STOP PRESS
February 26, 2010
The end of the tunnel. Finished drafts of both Murder They Read and Granny Get Your Gun are now ready for delivery. MTR has had a bit of a polish, GGYG a total rewrite. Meanwhile, the BBC tell me they like Hacks enough to ask to see another script - MTR's looking favourite for that, so the timing's worked out nicely. Next up, an adaptation of the Desmond Bagley novel The Tightrope Men - I'm thinking a 2 x 60-minuter but it's early days yet.
February 25, 2010
Session with Ben Stephenson, the BBC's controller of drama commissioning. What a nice man! A genuine fan of TV drama - you couldn't really ask for more from someone in his position.
February 1, 2010
Couple of months or so writing first drafts of two shows (see below). Team-writing effort Murder They Read is now with m'learned colleagues for script editing, while the sitcom pilot - Granny Get Your Gun - has had both barrels from a very generous Laurence Marks (as in Marks & Gran - Birds of a Feather, Goodnight Sweetheart, The New Statesman et al). Wonderful, detailed masterclass advice from one of our leading sitcom kings. Unfortunately for me, it now means a return to the drawing board. It would be churlish to complain...
November 18, 2009
Completely crazy few weeks working up two TV projects simultaneously - glutton for punishment. First there's the team-writing piece, a five-part dark comedy to be stripped across one week's transmissions. Then there's my own sit-com - more news anon - which has been lagging behind a little but now starting to make progress. Deadlines for both this side of Christmas. Mmm.
November 13, 2009
So that was Collision, the Anthony Horowitz drama that scuppered our original team-writing idea Impact (see September 17 below). Nicely produced, well acted, great cast etc etc. We'd have written it better.
September 25, 2009
The RSC have revealed to us critics the opening salvo in their four-year Russian project Revolutions (read the Davies review here). Distinct flavour of Rasputin's Mother - perhaps RSC Literary Department should be an urgent port of call...
September 23, 2009
Charming letter from Alan Ayckbourn, who generously agreed to read my play Rasputin's Mother (see May 1 below) and has offered some lovely comments and encouragement. What a nice man.
September 17, 2009
First meeting of the triumvirate that will now have to create a co-written TV show by Christmas. The original idea (dating from about May - see June 3 below) has been scuppered by the news that ITV are to air a mini-series in November which is basically the same thing, so it's back to the drawing board.
August 16, 2009
Last night last night. No more diving in the pool. But fantastic fun while it lasted. Back to reality...
July 31, 2009
After a month of fantastic rehearsals (more details to come on the blog in due course), last night was press night. Read a totally unbiased review here!
July 1, 2009
It's a 'yes' from Sir Alan! Time to polish up my best Iberian accent for Ruy, the Spanish gardener. Performances from July 27 to August 5. Visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk to book. Can't quite see how I'm going to review this one...
June 30, 2009
Acting hat on for audition with Sir Alan Ayckbourn for a small role in his play Man of the Moment, being directed by him at Northampton's Royal Theatre. Watch this space...
June 16, 2009
Latest - fifth - draft of Hacks (one-hour TV pilot) completed.
June 3, 2009
Work starts on TV drama 'Impact' with co-writers Rob Wilkinson and Jo Braithwaite.
June 1, 2009
Deliver shadow script of Holby City episode, Enigma Variations.
May 1, 2009
It seems an appropriate day for signing off on stage play Rasputin's Mother.
March 18, 2009
Deliver shadow script of Doctors episode, Basic Training.