Read-through Two

The actors came round yesterday to read through the new draft of the script.

It went well and I really enjoyed it.  The script’s become much tighter and more itself.  It used to start like a tornado and carry on shouting - now it progresses from calmer beginnings to the explosions of the later scenes.  I've trimmed things out, making it sparer, easier to understand and there’s less flurry, which I hope allows both the humour and the more moving moments to stand out more.  I can still do more to improve it, though – it can be leaner, and I can give the actors more to do between lines rather than using words to make the turns.  And it's always tempting to write more jokes.

Performance-wise, Martin and Jerome did a fine job.  Sight-reading is hard, sight-reading with accents harder still.  Occasional notes of Irish and Archers crept it, but they’ve both got a good ear and rehearsal plus our time in Somerset, soaking up and listening, will firm them up.

It's been great to have the cast being part of the rewriting process.  Listening to their voices on tape helps hugely.  I've also had great help from Sarah and Isy, asking the difficult questions and the simple ones (why do you need two of those? How are we supposed to know that's the uncle?  Yes, you've got enough jokes).

Here the lads are trying on possible costume.  I don’t think it’s possible to have enough photos of men looking uncomfortable in jumpers.

With a week to go until rehearsals start, there’s work to do, but I’m happy.

Tickets: www.pleasance.co.uk / 0131 556 6550

Photos

Today's the deadline for sending in the press packs to the fringe office and the Pleasance. Strictly, it's my deadline. Other people have a couple more days but I'm going away today and I just feel press releases and relaxation don't mix.

We also have to send in photos to illustrate the show in the papers. We took these last Saturday when we were shooting the film that might hopefully get shown at the Fringe press launch. Here Jerome and Martin enjoy a beautiful woodland dell:The brothers test the weave of their suits:And more faces:
I'm off till Monday.  Heading down Somerset.

Tickets: www.pleasance.co.uk / 0131 556 6550

The Wall

Writing continues.

Forest

I've been a happy man this past week, as my team - Nottingham Forest - are heading up to the Championship.  A well-earned promotion for a club that won back-to-back European cups.

On Saturday the cast and I drove out to Lee Valley to film a video clip. The fringe people are cutting a montage of messages from different shows to show to journalists at the programme launch. For a little play like this without a big PR budget, it's a great opportunity to get noticed by the press. 

I wrote a quick dualogue where the characters in the play introduce the show in heightened comic fashion. We parked, walked just twenty yards over a bank lushly fertilised with horse manure and found what looked like a quiet lane in a country forest. I've never found a location more easily. We began shooting and Jerome and Martin knocked it out of the park. I could not be happier with how easily and how hilariously they worked off each other. I can't wait for rehearsals.

We also took some pictures to send to the press - the deadline for press release and images is later this week. I'm very pleased Martin's doing the play - he's a very moving actor with a quality that means you just care for him as soon as he walks on stage. He's also a shameless mugger:

 

Bank Holiday

I'm writing the script. Not doing much else - I didn't realise that it's a bank holiday until this morning. It's gorgeous outside, but I close the curtains, banishing the sun for some QT with my imaginary friends on the rain-soaked Somerset levels. Yep, I am a damn big arty guy. You can call me artist. You can put an e on the end of artist. I'm cool with what I am.

On Saturday, we took pictures for the poster. The actors, in funeral suits and wellies, pulled faces in front of a wall in Hackney. Later on, we'll flood them but the only water involved at this stage is in a vase Ron the photographer used for drowning tenners. 

I spent Sunday working on the design. I'm teaching myself Photoshop to lay out rough ideas so I've got a definite plan before talking again to Joel, the designer. I'm hoping he'll give us more of his time to make my ragged efforts look good, and he's more likely to do that if the idea's solid before we talk. The work is frustrating, because I don't know the program well and my computer's not really up to it - it crashes a lot and saving takes over a minute. But by doing some work myself, I hope I can avoid wasting Joel's time and get a poster which looks great.

There'll be a little film about the process once it's finished.  In the meantime - here's Martin and Jerome, the two stars of Dad's Money:

Preview

We booked the first preview today.  It's at the Hen & Chickens, which looks like this, only bigger:

So far, I'm blogging to myself.  Google doesn't seem to know about the Dad's Money blog, added to which a lot of dads write blogs about money.  While no one's reading, let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I'm a playwright - the proud author of All My Sons, Glengarry Glen Ross, Design for Living and the sexy bits of the New Testament. If you like any of those, you'll love Dad's Money.