Upcoming programme
We now have the following work scheduled for our current season:
Tuesday, 4 May at 7.30pm in the Meeting Room: Citizen George by Brian Weaving
Tonight we’re reading Brian’s 60-minute stage play set during the French Revolution, which he’s completed following an enthusiastic reception to the opening scenes at a group meeting last month.
It is Paris, November 1793. The Terror is at its height. Marie Antoinette followed the moderate politicians, the Girondins, to the guillotine only weeks before. Executions can’t take place fast enough. Extremism rules.
In a prison cell, Robert, a garrulous pickpocket, and Count Carpet, a supercilious aristocrat, are unhappy at having to share their cell with Citizen George, a thieving soldier. His being secretive and arrogant is bad enough: his being black is intolerable.
Despite the resulting fights and arguments, their close proximity causes attitudes to change. Even the deeply prejudiced jailer, Lebon, alters his views. Then Robespierre, the author of The Terror, pays a visit. As always, death follows closely on his heels.
Tuesday, 11 May at 7.30pm in the Meeting Room: The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Shootout by Bruce Fellows
Bruce’s Ten-Page Challenge prizewinning radio play: Ray Smart, a goalkeeper at school: the last line of defence; the confident responsible one; what else would he grow up to be but a copper? But now Ray’s afraid of a goalie’s greatest chance of glory — a shootout. Why? What’s happened? Do the people closest to him know?
Tuesday, 18 May at 7.30pm in the Macready Room: Open Workshop
Tuesday, 25 May at 7.30pm in the Meeting Room: Last Cab Home by Andy Graham
Andy’s 15-minute stage drama is about an apology, the end of an era and a moment in recent political history.
Tuesday, 1 June at 7.30pm in the Meeting Room: Ravendale by Gary Sugden
In Gary’s 60-minute TV drama, Scott Blekin, a troubled ex-con, returns to Ravendale, a dour village in the Yorkshire Dales. Here he sees a vision of his dead ex-girlfriend. Repulsed then fascinated he is drawn into Ravendale’s dark secret.
Adrian makes the South West Voices shortlist
Many congratulations to group committee member Adrian Harris who was chosen last week for South West Voices, a scheme run jointly by BBC Writersroom and South West Screen.
BBC Writersroom received more than 100 submissions for the project, which starts this week with a workshop session at which 20 shortlisted writers will meet members of the BBC and South West Screen teams, take part in scriptwriting exercises and discuss their ideas for TV drama scripts.
Eight writers will go on to receive mentoring on a three-day residential course in June and develop their script proposals into pitch documents for consideration by BBC Drama Commissioning.
Hopefully Adrian will take his idea all the way to a commission!
Saturday Shorts this Saturday
A reminder that Adrian’s also in action this weekend, directing script-in-hand performances in the Saturday Shorts show at Bristol Folk House.
Longstanding group member Mark Breckon is producing Saturday Shorts, which features six 15-minute plays including three by Southwest Scriptwriters. These are The King was in the Counting House by Gill Kirk, Girl Friend by Steve Lambert and Leda and the Swan by Stephanie Weston, which add up to a 90-minute programme with Travelling by Jane Campion Hoye, La Fornarina by Jane Cooper and Washes Whiter by Nigel Long.