DOUBLECROSS

‎'Doublecross' has gone much better than dared hope this weekend in Leeds. Both nights had good audiences, but last night the actors got into their stride and there was a lot of laughing and clapping - fortunately from the audience.

The hard work put in by the director, Colin Lewisohn, and the actors was clear. . Hard to select best bits, but some I was really pleased with were Richard Dipple's dapper journalist with his slow verbal seduction of dour legal eagle, played by Hayley Briggs (we all knew he'd get her and would keep pressing those buttons until he got the right ones. And boy, has Richard come on as an actor lately, but then he tells me lately he's been working with someone who worked with Alec Guiness); Hayley's mix of vamp and little girl lost as Sam, the rather dubious 'nurse'; Rachelle Vernelle's touchingly desparate vulnerability as would-be mother, Kay, caught between older husband and the Byronic journo; and finally Asadour Guzelian's moving portrayal of unlikely hero, the local councillor, as he copes with both bemusement at a rampant rabbit and the tragic yet hopefully redemptive revelation at the end of the play. For Michael Yates and I, it was great as writers to see our characters coming to life in this way.

We're now into the final push for the performance at Otley Courthouse on Friday. Bit nervous as we've never done this venue before, but prepared to put it down to experience whatever. Please come anyone who can - whether you up for something different drama-wise (or even if you just quite like the odd scantily-clad actress and a plot that involves handcuffs and gimp mask!)

It's a dark comedy drama with a La Ronde structure, based on the premise that life - like drama - is based on lying. There's always a subtext and the real question is whether trust just gets in the way of seeing it. Otley Courthouse Fri 24th 7.30pm tel 01943 467466 www.otleycourthouse.org.uk tickets £9/7 conc.

Alan Bennett

Alan Bennett came to address Script Yorkshire members at Carriageworks, Leeds on Friday (long story but I was sort of instrumental in this happening, and very glad it did). He was fascinating. A 75 yr old with a schoolboy sparkle in his eyes and still rosy cheeks. He began by reading an extract from his writing about his childhood in Lower Wortley, prose with poetic elements in it, which is saying something based on Lower Wortley. (Don't mean it. I'm from Bramley so how can I talk, and besides my Auntie Connie was a lollipop lady on the junction where he used to live.) The passage evoked back-to-back life of 50s pre slum-clearance West Leeds, but not all the bad bits by any means. But the passage dwelt much on the significance of names, showing that writer's fascination with words and what things/people are called - or more importantly chosen to be called.

The main part of the evening was question and answer, ranging wide over topics of interest to writers. I learnt a lot. AB's observations included such as that in some ways censorship had helped 'intensify' drama and its demise meant that 'your armoury decreased'. This seems to touch on the debate that crops up so often now about the usefulness of constraints. (Maybe Aristotle's 4 unities should be revived and we should go back to pre-Lady Chatterley prissiness.) AB explained why art is not a craft, in that in working a craft, you know each time you can produce an item to standard or in a certain form, whereas with art you never know it if will work or get anywhere. (Story of my life, though I suppose that's what makes art exciting as well as such a bitch - you never really know how it will come out.) So many bon mots and tips, perhaps summed up with AB's warning to 'protect your own endeavour'.

Come to think of it, wasn't that Captain Cook's ship, 'The Endeavour'? Another worthy Yorkshireman, who had quite a journey (though not from Lower Wortley).

This week sees me tied up and doublecrossed, as in 'Doublecross', latest ActONE production, co-written with Michael Yates, dark comedy drama with the premise that life - like drama - is based on lying. There's always a subtext; the question is whether trust only serves to get in the way of seeing it. On at Carriageworks this Fri/Sat, then at Otley Courthouse the following Fri. Bit nervous about this one, as it's different, but at least we're trying 'different'.

You win some...

... Enjoyed working with actors to pitch 'The Black Prince' idea/play for LightNight at Stage@Leeds last Fri, but the prize went to a performance art piece. I still believe in my idea/play though.

My fantasy novel 'The Fixed Lands' was yet again the bridesmaid, being highly commended in the Red Telephone Publishers' competition, and the critique came through. Very useful and heartening that they found a lot right with it, but felt the things that were wrong would be 'fixable' - ironic as the novel in a way concludes there is no 'fixity'.

All busy with 'About Chocolate' for Edinburgh and other projects. We've lost a very good actress, Sal Fulcher, for 'Doublecross' as she's got a film part and been swept off her feet and to France. However, interest from others has already been good, so hopefully we'll get someone else suitable to play our 'closet call-girl'. (If anyone out there feels like donning black stockings and pink marigolds, get in touch with ActONE's director.)

So much for NY resolutions

Well, my blog a lot in 2010 one didn't work. However I always intended this blog for writerly matters in the main. With the new year off to a slow, snow-bound start, and everyone chilled to the marrow, not a lot of writing activity going on. Mea culpa!
That said, I tutored the first of my play-writing classes at York Uni last week. Really enjoyed it. A great bunch of students (though some fourteen of them brings a time pressure in trying to hear everyone's contribution). I came home exhausted.
Last week, went to an interesting Script Yorkshire talk by Christopher Reason, an Eastenders writer-veteran of the Pat Butcher earrings line fame. (I think Pat's earrings were quite classy compared with Bette Lynch's toilets. Now they were seriously common and vulgar bling.)
Am desparately trying to finish a first draft of scenes for my collaborative play with Mick Yates, 'Doublecross'.
Also have a poem to write for a competition deadline, but it's a very personal and painful one, so not easy.
This morning, am off to West Yorkshire Playhouse to meet the actress, Irene Loftbouse, whom I'm working with on taking 'Malteser Falcon' to Edinburgh Fringe. We're talking to a couple of potential directors who may be able to help develop it further (one being Ray Brown, who I think could be great, but Irene has to decide on who she feels can best 'stretch' her, plus the chemistry is so important between actor and director. Being merely the writer, I'll be leaving them to it a lot - except when it comes to my own favourite equivalent of the Pat Butcher's earrings lines. I've already had to persuade Irene we cannot cut out Derek the winkle-seller. Huh, the very thought of it! He's the nearest we get to a hero.)