Writing Showcase
Welcome to my writing desk here is a showcase of my writing work for you to enjoy
"The Response" R n D:2 Feb 2020
“The most important thing I’ve worked on in the last ten years” Mark Wingett, Foreword to the play
“A modern classie” – Audience Feedback
Just before Covid broadsided the world, I was fortunate enough to get a rare second round of R n D funding from Arts Council for THE RESPONSE. This meant I could workshop with the actors and hone a 1 hour selection of scenes – a sort of extended trailer – and we could showcase it at www.theseagull.co.uk and the SOHO theatre in February 2020.
With a reduced cast and now female lead with the extraordinary Zora Bishop as Nafisah and James El Sharawy joining Mark Wingett, Jennifer Matter, Jamie Cutler and Mark Finbow, I was blessed with another fantastic team. Watch here for more news on what happens next with the play – hopefully the full version. I was able to get the script down to the exact length of the England V Sweden world cup match it takes place during so it really did move at lightning pace.
It’s also really satisfying when drama students ask if they can use monologues from it for auditions!
So thank you, Arts Council and thank you to the incredible team that shepherded this into life. Here’s to the future.
Response Photography by: Bishy Barnabee Photography
"Stealing Mona Lisa" and "Emperor".
I was lucky enough to have the best time working for Producers Richard Hart and Mark Foligno and their classy feature film about the real events surrounding the theft of the Mona Lisa and then to be reemployed by Mark through Emperor Film and Scott Free to help with development on their epic fantasy feature “Emperor”.
From the Epic fantasy of Emperor to the romance and depth of the real event of the mona lisa being stolen, both scripts offered such different things. It also hit the “geek” spot in me, revisiting the Scott Free offices – I remember the first time I ever met their team was in Ridley’s office – complete with actual Blade Runner and Alien props and a glass table full of cigars… I was looking for something from The Duellists! And to date the time (and me) he’d just wrapped on Black Hawk Down…
Writing/Directing: "THE RESPONSE" (Theatre)2017
In November 2017 I was lucky enough to win support from the Arts Council for a new play that had been cooking away in my head for a while. “The Response” is the story of four extremists who take British hostages during the 1996 world cup match between England and Sweden. But nothing is what you expect and there are plenty of turns along the way is this political drama.
This was something very special to me – the first work of my own for a while, teaming up with Karen Read at the Seagull Theatre and also thanks to Manuel Puro Casting Director, I was able to assemble an absolutely stellar cast that lifted the work to a whole new level as we worked through the R and D. Yuo can see them above but here’s a shout out to the brilliantly talented Reece Ritchie, Mark Wingett, Jennifer Matter, Avin Shah, Mark Finbow, Charlotte Mcguiness, Duramaney Kamara and James Cutler. We worked through the script and workshopped it, I went away and developed it post the workshops then we regrouped where they gave the most incredible rehereared reading “plus” I’ve seen. It looks like things will progress further, possibly not only in the theatre for the play so do keep an eye out here. Photos are from the brilliant Charlie Ketchen. Clips and interviews and review links below but also look for The Response Play youtube channel for more content…
One of the most important and moving aspects of the research was meeting the incredible Dan Biddle, the most injured survivor of the 7/7 bombings. Meeting Dan wa a life changing experience for me and his story is not only beyond harrowing to the point of being unimaginably horrific, it’s mnore than that – inspiring. Dan was a rock and such a support in the research of The Response and we will be hopefully working together on a brand new project soon. With such a delicate and provocative subject, it was vital the research was accurate and as insitghtful as possible and thanks to all the members of the emergency services, detectives, witnesses, members of the Muslim, Christian and other faiths that helped with the research on the subject and the events and perspectives of 7/7, we were able to deliver a play that not only stood up dramatically but also factually and spiritually…
"The Ladykiller" in Screen Daily...
A real thrill was pitching for and winning the job to adapt the extraordinary Martina Cole’s
Novel THE LADYKILLER for the brilliant Producer Debbie Gray at GENESIUS PICTURES. I’d worked with Debbie before on a couple of projects but it could have been so intimidating meeting a best selling author like Martina but she was amazing – even when I was pitching what I thought we might need to adapt a little differently as the time constraints of film are always a factor.
I could go on for ages about the differences adapting a novel as to working on an original idea of your own, but its actually great practice for development work. You’re looking at the material and finding the best way to tell the story that you can. The last was working with the superb Director Tim Fywell to hone the later drafts with him and Debbie. And, like Mark Foligno and Richard Hart, two of my other favourite producers, Debbie is a real writer’s champion (Probably why Martina and Jo Brand work with her) – a great producer is strong but also not afraid to let you know when things are good with your work. And Ill treasure the “great job” text from Martina when we delivered the final draft. You can see the announcement in Screen Daily here!
"Clickbait"
Just completed another script, this time for the Dutch company MIKETEEVEE and MIDNIGHT PICTURES with Producer Ellen Utrecht and Director Hugo Keijzer and it’s already greenlit.
CLICKBAIT is the story of an online journalist who hires an urban climber to take her on a “free climb” to the top of the Sky Towers in Kyiv. It’s a fast-paced, thrilling short shooting early next year and it’s been huge fun to collaborate with them – can’t recommend them highly enough…
Quick sketch of the crane where some of the CLICKBAIT action takes place…