is extraordinary to me.

So I want to thank all the team for making silence beautiful and whatever happens tomorrow, it's been a blast.

Dragon: the trailer...

Click here to see the trailer for Dragon. Enjoy...

Dragon rehearsals Week 3

It seems impossible but we are already at the end of week three of rehearsals for Dragon. As the actors in the show are finding, time goes incredibly quickly in this world. The whole skeleton of the show has been made and now we're going back over scene-by-scene to really delve deep into the characters and story.

The magic for me is that, as I dip in and out of rehearsals, so much changes or transforms.

What begins on one day as a character walking across the stage, a few days later is a street scene full of shopper, angry bike messengers and mysterious creatures. Those few lines I wrote in the quiet of my front room are now given noisy and bright life.

It's wonderful to see and testament to the brilliant imaginations of Jamie, Candice and the entire team.

Tomorrow is a big test, however, as we invite a small and select group of young people to come and see the opening. This is a great opportunity to see how well we are telling the story and what we need to do in the remaining weeks of rehearsal. The great and terrifying thing is that young people are not afraid of telling you the truth. Wish us luck!

Here is a picture that Candice (co-director) took today in rehearsals.

Titus rocks!

Wahoo!

Titus had a brilliant Edinburgh fringe festival as part of the Made in Scotland and British Council showcase 2013. The splendid Macrobert were are producers and the lovely Summerhall was our venue.

Thank you to everyone who came along to see us.

And for those who missed it, you're silly.

But I although Titus doesn't like to make promises he can't keep, it looks like he will be back soon.

Until then here are a few of our splendid reviews.

★★★★ The Times, The List, Broadway Baby, Fest, Across the Arts.


★★★★★ Edinburghguidedotcom, Three Weeks.

And a couple of interviews with yours truly. Here and here.

We were also the lucky runners-up at the Scottish Arts Club Award for Scottish Theatre. Please note the amazing spelling of my name. Oh yes indeed...

Dragon rehearsals begin

It's taken three years but now the day has finally arrived and we have started rehearsals for Dragon. Here are Jamie and Candice of Vox Motus putting the actors into wonderful shapes.

We are very lucky that the play is a co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland AND the Tianjin People's Arts Theatre in Beijing. This means we have two brilliant actors from China working with us. Our Mandarin is a bit rusty but we are learning new things every day and in the words of Jamie - 'semi-fluent' by the end of rehearsals. I'll let you know how that goes!

Dragon opens at the Citizen's Theatre in October.

SOLD OUT - Playwright (etc)

The workshop I will be leading as part of the Playwright Studio Scotland's TalkFest 2013 on Saturday 17th August is now sold out. I believe PSS have started a waiting list so do put your name down if you would like to come. And for those of you lucky folk who already have a ticket, I look forward to seeing you there.

Titus is 'must-see'

Titus has been chosen as one of the Scotsman's 50 must-see events of the Edinburgh Fringe 2013. That means you must see it. Yes.

Dragon opens at the Citizens Theatre

Have you seen this? Isn't it cool? Yes after three years of hard work Vox Motus/National Theatre of Scotland/Tianjin Children's Art Theatre will be producing my new play for everyone called 'Dragon' in October. I will post more info as and when...

Playwright (etc.) - a workshop

As part of the Playwright Studio Scotland's Made in Scotland TalkFest, I will be doing a workshop entitled 'Playwright (etc.)'. It's on Saturday 17th August 1400-1600 at Fringe Central.

I'll be looking at ideas and where they come from, as well as what it means to be a playwright in the real world. A mixture of practical things and wild fantasy. Bring a pen and an imagination.

Oh and it's free. Bonus.

Titus is Made In Scotland

Titus is back and this time he's here to stay. Well for the month of August at least. I'm very happy to say that with the support of those excellent folk at the Macrobert, our production of Titus is part of the Made In Scotland showcase.

Check here for the details.

We're at the brilliant and exciting Summerhall from 2nd August all the way through until the 25th at 12.10. The show lasts 40minutes.

If you haven't seen it (or even if you have) come along. I'm dead proud of this one.

Goldfish reviews so far...

(Photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan)

This is a link to the National Theatre of Scotland's website where they have collated our brilliant reviews for The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish.

★★★★ The Scotsman, The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph.

We're all dead chuffed.

Come along to see it and let us know what you thought on Twitter using the #2Goldfish hastag.

Goldfish for sale!

(This is our first audience coming into the space. They were excellent.)

We opened on Saturday at the beautiful Beacon in Greenock and it was a triumph. The fish fished, the audience enjoyed, and dads were swapped.

It's been a crazy month. This was always going to be a technical show what with it being promenade but that's without counting on all the other things that are discovered in rehearsals. It's been a real privilege as well as challenge to find cunning ways to incorporate all the amazing ideas of Lu and the cast. It feels as if the whole process has gone in a flash and I'm still trying to work out the best bits.

And on a technical note...

I want to take a second to send a high-five to all the splendid folk that you don't see but without whom the show just wouldn't happen. Fi Fraser (production manager), David Sneddon (Company Stage Manager), Neil McLean (Technical Manager), Kylie Langford (Wardrobe Supervisor), Katy Lonsdale (Wardrobe Assistant) and Sarah Wilson (Technician) worked almost without pause last week to get us ready for the audience. A nicer bunch of smiley people who have little reason to smile you could hardly wish for. Writers, directors and actors get their names in the reviews but without this lot, we wouldn't be anywhere at all.

Goldfish is now on tour throughout May. Look out for us.

Goldfish rehearsals - Week One

And we're off.

The cast and crew of Goldfish gathered at our rehearsal room on Monday for the first readthrough of the script and a look at the final model box. Having only had the text for a few days, the actors were brilliant and it went as well as these things can.

It's always a terrifying moment when you hear the script for the first time. You can never be certain that the words that worked in your head will work in other people's mouths. But the rest of the team laughed and were quiet in all the right places so that's a good start.

The rest of the week has been a refining of the text and design. I've done another four (or is it five) drafts since Monday and on Friday we had the entire the National Theatre of Scotland team in to hear the final (fingers crossed) readthrough before we lock the script next week.

My personal highlight of this first week was going to visit the pupils of St Brides Primary. Attentive and funny and curious, they gave us excellent notes on the first scene. The best question came from an 8 year old boy who looked the director straight in the eye and asked seriously: Have you got a dog?

Short stories to download

The excellent AudioGO have two of my short stories to download. Both were originally written for BBC Radio 4.

Songbirds is read by Robin Laing and is my (rather bizarre) response to the theme of Twitter.

Elvis In Prestwick is read by Laura Fraser and is a story set on the day of Presley's only visit to the UK.

Have a listen and let me know what you think.

The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish

So it's official. I am now working on the new National Theatre of Scotland production of 'The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish' by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. I wrote a first draft two weeks ago and this week I am working on the second. It's a(nother) quick turn around as we begin rehearsals at the end of the month. It's just a bit too exciting.

We begin previews at The Beacon in Greenock on 25 April before touring Scotland. I will post more info regarding dates when I have them.

(Pic taken from original picturebook illustrated by Dave McKean)

Spare Room Blog

I wrote a blog for the Scottish Refugee Council about The Spare Room. You can read it here.

The Spare Room on BBC Radio 4

Ach so I've been busy and haven't had time to update this blog. Lots of exciting things to report but firstly and most excitingly is that my new play, The Spare Room, will be broadcast on Friday 22nd February on BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm.

We have a great cast in Babou Ceesay (as Michael) and Candida Benson (as Stephanie) with my frequent partner in crime Lu Kemp directing. I wrote the play in three weeks in Scotland in January and we recorded the first weekend in February at Broadcasting House in London.

The reason for such haste is that it was a 'rapid response' commission where I was asked to write a play about a current affair or news item. It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of fun to get a piece written (and good!) in such a short space of time. Last year I wrote a 15 minute play in a week, this year a 45 minute play in three. (Yes I'm now fearing the call to write a two hour drama in a month!)

The piece of 'news' I chose as my inspiration for The Spare Room was the Stop Destitution Today campaign by the Scottish Refugee Council. I would obviously love it if you listened to the play but whether you do or not, please check out the petition here and think about signing.

With thanks to Suzi and Jamie at SRC for their time and notes.

In the country (part two)

So the first draft of The Spare Room is complete. I sent it last night to my director, Lu Kemp, and she will give me notes today.

The reason for the swift turn around is that this is a rapid response play. I was commissioned to write this a week before Christmas and we record it on February 2. That's roughly 6 weeks to research, write and redraft. It's the same length as an ordinary Afternoon Play (45m) for Radio 4 but its written in response to a current event.

As I've said before I love writing quickly. It feels the most honest and fun way to write. The tricky bit is to get it right.

I have two days left in the beautiful countryside of Dumfries and Galloway. I will have to make the most of it.

In the country

Retreat (noun) 5. A place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet.

I have gone into the countryside to finish a play. I’ve had a manic few first weeks of the year (plus Christmas was pretty darn busy) so I decided to take myself off to a cottage on the Dumfries and Galloway coast. It’s quite an intense piece and I felt like I needed to immerse myself in it.

(I would add a picture here but it’s been raining all day so just imagine some wet, bare trees and fields and the sea. It’s pretty gloomy too).

I usually like writing in a noisy place. I write on my sofa in my living room, with a bustling Glasgow street beyond the thin, single-glazed window. I write in cafes. I write in libraries (yes libraries are noisy now. I don’t know when that changed but it has. My local library is insane). I have an office but that is shared so there are always lots of folk to talk to. Plays are about the world and people living in the world. So I like to be surrounded by it when I’m writing.

But sometimes the noise gets too much. I have something like four or five projects on the go at the moment and a very limited time in which to complete them. Above all else I need to think.

In 2006 – before I moved to Glasgow – I lived in a cottage on the Kent-Sussex border, close to where I was born. It was a converted stable that was rented out as holiday cottages. It had a tiny bedroom, a tiny living room, a kitchen and a shower. It was on a small farm and I could hear cows snoring and cocks crowing. Once I woke to find a large deer, looking in through my bedroom window. I loved it.

That was also the year when I became a ‘proper’ playwright. I had my first commission for both theatre and radio. But it wasn’t the commissions that made me ‘proper’.

What I had never realised, what no-one had ever really explained to me, was that being a writer you had to be alone. Nobody could do it for you. There wasn’t someone to sit with you and motivate you or do your research or type. Before I had always written in my spare time. After school or uni, late at night at home, while I was working in KFC or in the Futon Shop. In the cottage – all by myself – I was suddenly confronted by a blank page and nothing else.

The country is a brilliant place to think. The quiet and the landscape and the big skies allow me to actually hear your own thoughts. In the city there is so much to distract your attention – wonderful and brilliant things often but still things – that you never get to hear what you brain is telling you.

I love living in the city. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. But I feel like I learnt to be a playwright in the country. In my tiny cottage, I had nowhere else to go except my desk. The silence forced me to think and to put those thoughts down on paper. And, best of all, I learned to enjoy it.

I’m in the country for a week. I'll let you know how it goes.