Consumption

Monday 30th April brings us a television pilot by P-P newcomer, Thomas Dee, who explains:

'Civilization is skin deep.'

"In a society forged by conflict, the rot has begun. In 1959, the city has entered its seventh year under siege in a brutal civil war. Consumption tracks the slow decay of social order within a city under a vice grip. The recent renewal of the encirclement has led to further outbreaks of starvation, typhus and cholera. But while the poor of the city battle hunger and conscription into the regiments, the new elite live better than ever. The upper strata of this necropolis are now the remnants of the civil government, the military, and the new, all-encompassing, security agency; SIRIS. By day these forces work to crush communism and dissent, from within and without, but by night, they eat drink and be merry. They must, for as they all know, in their heart of hearts; one day the city will fall, and when it does they will be doomed along with the order that created them. Outside, the communist insurgency waits, while the fabric within becomes undone.
The series aims to cover as many aspects of society within the city as possible. From the travails of a young school principal trying to maintain a semblance of order for the children within the ragged military district, to the Senior SIRIS agent, utterly corrupt and desperate to get out, to the rookie mayor, who is slowly realizing his real role.
Consumption is a snapshot, taken from a wide angle lens, into a city that lives, breathes, stinks and dies throughout its final years".

7.45, back at the Phoenix.

We Have a Speaker!

And she's a goodie! Amanda Whittington, a playwright who is very successful in the regions, will be coming for a q&a session on June 11th. The programme has been suitably amended and I'll write more nearer the time.

Absent Father

The old term may have ended but our work here at P-P is never done, and the new, albeit temporary, programme, is up. And the first thing to note is that because the Phoenix is unavailable we shall be returning to our previous home of the Green Man in Great Portland Street, FOR ONE WEEK ONLY on April 23rd.

The great flood of 2010... the world premiere of Bonfire Night.... David Carr demanding two hours of his life back.... ah the memories!.

And the second thing to note is that the script is by Progamme Secretary Mark Lindow. We had a ten minute excerpt of this last term, where the consensus was that it was a fine beginning, but we all wanted more. So here's the whole forty-five minute radio play, where all the loose ends will be cleared up. Maybe

And like I said, it's at the Green Man. 7.45, April 23rd. Be there.

The Reconciliation

Monday April 2nd brings us Tony Killaspy's The Reconciliation. Eagle-eyed readers with good memories may recall that when the programme the term was supposed to end this week. But such is the surfeit of excellence lately that we've decided to keep going for one more Monday. The Reconciliation is yet another result of the Collaborative Project. Tony was paired with Mary Conway they chose to write about Belief/Faith. As Tony explains: "Mary sketched the 6 scenes which was based upon a family and how it changed over the years. As the writer I developed the characters highlighting the conflict between Miriam (the Jewish mother) and her Marxist husband Joe. The final scene shows how conflicting views can, in a fashion, be reconciled".

It's a 45 minute stage play and it starts at 7.45.

Crisis, What Crisis?

March 26th brings us this term's competition. I think the world first came across the title Crisis What Crisis? when middlebrow seventies rockers Supertramp named an album thusly. It proved so successful that it joined the language, and when Jim Callaghan made the cardinal sin of going on holiday during the economic downturn, the Sun decided to pretend he said it. He didn't, but that's politics for you.

So, what do you think we'll get on Monday? A bunch of old mates reminiscing about Breakfast in America? Or a couple of sketches about David Cameron and Ed Miliband? Come along to the Phoenix at 7.45 to find out.

Clare and the Clairvoyant

March 19th will be a notable date in the P-P calendar, as it brings us the first ever play by stalwart actress and former casting secretary Anthea Courtenay, and is another result of the P-P Collaborative Playwriting Group. It was sparked off by initial discussions about our beliefs and other peoples’, and was written with support from members of the group and valuable input from improvisation by P-P actors.


Here's the blurb:

"Clare, married to a workaholic surgeon, is approaching the big 40 and feeling dissatisfied with her life. Amy, a clairvoyant, promises her a happy future. But is Amy taking Clare for a ride?"

Sounds promising. 7.45 at the Phoenix.

Laura's Journey

March 12th sees the long-awaited full debut of P-P publicist Debbie Maya, with her 45 minute TV drama  Laura's Journey ( no relation ), which has emerged after much input from the PP Writers Collaboration Group, set up by Mary Conway and Roger Mayhew.

"Amnesia victim, Laura Musgrove has a guilty secret. Or does she? She can't even remember her name, let alone whether she murdered her husband. Now, she's on the run".

I reckon the butler did it. Come along on Monday to find out.