Opportunity Knocks?

I'll just going to leave this little note for you and then I'm off. Okaythxbye.

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Brave Soldier Films are currently developing the Pilot episode for a very unusual 6 x 60 min TV drama series devised by Lara Greenway, and now seek writers to join the Writing Team. There will be six writers in total and although the Team will work together on the overall theme for the Pilot, series arc and objectives, each scribe will write their own screenplay for the Pilot and then for the episodes, if the series is successfully commissioned.

Each episode of "0110: Twisted Tales & Glorious" - to give it's full title - will be a collection of six tales of varying lengths, all with a similar theme; an up-to-date take on "Tales of the Unexpected" and "Hammer House of Horror", scribes with ideas for unusual tales with a twist or a sting, are just what "0110" is looking for.

As this project is currently collaborative and the Team will meet for regular development meetings, it may be more feasible for writers to live in or vaguely around the Greater London area. However, if you are interested in this project but are based further away, you will need to be happy to travel to London once the Team is finalised.

If you would be interested in becoming part of this very exciting project, please email a brief biog or resume to 0110*at*bravesoldier.co.uk in the first instance. Please do not send any scripts or writing examples at this point as they will be deleted, unread.

For a little more information please take a wander round the 0110 website where all future developments will be announced.

The Rainy Festival and Sunny Party

Today I was at the very sunny London 2012 Party in The Mall. It was a great day all round - but more on that tomorrow. I'll let the main terrestrial channels batter your senses with Olympic Fever first.

So, Mac is back from Apple Hospital and I'm back from Edinburgh - my wallet's a lot lighter but the penchant I developed for food and alcohol on the run has balanced the lost/gained...errrr...balance. But what the hell, it was a laugh. Literally. 

My festival-going activities were mainly planned within the walls of the Pleasance Courtyard (in the rain) but then carried out at many of Auld Reekie's sprawling comedy venues (in the rain). I am very glad to have seen David O'Doherty just before he won the main award at the If.comedy Awards (previously known as The Perrier Awards) and very due a win he was.  Any thirty-two year old man who can sit in front of a full house singing about text messaging, picking at a two foot piece of plastic and still deserve applause, is well worth a trophy as far as I am concerned.

I saw a good selection of shows - from stand up through to audience participation - and never had it struck me so strongly, how much a backstory matters to a performer - comedic, ensemble or  otherwise. These were the guys that 'worked' - they had a sense of a solid background precedence/backstory, whichever. The ones that didn't - well, they just didn't.  

It's perhaps a strange observation from someone who has been a performer all her life, but background research and backstory formulation is just something I do automatically when prepping a role.  Nothing used to crush me more when I would ask my director, "So if she did xxx, would I be right in thinking she would need to have experienced xxx in order to get to that psychological state? Possibly around the age of xxxx?" to be met with a blank stare and a shrug. Not a stare and shrug in the vein of, "Go create your own character; do your own work..." but in the vein of, "Don't ask me - I'm the Director".  Hmmmph.

So, the moral of this post?  Get your backstory straight - in your mind, if nowhere else.  At least that way, you will know where the characters came from, in order for them to go somewhere. And you never know, some random actor-type-peep may even ask you for your input one day. If they can get past the shrugging Director.   ;)

Join the Zeitgeist

Just a very quick post from me as time is precious/short/ticking by [delete as you feel appropriate] and deadlines for a million and one things are snapping at my heels.

The following has been brought to my attention & is worth further investigation if you fancy turning your scriberly (wtf?) hand to a bit of theatre writing.  These guys describe themselves as, "staging topical, new writing that's relevant to modern times".  I don't have any affiliation with them - it was just something passed on to me, so please check out all their credentials for yourself.  For further information, their website is www.zeitgeisttheatre.com

WRITING OPPORTUNITIES:
1/ THEATRE GRAND-SLAM
Seeking short, sharp and witty theatre plays for a popular and unique event in South London. Scripts must not be more than eight minutes long, require no more than five actors and have very basic lighting/sound/set requirements. The emphasis is on originality, variety and entertainment. Please send script or scripts with a short writer biog to info@zeitgeisttheatre.com 

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL writers must be based in or around London and able to attend the late-August. DEADLINE: 21st July 2008

2/ SHORT PLAY COMPETITION:
A rare opportunity for writers with none or few credits to have work staged alongside more established writers. Plays must be one-act long, no more than twenty minutes and on a current theme/political issue. There is a £6 entry/reading fee for this. Scripts, fee and a short biog to be sent to: NEW PLAY COMPETITION, UNIT 12, IMPERIAL WORKS, FOUNTAYNE ROAD, LONDON N15 4QL.  Deadline: end of July. Payment to: Zeitgeist Theatre.

Good luck if you go for it!  That's all from me just now.

Laters.

Whooooppeeee Dooooop

I've got a ticket. I've got a ticket. And I'm going. Yes, I'm going.

Call me sad, but I was the really sad one when I realised I had totally forgotten to email Auntie about putting my name on the list for Matthew Graham & Ashley Pharoah's Q&A next week.  But lo and behold, if a lovely lady called Amy hasn't gone and granted me admission just for being at the top of the waiting list!  Wickedy-woos.  So, that means I can hopefully catch up with all 'me bloggy girlz' (and boyz) - send me a mail/leave a comment if you are going.  It would be great to catch up! 

So, not only did I manage to win at the National again (I only placed first, second, third and fourth nag...), I get to go hear about 'Bonekickers' too, which I have to admit, I am most intrigued about...

:0)

Heroes...

...of the Scribe Strike. No matter which side of the fence you fall, you've gotta laugh at this. Splendid fun.