Archive for October, 2009
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Ten years! TEN YEARS!!
Yup. Ten years. Ten years since I went to Bournemouth University. Not ten years since I graduated from university, mind you - but ten years since I started. However, it’s fair to say that if I was going to be either a hitman and/or John Cusack, it probably would have happened by now 
Oh well. At lot has happened since I first started studying Scriptwriting at Bournemouth Uni a decade ago. If I have any regrets, then it would be not taking a year or two out first so that I maybe had a little more life to write about. But maybe that kind of regret has found its way into and fuelled my writing anyway. I certainly don’t regret the friends I made and, of course, it was where I met the lovely Heather - so you know there are no regrets there!
Here’s a pic that my old uni chum Cookie ‘took’ of all of us back in the day. I’m in touch with too few of the fine fellows and fellowesses picture but I am joining them for somewhat of recap back down on the south coast this weekend. It’ll be good to see them all again as well as to see the sea itself.
I hope some things have changed. And that some never will*. Onwards 
*Error. Sentimental Censorship fail 
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Beyond the Front Line at The Lowry.
Slung Low Theatre Co’s Beyond the Front Line is on at the Lowry now. Buy tickets. Now! Sorry…got a bit miltaristic there. I went to see the show’s preview on Monday and the effect still hasn’t worn off. But, in all seriousness, the show definitely leaves it mark on you.
If you’ve somehow managed to avoid me blabbing on about it in recent blog posts, tweets and facebook statuses there’s an in-depth interview with artistic director Alan Lane here as well as an interview with Dave Toole, one of the central performers, here.
Monday was also the first time I saw the chapter I wrote brought to life. As this is my theatrical writing debut, I really couldn’t be happier as the amazingly talented Dom Finch (above) and director Alan have created an amazing sequence that really delivers a powerful, emotional punch.
As the audience you will follow one of four different paths providing different experiences (so there’s a 75% chance you’ll steer clear of my writing altogether ) so I was very pleased to see the other three paths by the other three brilliant writers - Matthew Scott, Joel Horwood and Chris Thorpe - on Monday as well. Considering we all had the same brief, it’s amazing how different yet equally engrossing each story has turned out.
I’ve learned a great deal contributing to this show, not only from working with Slung Low on something so original but researching the subject matter and trying to do it justice. So if you are able to get to Salford and see a performance, I would strongly recommend you ready yourself with a steady mindset and sensible footwear. It’s a show unlike any I’ve seen before.
It’s also Press Night tonight so I want to wish the entire cast and crew all the very best for another powerful performance!
