Tag: David Lane

Rewriting..?!

Rewriting..?!

by Gillian Kirk ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’m not going to tackle all of this now, but I’ve been inspired to share something with you. One draft does not a writer make. One draft is what John Buchan called the block of stone, from which you create a sculpture.

Redrafting is hard.

Help is wonderful. I always have help on my scripts, from directors, actors, my agent and – on the last two big things – a dramaturg. Think of them as akin to a novelist’s editor. A screenwriter’s script editor. But for stage.

Interested?  Here’s an unpaid ad for the guy I’ve used more than anyone else: David Lane. He also produces a paid-for sub newsletter – but you can read all about that on his site, with the info on his PLAYPENS dramaturgy offer: here.

Raising cash with Upsy-Daisy & the Quantum Suicide Rifle

Raising cash with Upsy-Daisy & the Quantum Suicide Rifle

by Gillian Kirk ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I made a film!

ImageI’m relentlessly asking people for MONEY!

And it’s all about that terrier of a play on quantum mechanics (what? you missed me talking about it? Let me help you out:

So – here’s the skinny.

If this was a play in development with a theatre, they would give me/it some dramaturgical (script editor-like) support as well as time with a director and actors to try things out.

I’ve already paid for a brilliant dramaturg, David Lane, to support me through the various drafts (you can read Hannah Silva talking about her similar work with David here.) But I can’t pay for directors, a cast and a rehearsal space. So, I have some choices:

  • ask actor mates to do it for free, one night after their day jobs, but knowing there can’t be time for proper thought / exploration
  • just send the script as it is to theatres (my best version, but without input from a director/actors), cross my fingers and hope they can see the potential
  • get out the sock puppets
  • raise the dosh to pay professionals.

So, as you will see in the crowd-funding film, I got out the sock puppets. It didn’t go too well. So I’m fundraising.

If you, or anyone you know, can help me pay real actors – instead of putting a quantum rifle in the hands of a drunken Upsy-Daisy – this script has a far better chance of being the best it can be. AND the wonderful backers / theatre angels get rewards! (Am very happy to talk about extra reward options to anyone!)

Thanks for reading – please, PLEASE feel free to share this page online, pass it or the talent backer page to anyone you think might be interested! Thank you! I’ll be back…..

PS – HAPPY CHRISTMAS and all the v best for 2014.

Clackety-Clack

Clackety-Clack

by Gillian Kirk ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

ImageIt’s been three months since I was here last! Thankfully, I know you don’t expect (or want) an apology…

June and July saw a mass of playwriting deadlines for writery types. Of the theatres that still accept unsolicited scripts, many have moved to “open submission windows”, instead of accepting scripts all year round. Some are positioned as competitions, others as open doors – and there were several this summer. Pity the readers! Pity the writers come autumn, when we learn of several failures in one go!

The “oniony play” keeps growing. Inspired by the work and approach of Hannah Silva on ‘The Disappearance of Sadie Jones’, I approached friend, writer and dramaturg David Lane to work with me.  We’ve worked on a few pieces together, almost since I first started writing. We don’t always completely agree (this is a good thing), but more importantly than anything, I trust the way his mind works and have a huge respect for his insights.

‘Cos I live and work mainly on my tod (tho’ toddler-genius is often pretty helpful) my judgement could be brilliant or dire and I won’t really know. I’ll plod merrily away, oblivious to the impact of whatever I’m trotting out (verbal, physical, written), so it’s especially great to have David along for this ride: he’s got me over the fear-hurdle and galloping merrily onwards. 

In other news, I’m tapping away on a here-and–there and plots and plans in a mixture of theatre, screen and misc. bits, in particular a couple of projects where the characters wake me up in the night with their derring-do and rumbunctious revelations (“of course! It was right under my nose!” etc). No shows coming up, no star billings or autographs, but quietly clackety-clacking and getting the work done…

😉