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.)

End of an era?

End of a year and a decade. Doesn't seem all that long since we were knee-deep in Millenium hype and very sick of the Robbie Williams song. If we'd have known then ... 9/11, the fantasy WMD, war, global warming, the credit crunch, who killed Archie Mitchell (oh, sorry, we don't know that one yet).

For me, a lot of things I'd hoped for haven't happened, but some I never even dreamt of have. I suppose Shakespeare should have the last word, as he summed it up in 'Hamlet' - 'There are more things in heaven and earth...'

Happy New Year!

New Year

Here's to a happy one...

Christmas was fine, but a bit too much a writing-free zone. Having cleared through my clothes and tidied the bedroom over the weekend, I am now about to tackle the paper Versuvius commmonly referred to as 'my study', in hope of getting it into order and identifying what I should be getting on with first.

Think Edinburgh venue sorted for week 2 (16-21st Aug 2010, 4-5pm). Just need an audience to turn up, so 'please come' may be my theme for next year.

So, in the immortal words of the annoying man in 'The Poseidon Adventure' who I think was thankfully drowned, 'Hap-py New Year!'

Winter Solstice

It's today - unless you're in the southern hemisphere, when it's summer solstice and lucky you.
Not blogged recently due to sore throat-type bug, frantic busy with work etc, plus doing less writing-wise. Re Fringe, near to sorting out venue and now looking for a good director to work with Irene and develop the play further.
My play-writing course at York Uni from Mon 25th has enough students signed up now to run for definite, though still about 3 places left, if anyone knows of anyone interested (see earlier blog or my website for details).
Snow here of course - quite a lot. Here's dreaming of a white Christmas...
and a happy one to anyone reading this!

Edinburgh Fringe 2010

Am hoping to take a show up, so looking into venues etc. Having done this twice before, I know what hard work I'm letting myself in for - but lots of fun also. Ah well, here goes!

Dashing through the snow?

Well, no snow yet but plenty of dashing. Pre-Christmas hussle-bussle, and not much time for writing.
Apparently several students have enrolled for my play-writing course so it will run. Hope a few more join them as well. Am looking forward to it, especially now it will be working towards rehearsed readings of work to come out of it.
Went to a journalist-friend's party yesterday, where Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper put in brief appearances.

Script Yorkshire BUDS showcase, WYP

Went to this event yesterday afternoon. Script Yorkshire is a dramatists' group I've been involved with for years (including in its earlier incarnation as Yorkshire Playwrights) and which is undergoing some change, having lost arts funding (sound familiar just now?).

Each branch (Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York) showcased short pieces by their members. Most were script-in-hand only but still very well acted and professionally presented. The two actors in mine ('Adjournment'), Cecily Boys and Matt Harris, did me proud, as did director, Mark Smith (whom I know via York Theatre Royal and whom am hoping to work with again on taking 'Malteser Falcon' to Edinburgh next year, the talented Irene Lofthouse to reprise the role again). However, thankfully 'Adjournment' is still work-in-progress writing-wise and I could see it needed more work. It's to form a scene in 'Doublecross', which I'm writing with Mick Yates for another ActONE production in Leeds next autumn.

The two pieces from Hull branch were particularly good and the actors were books down, so it was a really enjoyable performance, with the comedy making us laugh whilst taking in serious points, especially Dave Windnass's 'Thanks for Coming', a skilfull skit on management-speak - very bottom line and blue sky, thank you.

Afterwards we 'adjourned' to the Wardrobe and alcholic Narnia. Three of us from York branch actually managed to fit a curry in over the road at 'Ahkbar's' (Kashmir restaurant), so could walk in a fairly straight line by the end of it!