Review of the Year
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Review of the Year

So, almost finished the year. Having done at least one update each month and nothing posted so far for December, let's do a review of the year. Which has been kinda nuts. We have ...

The Good ...

Wow. A lot of things to talk about this year.

  • I finally did a website. Yes, the one you're reading. This became possible because I had to do some website building research for my day job, and I managed blag create a website for myself as the research. It's become a very useful thing to have though, and could shortly be taking on a lot more.
  • I wrote a Border Reivers play. I entered a play into the Reviers Voices from the Borders programme, and my play was one of the three that was picked. First time I'd written a play to the brief, in this case about the era of the Reivers, when the land between England and Scotland was lawless. Until King James ruled both countries and clamped down on them once and for all. I wrote a monologue where doomed Reiver clansman John Croser says his piece. It's available online here.
  • I got longlisted for the North East Playwriting Award. Don't normally bother with playwriting competitions, but I entered Live Theatre's because I liked the ethos behind this one. That was back in August 2023 and I'd forgotten about it, so it was a bit of unexpected good news when I heard I'd made it to the longlist. I was actually working separately on plans to get #IStandWithVincent, and I really must get back to this at some point, but since January I've been kept busy with ...
  • I became a game show host. Well, I really didn't see that one coming. What started off as a crazy idea - for a fringe show to bring people together from different shows - got picked up by the Rotunda Theatre. Even more to my surprise, this crazy idea actually worked, and it got me a nomination for best comedy at Scarborough Fringe. Having secured than, a return next year is a must. Stay tuned, I should have some announcements for you soon for It's Not Cluedo!
  • I took a play to Edinburgh. Well, Edinburgh Horror Festival. Not Edinburgh Fringe, I don't have any spare kidneys to sell., But there comes a time when an idea comes from a play that just has to be written. And so Doctor Coppelius came into being. There wasn't time to write the play and fully rehearse it time for this year's fringe season, but I did manage a Work in Progress at Buxton Fringe, with the fully rehearsed version premiered at Banshee Labyrinth. Hope to bring the fully rehearsed version to Buxton Fringe next year.
  • I was given media accommodation for Edinburgh Fringe. This is more theatre blog news, but for some reason, Edinburgh Fringe decided it was worth giving me free accommodation for a week to review plays. Long story, you can read more about this here.

The Bad ...

Like most shameless self-promoters, I make a big deal out of things that are going well and keep quiet when they're not. But some people do make an effort to post all their rejections and disappointments so that other hopefuls feel they're not against a hopeless task. Here's a couple of things that didn't go to plan.

  • I got a two-star review. Yeah, I know. These things happen. If I've got this right, the reviewer took issue that a comedy show named It's Not Cluedo did not have enough in common with the game of Cluedo. No, I don't understand that either. Never mind, I urge everyone not to pick fights over bad reviews and I should do the same. As I have said repeatedly, good reviews are easily promoted, bad reviewers are easily buried. Wait, did I just say bad reviewers? I meant reviews. Yes, bad reviews are easily buried. Not reviewers. I have not buried any reviewers.
  • We're losing venues in Buxton. This affects a lot more people, but the loss of Rotunda and Green Man Gallery from Buxton Fringe is going to be a problem for me. Most as I respect Underground Venues, the things I had in mind for next year's Buxton Fringe were better suited to those venues. This isn't limited to Buxton - there have been an alarming number of venue/festival closures this year (most notoriously the Vault Festival, something I was just about ready to consider). I realise everyone's on a financial squeeze at the moment, but most of these closures are, in my opinion, avoidable. High Peak Borough Council certainly could have tried harder over in Buxton.

... and The Ugly

That. If you're reading this page, you probably already know about what happened last July. It's happened, the damage is done, but there's little point in recriminations. Time to move on and work out a new way forwards. But I will not be returning to business as usual at Durham Dramatic Society. I'm not prepared to risk them pulling any more stunts on me like the ones they've already done. That sadly includes the City Theatre at Durham Fringe.

There is some good news coming out of this, however. I'm determined to make an opportunity out of a setback. I've been in informal discussion with Durham Fringe for a resolution, and I think we have a compromise agreed in principle. Not quite ready to announce what this is, because there's some other things to sort out with other people, but we're close. And it should be quite exciting.

As for Durham Dramatic Society ... well, I can't resist the opportunity for a nosey when I have one, and the situation there seems to have got more complicated. For various reasons, it would not be appropriate to give a running commentary on this. Anyway, I've got enough plans for 2025 to keep me busy as it is.

And I'm already getting stressed about the upcoming 2025 fringe season. And it's not even 2025 yet.

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