A long term project I've been working on is an anthology of plays under the banner ‘kitchen sink drama’.

In 2016 Hotpoint did some research and discovered that for many, the most important decisions in life are made in the kitchen. That formed the premise of a series of plays I am writing - important life events that come to light and play out in the one space. The kitchen.

The monologue ‘Bruce’ was a character development exercise for a story about two women, Charlotte and Lydia, who are married to each other. At a point in their relationship they felt the time was right for them to start a family and they asked their friend Bruce if he’d be a sperm donor. Everything starts out brilliantly – Lydia gives birth to a beautiful boy who they name Sam. But a few years down the line it all falls apart. Matters come to a head at Sam’s 18th birthday celebration. The full length play unpacks these events.

You can find out more about my portfolio of work on my website.

In this episode we hear Marjory's story about her experience working at the

Archibald Kenrick Iron-foundry situated in West Bromwich that is still in operation today.

The monologue was first performed at Guiseley Theatre as part of Codswallop CIC's Tales Told Festival 2018.

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For more information on my work, pop over to my website.

The monologue included in this podcast was written by Lee Phillips and performed by Chloe Lawson.

Jacob Phillips is a man of many hats - both physical and metaphorical. Two of his metaphorical hats are the positions he holds as the Artistic Director of Codswallop CIC, and as the Managing Director of Guiseley Theatre.

In this interview I was keen to find out how he approached these different roles - as a theatre producer and as one that schedules work into a theatre programme. One thing that was abundantly clear... he is passionate about the creative arts for Children and Young People and how it can fire up their imagination. An inspiring chat to behold.

To find out more about Guiseley Theatre, visit their website here. To keep up to date with all that is going on in the building, follow them on Instagram here.

If you are interested in booking Guiseley Theatre as a performance space, get in touch with them at info@guiseleytheatre.org

To keep tabs on all that Codswallop are doing, follow them on Instagram here.