Tuesday 20 March 2012

Second Success for the Animation Networking Group

March 12th, an empty room in Temple Bar fills with the hum of conversation and networking at its finest -- good conversation, interesting people, nobody actually selling anything but enjoying each other's company and making connections.

We had another great group -- some managed to make it back from the first but, as usual, we all ran out of time and I'm not sure we all managed to talk to everyone but that's why the network is growing.

All being well, I'm planning another for April 30th. Which seems miles away but dates can creep up on padded toes in a very underhand way when life is busy! So, if you want to come, let me know and I'll put your name down. It is a fantastic way to make connections. If the energy in the room and the sheer heat of the space was anything to go by during the first two, something good will come from it.

And a huge big thank you again to the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, to Birch and Angie who came along on the night, for the wonderful space.

Friday 16 March 2012

SMOCK ALLEY... a preview

Still trying to pull all the pieces together to ensure that my play about George Farquhar, bawdy n bold as it is, gets on to the stage in Smock Alley next year.

The idea is that it will rehearse in Dublin, most likely, with Stephen Bradley in the lead - he was born to play this part. It will premiere in Derry in September 2013 as part of their UK City of Culture, as the lead play of a second Farquhar Festival produced by Jonathon Burgess. Then, the idea is for it to come to Dublin for a month to Smock.

After all, it's the theatre that gave George his best anecdote - and possibly his most embarrassing and traumatic story, one I don't believe he would ever have revelled in telling. It's the 'ghost in the machine' if you like and the reason he became a writer.

This was the occasion when, while acting on the Smock Alley stage at the tail end of the 17th century, he accidentally stabbed a fellow actor with a sword having forgotten to switch it for a foil. The actor, price, did survive and acted again but, fortunately for everyone who likes George Farquhar's work, it was, essentially, the end of his career as an actor.

Friday 2 March 2012

MONKEY PUZZLE TREE...

MONKEY PUZZLE TREE has been named as a finalist in the Codelia Award of the Hollywood-based BlueCat Screenplay competition for UK/ International scripts and a semi-finalist in the overall BlueCat competition 2012!

Only heard last night and I have whooped several times to myself already this morning!

For the Cordelia Award - UK and Ireland - there are six finalists out of 493 scripts, but overall there were 2,754 scripts submitted.