Well that week flew by! And I zipped all around the country attending various things… Black Watch was good, though I thought, compared to when I saw them at Warwick, they all seemed a little tired, a couple of stumbles and mistakes, but I think I can forgive them as they have since been on a world tour, and that was their 2nd last performance… And it was still an astonishing piece of theatre, it gave you no bad guys or good guys- just a group of people doing their jobs. My brother’s graduation was quite fun too.
In terms of writing, I didn’t get the piece ready in time for the AI/Ice&Fire competition, which I was a bit upset about, however I knew that I probably wouldn’t as I had to stay longer at home for a family funeral, and that kind of thing can’t be helped. Still, it’s the first target / deadline I’ve set myself and not met, which feels pretty weird, like failing myself kind of thing. So I sat down and looked at my situation in terms of writing both for the Mphil and in general, and got a bit of a nasty shock! So this is currently, officially Panic Mode. Basically, taking into account work, and moving house (happening next week, eek!) I have 16 days between me and hand-in-day. So 16 days to do a perfect and finished 90 page final draft of Being Someone Else along with an accompanying 6000 word essay, not it took me about 8 months to write my 10,000 word dissertation, granted I was doing 6 other modules at the time, but still! I can’t really start the latter until I’m in the new house with all my books, or either until I’m at a proper computer with all of my files… so, yes. I am concerned. It’s possible, just looks a tad insurmountable from this angle.
And in terms of writing ‘in general’ I have set out a couple of goals, number 1 is to sort out an idea for a radio play to take to a producer at the BBC following my hand in, that will hopefully allow me to develop something in time for the Spring round of offers. Goal number 2 is to apply for an arts council award for individuals to develop a piece, so I would essentially be paying myself to write, and hopefully get a couple of workshops and rehearsed readings out of it with actors that I know through my work. If I am lucky enough to be successful, and the work goes well, I will then apply again or money to develop through to performance, probably in time to take it to Edinburgh.
And in other news… I have been contacted by a fringe theatre company in London (I sent a couple of things to them about a year ago) who are interested in meeting with me to talk about my writing and plans. This is great news because so far my interest has been solely regional (I am very supportive of regional theatre, and see it as just as valid, it’s just good to have fingers in all metaphorical pies). At the very least it could be some very useful advice, optimistically, it could also mean the beginning of some kind of relationship, from readings upwards… which is good!
Anyway, I must go plan my weekend, so I can fit in packing my old house and work on plays etc… Thanks for reading!