Paul Gauguin, Self-Portrait, Les Misérables 1888, Van Gogh Museum. For a successful stockbroker and self-taught artist, French post-impressionist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) appeared to have had no shortage of self-belief, but literature suggests that during his life this enigmatic character was largely disliked. In nearly every reference to Gauguin, we see commentary about his pompous, overbearing self, his regular conflict with friends and his […]
Continue readingTête À Château: Castell Gala Dali
ART ARTICLE It’s summer,1984, and a fire has broken out in a castle in Púbol, a small town in the Baix Emporda province of Catalonia, Spain. The fire started in the bedroom belonging to the Marquis of Púbol, better know to you and I as, Salvador Dali. The fire was contained and Dali saved, but […]
Continue readingProtected: Interview With Lisa Holdsworth- TV Writer and Chair of WGGB
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Continue readingHistory Has It’s Eyes on Disney+
Close Up From a Distance
The Enigma of Ideas
A common question around writing is “Where do you get your ideas from?” How I wish I knew the answer. I guess if think back to any kind of script or fiction I have written, I suppose the idea has usually come from being somewhere -a place or an event where I’ve been immersed in […]
Continue readingWhat Constitutes A Script?
In filmmaking, there is much debate over the script, what it constitutes and who owns it. The inherent difference between a script and a novel or a play is that, ultimately, the script is a blueprint, a starting point, and inevitable collaboration, compared to the sanctity of the play or novel. That understood, it is […]
Continue readingHeavy Artillery.
WRITING ABOUT ART: Heavy Artillery is the latest exhibition from White Rabbit Gallery, as founder and director Judith Neilson continues to build her legacy of collecting and exhibiting works of 21st century Chinese Contemporary Art. This exhibition is curated by David Williams and surveys 30 works of new and established Chinese artists. The art historical […]
Continue readingHanding Your Words Over
Recently, I handed over one of my plays for development to a producer and a group of professional actors. I say handed-over, because it as done with some reluctance and internal struggle before I could do so. On the one hand, as with every scriptwriter, I really wanted to hear the play come to life. […]
Continue readingA Reflection on Developing a Writer’s Aesthetic
Artifice/realism, detachment/immersion – I’m definitely interested in audience engagement. Making audiences feel is critical for writers. I also want the audience to be critical, to think, to question, to be uncomfortable. I think theatre should call for active participation by the audience, otherwise, they may as well be sitting in front of the television. Risk/control […]
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