In addition to his highly successful career as an actor, Geoffrey Beevers is also a writer and director. He has a particular love for George Eliot's work, having adapted a number of her novels for the stage - most recently Middlemarch, which premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, in 2013. Here, Geoffrey discusses why … Continue reading Geoffrey Beevers: ‘bringing Eliot alive’ – adapting Middlemarch
Plays
‘Every picture tells a story’ – a tribute to Kevin Elyot
The writer Kevin Elyot, best known for his Olivier Award-winning 1994 play My Night With Reg, died last weekend. Here, we pay tribute to Kevin's life and career, with a look back at Kevin's early years as a writer, a comment from publisher Nick Hern, and an extract from his most famous play. Kevin Elyot … Continue reading ‘Every picture tells a story’ – a tribute to Kevin Elyot
The Goodale Brothers: the road to Jeeves and Wooster in ‘Perfect Nonsense’
A huge success since opening in the West End last year, Jeeves & Wooster in 'Perfect Nonsense', the Goodale Brothers' ingenious play featuring P.G. Wodehouse's iconic double act, was recently named Best New Comedy at the 2014 Olivier Awards. Here, co-writer Robert Goodale explains how the idea to adapt Wodehouse's books came about, and the process by which … Continue reading The Goodale Brothers: the road to Jeeves and Wooster in ‘Perfect Nonsense’
Sexting in Parliament: insights from the writer and director of Girls Like That
Back in January, members of West Yorkshire Playhouse's Youth Theatre travelled to Westminster to perform an extract from the play Girls Like That in Parliament as part of the launch of YoungMinds Vs, a new children's mental health campaign. An urgent and explosive play that explores the pressures on young people today in the wake of advancing … Continue reading Sexting in Parliament: insights from the writer and director of Girls Like That
Jessica Swale: why the Blue Stockings were ‘the movers and shakers of their age’
Now premiering at Shakespeare's Globe, Jessica Swale's debut play Blue Stockings depicts the fight of female students at 1890s Cambridge University to be treated equally with their male counterparts. Here, the playwright gives an insight into the historical context of the piece, and the astonishing prejudices the 'Girton girls' had to endure. In the mid-1800s, girls in England … Continue reading Jessica Swale: why the Blue Stockings were ‘the movers and shakers of their age’
Conor McPherson: A flash, an image, a feeling – the mysterious art of playwriting
As his modern classic The Weir receives its first major UK revival at London's Donmar Warehouse, playwright Conor McPherson reflects on the creative process, and how hard it all seems to explain. The best plays come in a flash. An image, a feeling, and that’s it. You know these ideas because they are the undeniable … Continue reading Conor McPherson: A flash, an image, a feeling – the mysterious art of playwriting
Janice Okoh: Three Birds in rehearsal – the evolution of a Bruntwood Prize winner
Janice Okoh's Three Birds - her startling and darkly comic play that won the 2011 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting - premieres at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester later this month. In this piece, the playwright talks about how the script has continued to evolve throughout pre-production, and the importance of the relationship between collaborators. When … Continue reading Janice Okoh: Three Birds in rehearsal – the evolution of a Bruntwood Prize winner
Steve Waters: Stepping back from the end-game – the story of Ignorance/Jahiliyyah
As the Middle East seemingly teeters once more on the precipice of war and the excitement of the Arab Spring gives way to a new, uncertain reality, playwright Steve Waters explains the process behind Ignorance/Jahiliyyah, his timely new drama for Hampstead Theatre which delves into the life and legacy of the influential author, thinker and … Continue reading Steve Waters: Stepping back from the end-game – the story of Ignorance/Jahiliyyah
Howard Brenton: A forgotten revolution – the historical context to 55 Days
As his fascinating new play 55 Days opens at Hampstead Theatre, starring Mark Gatiss as King Charles I and Douglas Henshall as Oliver Cromwell, playwright Howard Brenton provides an insight into the pivotal, tumultuous historical background to the drama, and the men who embodied it... A LOST HISTORY Recently I met a Frenchman in London … Continue reading Howard Brenton: A forgotten revolution – the historical context to 55 Days
Sandi Toksvig: Why I Wrote Bully Boy
As her play, Bully Boy, opens at the all-new St. James Theatre in London, Sandi Toksvig explains how her own sense of rage led her to write about the impact of a contemporary military occupation on the mental health of serving soldiers... For someone who thinks of themselves as a pacifist I have written a … Continue reading Sandi Toksvig: Why I Wrote Bully Boy
The Prompt Book 