Plays are not literature. They are a complex series of nudges and winks to an actor of how to progress an interaction between characters.

The series I wrote eight years ago but which, I think, still applies. I concentrate on the English language to begin with because… well… that’s where I work. But I hope I soon move onto some more general points. I hope you enjoy.

The text as printed here is an extended version of what I say in the video.

We live in a world of symbols and rituals.  Everything we do and say has hidden meaning.  Everything implies something else. We seldom unpick the metaphors and we can generally get the association without having to understand an otherwise illogical connection. And we can even begin to understand the mechanics of how this works.

“There are people who prefer to say 'yes' and there are people who prefer to say 'no'. Those who say 'yes' are rewarded by the adventures they have. Those who say 'no' are rewarded by the safety they attain.” -Keith Johnstone

A conversation with student friend Skidmore leads me to muse on the ideas of Creativity, Inspiration and Genius. More from my series I wrote some years ago.

Welcome to this series about what it’s like to be a playwright in the 21^st Century called Blood and Bones,  During the last forty years, I have experienced pretty well every role within that family we call Theatre.  I have been an actor, director, stage hand, electrician, writer so I know what it’s like to be an unnoticed cog in that particular machine. In this episode, number 7 I want to talk about collaboration and negotiation those very special qualities that turns unruly mob of talented individuals into a coherent working group with a common aim and output of great beauty and emotional force.

The term "Suspension of disbelief" was coined by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1817 and without it any form of story telling – film, books, opera, fairy tales would be impossible.

The simple ideas around engagement as a writer is to observe and then to record. Above all it is to share with somebody. But if it doesn’t get written down in the first place, a chunk of human experience goes missing.

A subversive guide to writing in a time of turmoil.

If you’re going to tell a lie, make it a whopper. It’s been the rule of propagandists since time immoral. How can I claim to know what’s true when I spend my time making up enormous lies as a writer? Continuing my musings from eight years ago.

Alien vs Terminator? Nietzsche vs Euripides? Apollo vs Dionysius? Who would win in a fist fight and how does that impact writing for the Stage?

How we yearn for authenticity. In our selves and in others. But how can I claim authenticity for something I’m making up out of my own head? Part 2 of the series of essays I wrote nine years ago about being a writer in the 21st Century. Interestingly, the villains are still the same.

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here…”

Is it possible to find a common humanity in a world controlled by greed and hunger for power?

Part 1 of 13 in a series I made 8 years ago about writing in the 21st Century. Pass it on to anyone you think might be interested.

Eight years ago I wrote a series of essays about playwriting in the 21st Century. Looking back at it, I am shocked to find that the issues are exactly the same in 2025 as they were in 2017. Even the names are the same… I’ll post all 13 here but you can also follow them all on You Tube. They are all quite long so maybe you should equip yourself with a cup of coffe and a biscuit first. Good luck.

May you live in Interesting Times. Well, we are entering some really, really Interesting Times. So what can the writer make of them?

We live in a scary world. We probably need human contact more than ever and the Theatre is an ideal place to do it.

“Why do you write?”  Ok, there are thousands of answers to that but let me put it on a more comprehensive scale.  Why do so many of us have the urge to write?  Poetry, plays, stories? Why do we create anything?  At all? Where, indeed, does creativity come from? And how does it relate to the human-sized Burning Stage?

It started with a shovel in Salisbury. It led me to a life in theatre. What life changing moments have you had? This is part 3 of my series about my approach to theatre called The Burning Stage. Please click on the link and enjoy reading it.

In the second part of my musings on The Burning Stage, I tackle the rules that make up the Classical Unities of Time, Space and Action. Aren’t rules just made to be broken or is there something there to think about?

I write about my attitude to drama called The Burning Stage and suggest that it may provide a model for other theatre companies in the 21st Century