Welcome to our last season of 1998. All meetings take place in the Cooper’s Loft at the Theatre Royal, King Street, Bristol (except 24 November, which will be at the Watershed). Everyone attending pays £1.

Tuesday, 27 October at 7.30pm: Meet Jessica Dromgoole of Paines Plough
Ahead of Northern Exposure in the New Vic on 30 and 31 October, Paines Plough’s Literary Manager, Jessica Dromgoole, talks to Southwest Scriptwriters about the work of the innovative London-based company which tours productions of new plays nationally.

Tuesday, 3 November at 7.30pm: Open Workshop
This meeting features Melanie Lawman’s experimental radio drama.

Tuesday, 10 November at 7.30pm: By All Means Necessary by Andrew Graham
A reading of Andy Graham’s screenplay — a violent political thriller set on the eve of the first IRA cease-fire. As a top Sinn Fein negotiator is accidentally picked up after a mainland bombing, the race is on to free him before the lid is blown on secret peace talks.

Tuesday, 17 November at 7.30pm: Open Workshop

Tuesday, 24 November at 7.30pm: BBC New Writing Initiative
Held at the Watershed, Canons Road, Bristol, the BBC will have mailed you separately about this fantastic opportunity to hear what Kate Rowland, Head of BBC Radio Drama and Patrick Spence, Head of Development, TV Drama Series want from new writers. Be sure to attend!

Tuesday, 1 December at 7.30pm: Open Workshop

Tuesday, 8 December at 7.30pm: Christmas Drinks
Join us for some seasonal self-congratulation in Renato’s.

 

Writers chosen for New Vic readings
The writers chosen for our season of readings in the New Vic next spring are (in no particular order): Melanie Lawman, William House, Jeremy Ridson, Will Grealish and Andy Graham. Condolences to the other applicants (John Colborn, Peter Kesterton, Helen Bradbury, Chris Cooke, Gordon Ellis, Elaine Eveleigh, Lori Hill, Chris May, Raymond Wade and Brian Weaving) some of whom we would have liked to feature. Unfortunately, though, we’ve only been able to book the New Vic for three nights, so we don’t have the slots. Hopefully, next time we’ll have a whole week.

 

Angels and Saints takes Peggy Ramsay Prize
Many congratulations to Jessica Townsend whose play Angels and Saints, which was given a preliminary airing at a Southwest Scriptwriters’ meeting, is this year’s joint winner of the Peggy Ramsay Prize. As a result, the producing company, Soho Theatre will receive £25,000. You can see Soho’s workshop production of the play at the Pleasance Theatre, Caledonian Road, London from 24 to 29 November.

 

Gringos in the Basement
Congratulations, too, to Toby Farrow whose play Gringos is being produced in the Basement at the New Vic, Bristol, at lunchtime on the 27 and 28 November and late night on Wednesday, 25 and Friday, 27. A longer version of this play formed part of our Arts 4 Everyone readings in the New Vic last April, and this new production has come about as a direct result.

 

Also in the Basement…
Lucy Catherine, who came to speak to us earlier in the year, has two plays in the same New Vic Basement season. The first will be over by the time you read this, and the second Starry Eyes will have lunchtime performances on 2 and 5 December, plus early evening shows on Thursday, 3 and Friday, 4.

 

See Shang-a-Lang at The Bush
Some tickets are still available to see our president Catherine Johnson’s play Shang-a-Lang at the Bush Theatre, London on Saturday, 21 November. The cost is £20 (£10 for the ticket and £10 for the minibus). We’ll be leaving Bristol at 3pm and arriving back around midnight.

 

Steve’s Secret of Fire in Theatre West season
Theatre West’s production of Steve Hennessy’s play The Secret of Fire runs from 24 November to 5 December.

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