Our writer-in-waiting has been on the Royal Court Theatre’s Critical Mass Programme, Invitation and Super Groups and has been informally attached to the Clean Break Theatre. She has had rehearsed readings of her plays at the Royal Court Theatre, Soho Theatre, Young Vic, Young Actors Theatre and Tristan Bates Theatre.
I’m now tired of waiting. My name isn’t Estragon and my mate isn’t Godot. It’s time for action.
First stop, my play Take Me 2 Manhattan. It is already on many radars, including Theatre 503 (due to meet the literary manager to discuss amendments); Clean Break (currently with an associate director to drive it forward); Royal Court Theatre (due to be re-read following a two day workshop of an earlier draft); Tricycle Theatre (due to be read by the literary team) and Talawa Theatre (a young director is on board, committed and enthusiastic).
Here’s the plan. I must contact:
• Soho Theatre. I have already been promised performance space in their upstairs studio; now need to lock that promise down.
• Talawa Theatre. Requested funding support for a week’s run at Soho, including a week’s payment for the young director and actors to play Ailleen (dual heritage) Ryan (African Caribbean) and Tatiarna (Asian or Chinese).
• Femi Ogun at Identity Drama School. Requested actors Ailleen, Ryan and Tatiarna. Sounding out any possibility of securing their acting talents – for free.
• Clean Break and Theatre 503. Requested funding support for a week’s payment for actors to play Rose (White English) Kyle (White Irish) Silco (White English).
• Royal Court Theatre and Soho Theatre for casting Rose, Kyle and Silco. I’m thinking Rupert Evans for Silco, Kevin Spacey for Kyle (note to self – contact The Old Vic) and Rose (jury’s still out).
The only thing left is the audience. Believe me, it’s a fantastic play. Hopefully I will see you in November 2012 at the Soho Studio.
Also on the agenda is my eighties feature film. I can exclusively reveal its title: Soun’ Clash. It is about sound systems, speaker boxes bigger than your sitting room wall, chattin’ da mic and 16 year old Dean’s love for a girl who has captured his heart. This is set against the backdrop of racism, Thatcherite Britain and the New Cross Fire.
I’ve submitted the redraft to Knights Hall Agency, BBC Writersroom, United Agents and Maria Thomas at Snakegully Films. I’m also aiming to get it to Idris Elba, through a Verity Bargate contact. Like I said, I’m done with waiting.
As for my fifties TV drama Bracewell Road, it is currently with Gary Beadle and has been submitted to Knights Hall for feedback. I’m also in the process of completing my radio play about ‘four ole boys’ who meet up for a reunion.
I’ve already got character outlines, plot structure, pivotal action points/events and 30 pages (1/2 hour) of dialogue. After completion it will be winging its way to a BBC radio freelance contact who requested to see a draft of the play back in July 2011.
My collaboration with Tanya Moodie, Norma Dumezweni, Diveen Henry and Lorna Brown has allowed me to secure some powerful film footage and narrative for a piece, which will be in development.
At last I’ve heard from the director for my short film Mirror, who is busy trying to secure a musical score (with zero funds) and in post production. The tentative completion date for the film is July 2012.
As I promised in my last post, I’ve submitted my 100-word play to the Royal Court entitled N.H.S (No Health Service). On the down side, I heard from the Adrienne Benham Award that I hadn’t been shortlisted. Ditto for Theatre 503’s Lab Fest, where six plays are optioned to four theatres for a three day run. You win some and you keep on going regardless.