Writing 'Redundancy Club'

I've had detailed notes for this show for a while now, I've had the idea for even longer...but finally, over the last couple of weeks, I've been able to actually sit down and sweat out the script for 'Redundancy Club', which is the show we have heading to the fringe this year alongside the tour play, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards.' A lot of people seem to think I should be worried about confirming a show before it's written, but that's the norm for me these days - if anything it helps me push on and get on with it, and to be honest - the fringe is in August, which is a fair while off yet and I bet there are a lot of writers also in the same boat. Anyway, the first draft is written - I've put a lot of myself into this one, I've let others down in the process by pulling out of stuff which I'm not proud of (because, despite what I'd like to tell you, there simply isn't enough time for everything), there's been a few late nights, a lot of caffeine and a fair bit of beer involved during the process of nailing something that looks like it could have legs. Naturally, my extensive notes are often ignored as the script spirals off in a completely different direction altogether, and then I remember why I made those notes in the first place - and that's because I don't want the plot to spiral off. 50 minutes isn't a long time when you have a lot to say, and at the moment the script looks too long - I timed it last night and it's around the 65 mark, but it's nice to be in a position where we can cut rather than have to add.

I'm putting it aside for a short while now to work on material for Louise Hamilton's fringe show ('Eartha Tydeville: My Husband's Funeral Party') and a Lodestar piece for The Gamlingay Players ('I Think He's Onto Us') before looking at it again with fresh eyes, and I'll probably hate a lot of it - which is a shame because at the moment I'm feeling quite proud of it as a piece of writing. It's very energetic - this year we wanted to move away from the standard one-act comedy play format and into a play/narrative sketch show crossover, high-octane stuff, and 'Redundancy Club' ticks all of those boxes on paper. The show will open on 26th July in Cambridge - three Cambridge performances and also previews in Great Massingham and Gamlingay that weekend...I'll be playing three gigs that weekend too, and moving house, it'll happen - somehow, because it just has to. At the end of this month, on Bank Holiday Monday, Izzy will see the script for the first time, and a day later our director, Sarah, will see it as we give it a full reading at our regular new material night in the basement of CB2 in Cambridge.

Before that, I'm back on the road with the, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards' show with Hind - two dates next week, Bury St Edmunds and Kendal, my very new play, 'The Nights Must Fly By' is being given a first airing by WriteOn at the ADC Theatre Bar on Sunday evening and on the same billing I'm acting in a wonderful little play by Jenny Scudamore.

There's plenty of band stuff happening too - recorded a great new track with the British IBM last week at Half Ton Studios with producer Bugs, the track is called, 'CGI Adventures' and Aidy and Dave have been presenting it at the Retro Gaming Expo in Wolverhampton this weekend, hopefully it'll be available for everyone else to hear at some point as it's a goodun. I start rehearsing with Fred's House next week ahead of some summer festival dates, tickets for the Dowsing Sound Collective gig at Ely Cathedral are now on sale, the jazz project with Grace is changing and developing in a totally brilliant way, booking Edinburgh Fringe gigs for Trevor Jones and myself, more gigs with the British IBM, Flaming June, Eureka Stockade and The Prisoner Of Mars in the next few months, plus recording with Alister Bunclark and Rohan Leach.

I turn 32 next week, the fear is that one day I'd start to slow down, but I'm busier than ever. It's all good, then.

Currently listening to: Stornoway - Tales From Terra Firma; Duke Special - Adventures In Gramophone; I Am Kloot - Let It All In

Currently reading: David Ford - I Chose This.

Currently watching: Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads, Match Of The Day, Would I Lie To You

Currently eating: Badly - I had a bit of a 'learning to cook' period at the tale end of last year/early this year, but with the exception of the (rather nice, if I may say so myself) meal I cooked for Grace last month before our rehearsal I have been completely on the burgers and pizzas whilst writing this new material. Not big, not clever, I do know this.

Currently of the realisation that: I write better material when dressed smartly; the scruffier my clothing, the messier my dialogue, so it seems.