Sunday 20 March 2011

A New Dawn Over The Fortress Of Solitude

LONELINESS, INSOMNIA, MONOLOGUES, BAFTA WINNERS and a STAR FROM THE COBBLES ARRIVES IN THE HEIGHTS...

A lot has happened since my last update...so here goes.

I'm working so hard at the moment that I'm burning the candle at both ends and in the middle - but the energy is still there - as is rather worryingly the INSOMNIA, but that's good cos there's more time to work in Joe's new Fortress of Solitude that used to be home. Writing is a lonely, lonely business made twice as lonely when you now live alone - but this is not a lament - there is a new dawn on the horizon and it looks like I'll still be up to meet it. 

Writing wise this month I wrote a short monologue for CONTACT Theatre's VERBALLY CHALLENGED - a monthly competition for writers, you write a monologue on a subject CONTACT sets and it is then directed by someone else, and performed by another someone else - and an invited audience get to vote for a winner.  I made an error on the dates and thought I had a week longer than I actually had - ended up writing the thing the night before I had to get it in...but hey - with great direction from Rachel Brogan and a terrific performance from Danielle (resident actor at CONTACT) it won and the £100 prize money paid off a late parking ticket fine - fine and dandy, I really enjoyed the whole experience. 

I also wrote the film script for the companion piece to the play RANK - returning to The Lowry in June.  A film that will quite nicely link RANK and I'M FRANK MORGAN to it, the film will premiere at the end of the performance of RANK.  I had a first production meeting with the prolific COLIN WARHURST, CHRIS LANE and Paradise Heights regular actor and co-producer IAN CURLEY.  Ian will be on acting duties in this one, Colin is DOP and Chris is on Producing duties - I'll be directing - a strong team and I can't wait to get going on this one, I already have the film half storyboarded.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/colinwarhurst/5531704397/

I was on writing duties again for the GREAT website http://www.manchestergossip.com/ ran by the very industrious Craig Nelson and Maxine Goulding.  I was lucky enough to attend the Jamesons Classic Film Screening of CONTROL written by BAFTA WINNING Matt Greenhalgh and I got the golden opportunity to interview him - a lovely man...and a couple of exclusives in the interview.

http://www.manchestergossip.com/matt-greenhalgh-interview

Since my last update I've filmed my scene on the CORONATION STREET cobbles with CHARLES LAWSON (Jim McDonald) and lets just say the cobbled street leads all the way to PARADISE HEIGHTS now and I'm absolutley delighted.  Charlie was a gent, and a scholar and it looks like we'll be working a lot more together over the coming months - see the link below for details ;) The episode will be transmitted on the 11h of April.

http://www.manchestergossip.com/corrie-star-joins-paradise-heights

The fund chasing for the West End run of THE BENCH is coming up dry at the moment, starting to worry a touch about this one now.  Three weeks in London is a costly business for a fringe theatre company - the fight is on, I'm still desperately chasing around for the money - never had to go to anyone for dosh before so I'm a touch naive in that department.  My backs not quite against the wall yet - but boy, it's tough.  If anyone knows any philanthropists or has any great suggestions please get in touch!  In the meantime I fight on...

I'll be entering next weeks MONOLOGUESLAM in Manchester with a monologue from STRAWBERRY JACK (still waiting on CONTACT and Bolton OCTAGON confirmation of dates - fingers crossed!) so if you want a preview pop down, quite a few of the BEHIND THE MASK Acting Class from Salford Arts Theatre will also be down there.  Speaking of my acting class, I still have some spaces at both Salford and Bolton so if you're thinking about acting...ACT NOW...yeah, I know - that one's getting old now ;)

Finally there are over 52 characters in Paradise Heights now - I'm working on a PARADISE HEIGHTS DECK OF CARDS...and as loneliness is a theme here I'll be shuffling them for SOLITAIRE - but it won't be the only game in town...there may be the odd game of POKER - can fans of the series guess who will be THE ACE OF SPADES? ...;)

Strawberry Jack

Strawberry Jack
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