Waters of Babylon / MeetFactory

December 7, 2011 in Music, My Important Opinons, Theatre | 3 comments

Hello, Internet.

Hello Nick. How have you been?

Not bad; very busy, though.

I noticed.

Yeah, sorry, I meant to come round more, it’s just. Well, you know.

Yes, I know. What do you have for me today, then?

Well, I went to Prague a little while ago, and stayed in a room that threatened to drive me mad. Trying to stave off impending mental breakdown, I made a little film of the room, and of me singing.

But you’re not a film maker, are you? And you’re not much of a singer.

That’s true, Internet. Is that going to be a problem?

No, Nick. That’s exactly what I’m here for.

Little Fish & my musical saw

October 18, 2011 in Music | Please leave a comment

The other day my old friend and internet music wisehead Ben Walker asked me if I’d come along to play a bit of off-the-cuff musical saw with Little Fish (which, in their newest incarnation, involves him playing various organs , synths & keyboards, harmonica, a bit of drums and having a bit of a sing. Clever man.).  Someone filmed it, and you can see it here, if you like.

 

Little Fish‘s single ‘Wonderful’ is out now…

Some advice for newish playwrights

September 13, 2011 in My Important Opinons, Theatre | 1 comment

Like many people with a blog and numerous hobbies, I sometimes like to convince myself that my opinions are interesting and, in some way, matter. I like to imagine what I’d say if someone asked me what I thought about something, and try to work out if what I’d say would be any different to what anyone else would say.  I saw recently that the splendid Van Badham had written some advice for new playwrights, and I returned to my common daydream of ‘what will I say when a Prestigious Academic Institution invites me to speak to a new generation of bushy-eyed writers?’.

And then, of course, I realised that it doesn’t matter that I’ll never be asked to do anything of the sort: I have a blog! I can just scream my opinions out into the void of The Internet and pretend that someone’s listening!  So, in no particular order, here are my own pieces of advice for newish playwrights.  I’d like to imagine that it’s advice you may not be told on one of the ubiquitous writing courses…

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Riots in Peckham Rye.

August 9, 2011 in General, My Important Opinons, Theatre | 1 comment

I’m already planning interviews with Real People who were Really There, being Real, and their very Real Experiences, so I can present them in a non-judgmental way through a Really Interesting and Thought-Provoking piece of Verbatim Theatre, and show how there really are a number of sides to the Issue that maybe you haven’t considered actually, and that it’s all Really Mixed Up Yeah, and it’s really great that Something Positive can come out of this whole thing, especially if Influential People think I’m really great at seeing The Human Stories behind The News and that I’m Really Brave to confront sometime like that, and I can get a job writing for Eastenders.

mirror teeth: New York Times video

July 28, 2011 in Theatre | Please leave a comment

As part of a feature on Pub Theater (sic) the New York Times filmed a little of mirror teeth and put it in this little video that accompanies the feature.  And here it is!

You can read the accompanying article, including snippets of interviews, here.

Everything I know about reviews.

July 23, 2011 in My Important Opinons, Theatre | Please leave a comment

Here is a very kind review of mirror teeth

Here is how it will be edited for publicity.

“Deliciously extravagant….A vivid and wild satire”
“Suggestions of incest, explicit sexual scenes and a plot that takes the family to the Middle East to sell arms to insurgents all make for genuinely provocative viewing.”

And here is how it will be edited by your own brain, and repeated to you over & over again, sometimes waking you up in the night to remind you, humming it in your goddamned ear the next time you sit down in front of a keyboard, desperately trying painfully to drag out the only idea you’ve had that’s clinging steadfastly to the stupid walls of your own stupid brain.

“does falter a bit half way through”

mirror teeth: Not A Guardian Theatre Blog

July 12, 2011 in Theatre | Please leave a comment

The Guardian Theatre Blog asked if I’d write something for them; I did, and it turned out not to be what they wanted.  Too long, too much about me, not broad enough for readers to respond to.  So, reluctant to waste my time entirely, I’ve popped it up on my own little blogeroo for any interested parties, including anyone who might have wanted to read it on an official newspaper page.  What better place to read something that’s too personal, eh?

In the short expanse of what I laughingly refer to as my writing career, I’ve had the honour and humiliation of working alongside some extremely talented writers.  A few years ago, I was part of a short-lived group of writers called The Apathists, all of whom were, and are, much more successful than I… Read the rest of this entry »

mirror teeth: a list of unbelievable writers I try to avoid reading too much, as I’ll definitely steal all their ideas *

June 21, 2011 in Theatre | 1 comment

* in no particular order, and with a caveat that this has almost certainly happened already.

Why not come and see how much of a plagiarist I turn out to be, by coming to see mirror teeth at the Finborough Theatre in July?  What’s the worst that could happen?  A watered-down version of the above writers?  That’s absurd!  It definitely won’t be like that!  Why would you even think that?  Come along!

mirror teeth: T-19 days (ish)

June 15, 2011 in Theatre | 1 comment

So, here’s the deal.

 

That brings us about up to date, I think.  Now then, would you like to hear my thoughts from the first day of rehearsals?  I thought you would.

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All That Is Solid Melts Into Air

June 9, 2011 in Music, Theatre | Please leave a comment

I’m scoring a 30-45 minute devised show by Tangled Feet at the moment, and it promises to be spectacularly awesome: the show takes place on an enormous scaffold system and features 8 performers, including tumblers, acrobats, gymnasts, freerunners, physical theatre practitioners and sometimes all of these in the same body.  I’ve been along to only one rehearsal, and I’m already absurdly excited about it.

Quite a bit of pressure on me, though, as it’s a dialogue-free show, and needs a constant (and constantly-changing) score, from 1940s up to the present day.  Exciting, eh?

Click for full-size flyer

You should come along: it’s free, and there are 5 shows over 24th-26th June 2011.  Plus, there’s music.  Did I mention that?  There’s music.