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.

Follow Codswallop on Instagram for updates on the phenomenal work that they do in the community.

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.

In this episode we hear June's story about her experience working at the Abraham Moon factory situated in the town of Guiseley that is still in operation today.

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

Follow Codswallop on Instagram for updates on the phenomenal work that they do in the community.

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.

Amongst many things Jonathan Hall is an award winning writer of Audio Drama and a published author. He also sits as the Chair of Script Yorkshire, as well as championing opportunities for emerging writers to showcase their material.

We sat down in his attic studio (an Aladdin's cave!) for a chat about all things writing - his journey, his inspiration, his aspirations...

To hear Jonathan's award winning BBC Audio Drama 'Trust', click here.

To explore and order his cosy crime book series, click here.

To find out more about the community of writers that form Script Yorkshire, click here.

Ask any experienced theatre practitioners advice on how to improve your craft as a script writer, one of the most common things they'll say is to read and watch as many plays as possible.

One of the best resources available to enable playwrights to do this is the availability now of streaming platforms that show stage plays, alongside other art forms, at a comparatively affordable cost.

In this episode we look at the three big players that are out there - National Theatre at Home, Marquee TV, and Digital Theatre. (click on the platform name to link through to their website)

For Educators, please see the following links to find out more:

National Theatre Collection

Marquee TV Education

Digital Theatre +

Martha Phillips is the type of musician that oozes musicality out of every pore. It's the language that she speaks, and if you were to cut her in half - just like the wording in a stick of rock, you would see music running all the way through her.

As a scriptwriter I was interested to know how Martha approaches her songwriting - we took a few digressions but it was an excellent chat. I hope you enjoy...

Links...

Incantation Music - www.incantationmusic.com

Martha's Instagram - www.instagram.com/somarthalous

In this episode we hear Noel's story about his experiences working at the Silver Cross factory that was situated in the town of Guiseley for many years.

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

Follow Codswallop on Instagram for updates on the phenomenal work that they do in the community.

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

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