Oh boy! We are just FOUR DAYS away from the opening night of Singles’ Holiday at the Brentwood Theatre http://www.brentwood-theatre.co.uk/showdetail.php?seq=665 I’m having to pinch myself! It’s hard to believe that after all this time – we’re on! I realise that I am experiencing something many, many writers can only dream of: seeing my novel performed on the stage.
Originally, Singles’ Holiday was going to be a mockumentary, filmed on location in Antigua. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as the production company pulled the plug three weeks before filming was due to commence. But I couldn’t let go of all the characters and the story-lines, so I wrote it as a novel. When Nick Campbell read it and decided he wanted to produce it as a play I was thrilled. But then the hard work really started, because I had to cull it considerably. It was then that I came to realise that I had about four books’ worth of stories in one. Choosing who was going to be left out was so, so hard. After all, these people were my babies! It was something akin to asking a mother to chuck one of her children off the life-raft, I kid you not! Nick was more ruthless. Well, of course he was, he wasn’t the father! My first draft was over 170 pages – a play of more than four hours duration. My second was 150. Two more edits and we’re down to 105. At rehearsals it’s so strange to see it taking shape in front of my eyes. These characters that I know so well because they’ve lived in my head for the last seven years are suddenly before my eyes. Not all of them are as I imagined them. But then bringing in a director who will look at it all with fresh eyes is no bad thing.
I feel excited but I feel blessed and grateful to all the actors who came and performed at the read-throughs and also to the cast, director and producer for having faith in me. And a huge THANK YOU to everyone that’s coming to see it, after all, we’d look silly performing to an empty theatre.
I still think it would make a fabulous TV series. Anybody?
And I’m also grateful to have finally moved and to have internet connection from this morning. Although I’m a real technophobe – how did I ever manage to live without it?
And it’s a long time since I posted a Retailer’s Raspberry but I’m posting one today to W H Smith, who charged me for a bag – because we’re saving the planet and the trees, madam – yet then gave me a whole branch-worth of paper in the form of receipts, vouchers and publicity flyers. I handed them back to the assistant. Sorry – nobody will ever convince me that getting people to pay for carrier bags will stop climate change – in spite of the Daily Mail’s smug campaign.
I so wish I could be there to see the play! Wishing you fantastic luck with it and “break a leg”
On the subject of plastic bags we have been paying for them for some time now in Wales. I stock up when I come to London xxx
Thank you very much, Wendy. You’ll have to come when it’s in the West End :)) xxx