Welcome to my website.
Here you will find news of current projects I am involved with, things I have done and things I am doing.
News
CURRENT PROJECTS:
Writing - My latest episode of DOCTORS 'Gimme a Break' was on BBC 1 on Thursday 12th January and I am currently contracted on the show. Email for script or DVD
Producing/ Directing - The RIVERSCROSS soap opera project I run with Tony Coult has now completed its third year. Episodes of the series we have developed with young people at the Maudsley can be found here. We have just received a further three years funding and hope to roll out the project to more venues. More details at http://www.spannerintheworks.org.uk/Riverscross.html
Directing - My short film BLIND MAN'S BLUFF had its first screening last year at Shortwave Cinema and is now going out to festivals. A short trailer can be found here.
Writing - My feature film THE ROAD TO WEOBLEY is in its second draft and I am now looking for co-producers to work with our main producer. Nigel Keen is currently attached as director. Email for script or treatment.
Teaching/Facilitating - POINTLESS TAXI PRODUCTIONS is a film project for young people in Bexley London Borough, which I am currently running with Colin Fancy. We have made four main films with the young people: INVISIBLE, OBSESSED, BORN TO RUN and PIZZA MARATHON. For more details email here
Acting - Bruce Webb's feature film THE BE ALL AND END ALL, in which I play Doctor Palmer has just come out on DVD. The film is directed by Bruce Webb and stars Liza Tarbuck www.whateverpictures.com
Evaluating - I worked as an evaluator on the Half Moon Young People's Theatre EXCHANGE FOR CHANGE project again this year. A project funded by the Paul Hamlyn Trust to get new artists working in the children and young people's theatre sector.
Teaching/Facilitating - In the summer I ran a project with Greenwich and Lewisham Young People's Theatre, in conjunction with the Tower of London. It was a writing and acting project that saw young people create and perform their own work about the Indian War of Independence. I am currently working freelance for Greenwich and Lewisham Young People's Theatre, The Half Moon, London Bubble and Make Believe Arts.
OTHER RECENT PROJECTS:
Directing - In March 2011 I took part in Sci-Fi London's 48 hour film challenge. The 'challenge' is that you are given a title, prop and line of dialogue that you have to use for your film on Saturday morning, then have to make and deliver a finished five minute Science Fiction film by Monday lunchtime. Here is the result: Red Hot Line
Writing - My children's play THE LITTLE MERMAID was on at The Tramshed in Woolwich last year, produced by Greenwich and Lewisham Young People's Theatre and was the first show for children they have had at the venue since taking it over.
Acting - Big Nonsense - is a collaborative company I am part of with Stuart Murdoch and Amee Smith. Our last production was THIS IS MINE, and improvised/ devised show at Camden People's Theatre. For information about this go to www.spannerintheworks.org.uk/bignonsense. We are currently seeking crowd funding for a film project called TAPES and worked together on the Sci-Fi 48 hour film challenge above.
Teaching/Facilitating - In January 2010 I returned from Mumbai, where I was running workshops on writing for film at the Whistling Woods Film Academy, the National Institute of Design, the Indian Institute of Technology and the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts with Sci-Fi London's Louis Savy.
Writing - My episodes of the BBC Radio soap SILVER STREET were broadcast on the 11th - 17th January 2010 and 1st - 7th March 2010. These were the very last episodes recorded of the series. They are available as podcast MP3s or Wav files.
Teaching/Writing - After the success of the TOSCA New Writing Project, I ran a second new writing project with The ROYAL ALBERT HALL. This was based on CARMEN, http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/02/traveller-women-carmen which came in to the Royal Albert Hall in March 2009 (see 'general' CV and link below, for details). This time I was working with a group of Irish Travelers and Ian McMillan also came in to run a poetry workshop. We had newly created music from the Purcell School as well this time round. http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/education/2009/01/an-encouraging-new-take-on-carmen/index.html
Acting - In the CBBC production LITTLE HOWARD'S BIG QUESTION currently doing the rounds I am playing a scientist poking Big Howard, as he sits in a bath of custard! www.littlehoward.co.uk
Teaching/Facilitating - My last large scale schools project was working with the Half Moon Theatre on a performance project called CONVERSATIONS, a devised piece between a primary and a secondary school in Whitechapel, performed at the Half Moon and at the schools.
Writing - Five of my stage plays are now available in print or as ebooks, for cast sizes ranging for 2 actors to 60 actors. View them here.
Writing - The second draft of my screenplay HIGH SEAS AND LITTLE 'B'S for Nimble Pictures is now finished - see link below.
Writing - I am currently working on a book about the RIVERSCROSS project with Tony Coult.
Links
My micro short RAD Films IT IS and THE RACE are now on you tube.
Click here to see our entry to the Sci-Fi London 48 hour film challenge 2008 - THE THIN FILM
The Stage has a podcast of the TOSCA new writing project I ran for the Royal Albert Hall at http://www.thestage.co.uk/podcasts
RADS and info on SHADOWS, the screenplay I have in development with Whatever pictures are at www.whateverpictures.com
Nimble Pictures, who I have my script HIGH SEAS AND LITTLE ‘B’S in development, are at www.nimblepictures.co.uk
Articles I have written for the Writers' Guild of Great Britain can be found at www.writersguild.org.uk
Spanner in the Works, my workshop company, are at www.spannerintheworks.org.uk
Quotes on previous work:
"remarkable...Challenging and reassuring at the same time" - Times Educational Supplement (Spanner in the Works)
"A surprisingly sophisticated piece" - The Stage (Smoke)
"Ingenious, yet ironic and very entertaining" - Time Out (Smoke)
"Brilliant" - Morning Star (Smoke)
“Fascinating” - What’s On in London (Extensions of Love)
“Poetic writing” – Time Out (Worlds Apart)