What The Dickens!

Sorry but an obvious opening line, when it has been confirmed I shall be donning the Charles Dickens beard and coat again on Feb 7th 2012 (Dickens's 200th Anniversary) and strutting my stuff at the Pump Room in
Bath. Have posted a video on You Tube and am growing the beard so it's all stations - whatever.

I shall be re-doing The Signal man and the piece from Pickwick Papers that I adapted for the Rondo Theatre, which seems so long ago.
But the writing is not on hold as I've sent off some more short pieces for various competitions around the world - trying the crack the American Theater market (Chicago seems to have a very healthy theatre scene).
Also off this weekend to Tenby to see A Mess Of Beans actually being done in a public house on Monday evening. The Tenby Arts Festival has now taken into its official programme the two nights of Pint Sized plays in various public houses around the town.
I went to Fishguard and saw the Script Slam last year which was interesting as It enabled me to see all ten plays chosen as Finalists for Pint Sized Plays. But it was not the experience that the competition is all about.
This year I was determined to see the piece being done in the space that it was written for.

Go west young playwright!

So it's happened - a play has been accepted in America - Nay, let's get this right - Noah's promised to do two plays - So I've cracked the States. Well, not actually cracked - more like a small tiny scratch has been made - but made none the less.
I got an email the other day from Spokane Radio Theatre. From a guy named Noah who has heard of my play The Granny Case  (I may have mentioned it a few times during these blogs.) and wants to do it in Spokane on the radio. That's Spokane, Washington State - and here's the real irony of the whole thing - Natalie (my wife) and I are planning an American trip next year - and one of the places that we will be passing through is Spokane! Albeit at about 3am in the morning on the Empire Builder Amtrak train! But there is a connection there - but I have feeling I shall not be getting up at the time especially to wave to Spokane as we go through. But I do look forward to listening to a recording of the play - as well as The Pail Of Water Case - which Noah is also planning to do. So The Granny Case will be now going to America in the fall - and there's a chance of it being done at Christmas in Bognor Regis!

My other news this month is that A Mess of Beans or The Case of Beans - which was its original title has been short listed as a finalist for Pint Sized Plays 2011. This means that I've had at least one play in the finals each year for the past four years - which is very pleasing. Oh, why was there a change of title? - well, I was getting into a rut with my cases (all of which are Nursery Rhyme Crimes) and as the competition is supposed to be anonymous - I thought I'd better not give anyone a clue as to who wrote it! Oh it's about Jack and the beanstalk if you hadn't guessed and comes as a kind of prequel to No Rhyme Nor Reason the play I won 2nd prize with at Bognor Last year.
It's all so complicated, I think I'll leave it now and go and have a lie down until next month.
Doc
www.doc-watson.com

Beanz meanz success

A Mess of Beans - originally called A Case of Beans which was entered for the Pint Sized plays competition based in Pembrokeshire has been chosen as one of the finalists for this year's Script Slam on 8th October at Fishguard as well as being performed in pubs around the area.
A mess if another in my series of plays entitled Nursery Rhyme Crimes so it fits into The Granny Case and The Pail Of Water Case series as well as a piece about the Maid was In The Garden etc etc.
Watch this space for further developments.



www.doc-watson.com

Ten Minute plays

Someone recently - a frustrated playwright I guess - asked what was the use of a ten minute play - who would want to watch a ten minute play?
Well, I've been entering a Ten Minute Play competition called Pint Sized Plays in Pembrokeshire for last four years and absolutely loving the challenge of writing a piece that fits into a five to ten minute slot and can be performed with little or no set with a small cast..( I've just submitted my entries for this year.)
Admittedly I have been very lucky and was a finalist over the past three years; with my first play winning the accolade of Pint Mug (ie First Prize) and last year winning third prize. So what? you might ask. No money just kudos. Well, one of my plays was performed in Sydney, Australia this year (Look at a previous blog); and another had a further performance over the New year and I got paid for that.(okay it bought a couple of pints but it's a start!)
But you're right in thinking, I'm never going to make my fortune with them; but it's short sighted to say that they don't have a place in amateur theatre as the collection of my shorts done by Solva Amateur Dramatic Society this last March proved.
But also think of how they can be used to test new directors - quickly over and another one the way if it's a disaster - and for actors a star role every time, as usually these pieces have small casts and therefore need an intense and disciplined form of acting. You haven't got much time to establish your character and its place in the way of things, before the action takes over and you're heading for the dénouement.
And then there are the schools looking for short pieces for their drama clubs and performances in class.
It's a short sighted reaction to say that the Ten Minute Play doesn't have a place in theatre - just as the One Act play was not supposed to be popular and therefore not done - look at the number of plays done for the various One Act Play Festivals up and down the country, before you get too high on your high horse.
No, what we should be doing is looking to have more play festivals like the one in Pembrokeshire - and if you don't believe me look at the Short and Sweet web site in Australia www.shortandsweet.org and be amazed at how popular that is!. These plays have been growing in popularity in America for the past thirty five years we're just a bit slow to catch on.
Oh and look at the whole of the Granny Case before making a judgement:

Rooms are where the play is

I recently got to thinking how different rooms in a house or in different houses can lend themselves to stories. I suppose I was considering the work of Alan Ayckbourn for one. The Norman Conquests with the same set of characters within the same time scale but producing three different plays; because of being set in different parts of the house. Actually Ayckbourn has written plays set in kitchens, dining rooms and in bedrooms. Then of course there's Pinter with his basement and The Dumb Waiter; Stoppard's room in Arcadia which exists in two different time zones.
And I suppose this got me to thinking about a series of short plays set in different rooms; each with its own characters and mood. There would be a farce set on the Roof and a spooky appearance in the Attic. Whilst in the Living Room there's a dead body - in the sitting room no chance of being able to sit down; and dark secrets lurk down in the basement.
This led to me to start writing a compilation of plays which I have given the overall title of PLAY rooms. I'm now onto number seventeen and the rooms keep coming or I visit the same room but there are different people there and a different mood and situation. The Parlour lends itself both to a kind of Chekhovian feel but also to the bizarre as the Queen is in the parlour eating bread and honey.
The beauty of this arrangement is that I can create an evening which is either just fun or just spooky or a mixture of both; an evening in which everyone gets to play a leading role in their own space.
Oh, and if anyone's interested, the plays are available for others to share; just contact me omn my website www.doc-watson.com
Welcome to my rooms.

Red Riding Hood's all the rage at the moment.

With the new film of Red Riding Hood about to hit our big screens it seems that the story has come back into vogue - but then my different versions of the story have been on stage some where in the world over the past two months. Beginning with The Granny Case over in Sydney New South Wales, Australia in February:

which I've blogged about before and then last month - March - my old pantomime revived from the production in Luton in 1992 - RED RIDING HOOD - The Panto With Teeth seen in Hitchin in what looks like a wonderful fun production.

And that's not all - The Granny Case has now been added to a collection of short plays with the overall title No Rhyme Nor Reason or The Nursery Rhyme Crimes - as performed by the Solva Amateur Dramatic Society, Pembrokeshire South Wales at the end of March. 

For a writer it wonderful to have his/her plays performed even in the local area - but to have them done in different places spanning the globe that's a real thrill. 

 The Granny Case has now been produced three different times and looking very very different each time - Considering the original performance back in 2009 as part of the Pint Sized Plays competition -

Well, all I can do is thank the casts and directors involved and be amazed at their creative inputs into these plays.

Results from Sydney 2011 and Red Riding Hood

Well, the Short and Sweet festival in Sydney has just finished its seventh week and the results are in.

"Thanks for another great week of Short+Sweet Sydney 2011 and for working so hard to create a wonderful night of theatre which audiences were raving about all week. On a personal note it was a real pleasure to meet and work with you all ! Now here are the results.
Firstly congratulations to The Joy of Solitude which narrowly took out the Judge’s Choice for the week, from The Granny Case, and progresses to the Gala Final of Short+Sweet Sydney 2011 at the NIDA Parade Theatre on March 11th and 12th. Congratulations also to Rules is Rules that finished third in the Judge’s Choice.
Also big congratulations to The Granny Case that won the People’s Choice for the week with The Joy of Solitude second and 50 Guns third.
Alex Braun, Artistic Director"
So The Joy Of Solitude continues and The Granny Case ends its run here - but there's a promise from South West Wales that it will be included in a new evening of short plays called THE NURSERY RHYME CRIMES ((news of that later)

Also this month Red Riding Hood - a panto with teeth which I wrote some twenty years ago is raising its head  on Friday 25 and Saturday 26th February in Hitchin Hertfordshire. Funny to think that the stars of that Panto when it was originally performed are now top names in film and television.. Sharon Small played Red Riding Hood and Nick Moran played Ratfink the wolf's stupid sidekick.

SHORT+SWEET SYDNEY 2011

Short and Sweet Sydney 2011 is now under way and the first week has already played. Excitement is mount for THE GRANNY CASE. And so to give you some background –here’s an email from my director several thousand miles away.

EMAIL FROM MY DIRECTOR

Hi Doc,

My name is Christopher Stollery and I have the honour of directing your play The Granny Case for the Sydney Short and Sweet season.

I had read about 35 of the 50 plays that Alex Broun had sent me to consider and was almost about to pass in the offer to direct something - I simply didn't find any of the pieces had that essential sting required for a short piece. But when I came to yours I was was relieved to be able to stop reading. It is a brilliant premise and in turning the fairytale on its head, covers film noir, media spin and hits a delightful cynical vein about our faith in the happy ending.

We will be on at NIDA Theatre Week 2 - Tuesday February 15th to Saturday February 19th. Don't suppose you are planning a trip out?

A little bit about me: I graduated from NIDA I have been an actor for about 25 years doing lots of stuff (biog attached if you have trouble sleeping) and doing as much directing as I can also. I just had a short film accepted into Flickerfest which is a major festival over here (Academy accredited and all) and it will be screening around the time of Short and Sweet.

I have cast Yalin Ozucelik as the man and Lizzie Schebesta as Red. Yalin is a recent NIDA graduate and an incredibly talented comic. Lizzie is also a rising star and gave a brilliant performance this year as Nina in The Seagull.

I've also attached the production still we'll be using to get an idea of the style.

Thanks for the script!

Christopher Stollery