In our latest Playwright interview Director of Get The Chance, Guy O’Donnell chats to Playwright and Actor Katie Payne. Katie discusses her career to date, her play My Mix(ed Up) Tape which tours the South Wales Valleys this October, her writing process and thoughts on opportunities for Playwrights in Wales.

Hi Katie, great to meet you, can you give our readers some background information on yourself please?

Absolutely. My name is Katie Payne – I am a writer / actor born and bred in Pontypridd, South Wales. I moved to London at 18 to go to Rose Bruford Drama College and gained a BA in Acting. Since graduating, I have been acting in theatre, TV and film professionally for the past 15 years and I have been writing for the last 3 years. I was living in London for a long time and only moved back to Wales in the last few years, hiraeth is an actual thing.

So, what got you interested in the arts?

Debbie Reynolds! Well, more specifically Singing In The Rain. I come from a family that also encouraged me from a young age to enjoy the Arts, whether it be film, comedy, dance or music. My Dads the family comedian so I definitely got my funny bones from him, even though my mother swears the dryness is her. My friends helped too, any encouragement as a youngster – whether it be a laugh or a clap makes you feel good – this current climate it translates into likes and comments but back then I loved the feeling it gave me to make people smile or laugh. But yes, Singing in the Rain or Calamity Jane or Meet me In St Louis.

Spending time with my Grandparents meant I got to watch a lot of old musical films and the way they transported me – made me feel magic. I always thought that’s what I want to be. I want to do THAT. That triple threat. But after getting into the National Youth Theatre of Wales, it transpired I would only dance, sing and play piano for the joy of it and acting is where I would revel. Albeit – I do have a tendency of working with music and physicality in most plays that I do… I can’t get away from it and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Can you tell us about your writing process?

I haven’t been writing long. But I am currently writing two TV scripts as well as finishing this play, my first play.
My Mix(ed up) Tape was the first thing I ever started writing (except for a little monologue in the play Little Dogs that I performed with Frantic Assembly and National Theatre Wales a few years back).

I always knew I could write, somewhere, but it took confidence. That’s all. And Encouragement from my peers. I had to find confidence in my voice, in what I have to say, in how I want to say it. Listen, I have always been a creative – I was never one of those actors that can just turn up, do the lines, do what they have to do, get paid and leave. I always took it upon myself to get involved creatively in the process. I know that’s where my strengths lie. I love acting, but I also love creating. Collaborating. Writing on your own is safe. Writing with people is scary but it also allows you to talk through ideas, figure things out.

Where do your ideas come from?

Ideas? Writing the play is a very different idea process to when I write TV. The play is a personal project – it’s a love letter to Pontypridd, to Wales, to the Valleys. It’s rich with characters and voices and themes that I have encountered or discussed or researched, about a place in which I feel very confident to dive into. I knew I wanted to chat about anger, ADHD and being from the Valleys and what comes with that – but the way in which the ideas go from there on to the page? Well, for this project – it’s music. I find a track and I write. I know these characters or I might start with one character – a voice I know. Then I write and write. I don’t stop to think about it, I just write. Andi Osho (actress, writer) once offered me a great bit of advice when I couldn’t get through to the end, she said “Just write and don’t stop to think or judge it, do that tomorrow or after you’ve finished. The writing/ideas part of your brain cannot work when the judgey part of your brain is making comments” – my advice is JUST WRITE. It’s a lot easier when you take that pressure off and if it’s shit – move on and start again. Writing isn’t easy until you start. Catherine Paskell and Alan Harris have been the guides for My Mix(ed up) Tape, my dramaturgy Angels in helping me make this the play what it is. They are insanely talented at dramaturgy and without them I wouldn’t have been able to find my writing voice.

My TV ideas, I write with a writing partner Layo Akinlude, the process is very different – we are very different, from different backgrounds and it works! Trust me – she teaches me on a daily basis and I her, that’s what makes that writing process a proper joy! One of us has an idea – we relay it – if the other likes it – we run with it – then we chat and chat about it until the idea is solid. Then we create a page doc: a document that is a sort of synopsis – beat by beat of what the first ep might look like. We get this as tight as possible and sometimes a production company will buy that idea – just from that pitch doc – we then follow than pitch doc. Sometimes I take a scene, or she does or we write them together. I am a visual person so I have to feel and smell and see a place on the page before I can write it – that’s why describing visuals are really important to me, so I can transport the actor, audience, director right to that place. I think the best thing about writing is collaboration, but also having confidence in what you want to say and how you want to say it.

Can you describe your writing day? Do you have a process or a minimum word count?

I am at my best writer early in the morning or really late at night. When the world is quiet and all that is left is me and my thoughts. I don’t tend to spend a whole day writing. You can bang out a tv scene in literally 10 mins if you’ve plotted it out beforehand. I’ve always got headphones in – I might have the same track on repeat for an hour while I write. I stop when the flow stops. Writing is unlike most jobs – you can’t just keep going. Some days the flow and the ideas are there, sometimes they aren’t and that’s okay. They will come.

Why and where do you write?

I have recently had a baby (well, I say recently – he is almost one) and Jesus, that’s been wild. You don’t have hours and hours to think about characters and ideas – you have small windows and you’re also knackered but I do think in a way, since having him, I am a lot more pro-active. I have a few hours in the morning or late at night and I just hit the ground running, I try not to waste too much time thinking. Where I write? I’ve bought my first house and there is a little room in it that’s snug but has a great window looking out – I either write in front of there or I turn round and write looking a big blank wall. I know that sounds a bit weird – but I find the nothingness of the wall a great place to plot things out. It gives me a sort of blank canvas to place my ideas.

I write because I truly believe not enough stuff is being written by women for women in Wales. Especially the Wales I know. I also want to create more opportunities for young people in Wales – I thought I had to get to London at 18 years old to get into the industry but

1. I was really lucky

2. I don’t want that to always be the case.

The long-term goal is yes, to make stuff that people relate to and give those voices a proper platform but it is also to connect with the next gen and inspire them to get writing, creating, making more work in Wales. There’s a mad amount of talent here and I think sometimes we get forgotten about.

Your latest play My Mix(ed Up) Tape tours the South Wales Valleys this October, I believe the script has been in development with the support of Dirty Protest for some time. Is it possible to give us some back ground on the development of the play and your hopes for the tour?

This play started out with an idea with Catherine Paskell – director of My Mix(ed up) Tape and Dirty Protest about me wanting to create a play with a Live DJ. Cath guided me through all my Arts Council applications and we got the funding to test out the ideas and script in R&D 1 back in 2019 and then the music, visuals and access in R&D 2, during Lockdown. The play has developed into a one-woman comedy/drama with a live DJ – it discusses themes around anger and ADHD and is a love letter to anyone who is a bit of a complicated person trying to navigate “this thing we call life” – bit of a Prince ref there, he features heavily in the show, well not physically the budget couldn’t quite stretch to the afterlife.

You have described your ambitions for the production to be “to make something in the Valleys, that’s relatable, fun, and accessible” What does the Valleys contribute to your creative process and is theatre accessible for people living in these areas?

The best thing about this play is the way it has connected to the audiences it is supposed to serve. There is a lot of anger right now, for a number of different reasons, which I know I don’t have to point out. It was really important for me to make this play in the valleys for the valleys – Pontypridd and RCT have been the muse for the process and I feel like I have only just started, only just scratched the surface. I have had a lot of messages off people thanking me for bringing this form of theatre into the community. It’s a working-class story that I hope is told in a different form. The play has access embedded into it which means it’s accessible to the D/Deaf community – which was very important to me. The BSL interpretation is provided by Sami Dunn.

It has a live DJ element – which helps drives the story along and makes it current, it’s fresh new-writing and it has physical theatre / Visual Vernacular embedded into the piece – which a lot of people in the Valleys haven’t have experienced before. I am super proud of the team and what we have managed to bring to RCT.

RCT Theatres have supported the plays development, how did they come to be involved and what’s your relationship with these venues?

Angela Gould at RCT Theatres strive to tell the stories of unheard voices from their communities. They found My Mix(ed up) Tape to be a unique take on storytelling from the prospective of a female Valley’s voice. I have known Angela since I was 13 years old, she used to teach me drama in a local drama club in the YMCA in Pontypridd and I know it made sense to connect her and Dirty Protest together to make this show.

Angela was keen to tell this rollercoaster of a story that is driven with a sick soundtrack by DJ Glade Marie and how it helps underscore a tale of how heartache, tenacity and determination will always win the race. It felt like a homecoming. Our tour starts at the Parc and Dare’s new studio theatre space, Treorchy – which is honestly an incredible space. We then go on tour to a mixture of theatre and community venues around South and West Wales.

The production features a live DJ called Glade Marie, with music featuring so strongly in the play this seems a great choice how has music influenced your writing process and how did the relationship with Glade Marie develop?

I’ve already mentioned how important music was to the writing process, each scene was written to a particular track on repeat. However, the integration of Glade the Live DJ element is something that we explored and figured out during the R&D’s. The relationship in the beginning began as separate, between DJ and music but during the R&D process we developed the language for the DJ as the conscious for the main character Phoebe. The play could not be without the music. We almost had to write two plays – one for the text and then one for the music. The score in which Glade has created with collaborative effort from everyone in the team, truly makes the show shine. I am just so proud that we made it happen.

There are a range of organisations supporting Welsh and Wales-based writers. I wonder if you feel the current support network and career opportunities feel ‘healthy’ to you? Is it possible to sustain a career as a writer in Wales and if not what would help?

Quite frankly, I don’t know how to answer this question as I am still quite new to the writing scene in Wales. I don’t know if these organisations and the support they offer are as well advertised as they could be. I also feel that a lot of the same content is being created and a lot of the same people are being used, that’s not a bad thing – but it definitely means things don’t quite progress as much as they could do in Wales. New voices. Money and energy being put into these new voices is how the next gen of greatness is made. I really want to use this play to connect to an audience of makers and doers and hopefully create more work with them.

If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?

Development of New Voices. Have I mentioned New Voices enough?? New plays, new text, new theatre, new writing, new TV ideas. New New New.

What excites you about the arts in Wales?

I am excited about the talent. The people in Wales are the greatest – I just think we need to keep trying to get these voices heard on a bigger scale. Making more stories that push boundaries, that are told through rich real characters – let’s see where we can really go with Welsh Theatre, TV and Film. Let’s take more risks and give a chance to fresh voices.

Thanks for your time Katie

In our latest Playwright interview Director of Get The Chance Guy O’Donnell chats to Playwright Jennnifer Lunn. Jennifer discusses her career to date, her writing process, working for Read For Good and her thoughts on opportunities for Playwrights in Wales.

Great to meet you Jennifer, how did you first get interested in the arts?

 I was very lucky that my parents were both very active in amateur theatre and so my brothers and I grew up making theatre from when we were very tiny. I was in my first production at 12 weeks old!! I absolutely loved the communal experience of it, the stories and the magic – and I could never really imagine myself doing anything else. I used to say that if I ended up just sweeping the stage in a theatre I would be happy! (And I’ve done a lot of stage sweeping in my time!!) 

 Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas come from?

 My ideas mainly come from injustices or inequities that I want to address. Things I’d like to be able to change. My first play, Es & Flo (which was set to premiere at Edinburgh’s Traverse theatre before the Covid-19 pandemic led to the fringe’s cancellation. It won the Popcorn Writing award 2020 for new work. An extract can be seen below) is about an older lesbian couple who risk being separated because their relationship isn’t official. I wanted to show the places where work still needs to be done in the journey towards equality. My plays Core and Terroir are both about the climate emergency and how we, as humans are responding to it. 

There is also something about the characters I want to put on stage. I want to give space to voices and characters who we don’t often see. My plays often centre around queer women and non-binary people. My characters are intersectional – For example in Core, Clem is a Deaf, queer polar scientist and Jules is a Black, queer politician. The play is not about them being Deaf or Black or queer. It’s about their relationship with each other and the future. I wanted to show that these characters’ stories shouldn’t focus on their ‘protected characteristics’. 

I’m excited to announce that a fully staged production of Es and Flo will premier at The Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on the 28 April and runs until the 13 May.

I started writing the play about ten years ago. A queer love story with a cast of 5 female characters from 8-71!! A story of secrets, memories, female solidarity and chosen families… A play I wasn’t sure I could write and never imagined would make it to the stage. But people liked it. It won a couple of awards and today… tickets went on sale for its premiere in Cardiff in April!!. I am SO SO grateful to everyone (and it really has taken a village) who has supported this play over the last ten years. From the first readings of scenes in the back room of a pub with Shake it Up, to readings and workshops, through postponements and Covid and finally now… with the best team I could ever have asked for! Not least the wonderful Susie McKenna who is directing it with such care and love. I am a very lucky writer! I am very proud of this play and I cannot wait to see how our incredible creatives and cast bring it to life.

You can find out more information and book here

 Can you describe your writing day? Do you have a process or a minimum word count?

No writing day is the same for me. It absolutely depends on what I’m working on. One of the things that took me a while to realise was that a lot of “writing” isn’t actually writing. It’s thinking, watching, reading, going for walks, researching, talking. It’s all vital and absolutely part of the work even though it often feels like procrastination. 

A lot of my writing time is spent scrawling on a whiteboard in different coloured pens trying to figure out structure and plot and then sitting on the floor staring at it!! 

 Why and where do you write?

 I write because I want to tell important stories which present voices and characters we don’t get to see enough of. I write to provoke conversations and promote change. I write because I want to try and make sense of the world for myself and others.

I have an office at home with my big whiteboard on the wall and a lovely stand up desk. But there are some days where I need to be under a blanket on the sofa or on a coffee shop. One of my favourite places to work is Gladstone’s Library in North Wales. It is a silent library and it is an amazing place to research and read and write. 

 Your latest play was shortlisted in the Papatango New Writing Prize congratulations! Where did the initial spark for the play come from and can you update us on its development?

About ten years ago I had an idea for a play that asked the question “Why don’t we make the obvious choices to save the planet?” The idea was to look at a couple’s relationship falling apart because of choices, sacrifices, efforts that they hadn’t made for each other set against a backdrop of climate change. The idea was to highlight our brilliant ability to sabotage our own futures in both or personal and global lives. The play went through several iterations and finally, when I realised that what I really wanted to say was that we should be listening to the younger generation, I discovered what the story should be. 

Because the play was shortlisted for the Papatango Prize, I was incredibly lucky to have the chance to have a filmed reading of the play produced. The play is written to be performed bilingually in English and BSL so I worked with the brilliant Director Emily Howlett and a wonderful cast of Deaf and hearing actors who all speak BSL to work to create the translations and to make sure the communication between the Deaf and hearing characters feels believable. 

I’m now working with the wonderful Jafar Iqbal and we’re raising funds to do a longer R&D of the play and to work with Emily and a Deaf video designer to develop the visual aspects and creative captioning for the show.

In your spare time you are a Read for Good team member, the project supports young people in hospital to access reading , how did you come to be involved?

About 13 years ago I did a bit of volunteering at a children’s hospital school and from that I developed some projects to collect stories from children in hospital. Read For Good then approached the hospital, offering them visits from a storyteller and the hospital school headteacher recommended me. I started with one hospital and now regularly work in three hospitals, visiting children and their families, giving away free brand new books and also spending time telling and creating stories with them. It is an absolute privilege to spend time with these families often at really difficult times, hopefully bringing a bit of a smile. I would also say that I learn the best lessons about story from the young people who tell me stories. They are fearless in the creativity and it is very inspiring as a writer!! 

There are a range of organisations supporting Welsh and Wales-based writers. I wonder if you feel the current support network and career opportunities feel ‘healthy’ to you? Is it possible to sustain a career as a writer in Wales and if not what would help?

 There are some wonderful people and organisations supporting writers in Wales. The brilliant Branwen Davies and Alice Eklund who have just finished their time as the literary team at The Sherman were extraordinary and I look forward to seeing who steps into their shoes. Tamara Harvey and Liam Evans-Ford at Theatr Clwyd, along with Literary Associate Raphael Martin have been an incredible support for writers – especially since the pandemic. I was really fortunate to be part of their Writers in Residence scheme and to be commissioned to write for Curtain Up last year which commissioned 15 Welsh/Wales based writers to write short plays as soon as the theatre reopened. Angharad Lee of Leeway Productions is offering brilliant opportunities to writers wanting to develop musical theatre here in Wales and it’s been wonderful to watch the fruits of that these last two years. 

That said… there aren’t enough opportunities for commissions right now. I was lucky to be commissioned by WMC back in 2018 and to be commissioned by RWCMD/The Sherman to write for the NEW21 season but there are very few theatres in Wales commissioning new plays or even staging mid or large scale productions.

The Play On scheme set up by Theatr Clwyd, NTW and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru means plays are being read and writers getting feedback but whether/when any of these plays will reach out stages is unclear. 

I would love to see Wales generally producing more work and that work touring Wales and beyond. 

 If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?

 Audience development. Without some big steps forward in cultivating audiences, theatre in Wales will never be able to grow and therefore become somewhere that can sustain artists.

I would love to see a huge investment in audiences – whether that be a subsidising of theatre tickets or schemes to offer free tickets. We are entering a time where people are struggling to pay bills and eat. Theatre tickets are, for many, a luxury they can’t afford. But we know that the arts are a vital part of people’s social engagement and well-being and I would love to see us really make it possible for people to see and participate in more. 

 What excites you about the arts in Wales?

 The people! I am always inspired and energised by the artists I know and have the pleasure of working with. There is such an incredible creative energy in Wales and I am loving seeing a new generation starting to come through with exciting new ideas and ways of working.

I am also excited by the work we are doing here developing and championing accessible work and how creative captioning, BSL and audio description are becoming more and more embedded in our work. We definitely still have a way to go but it’s a great journey to be on. 

What was the last really great thing that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?

I saw WMC’s A Boy With Two Hearts at the National Theatre in London last week. So wonderful to see a Welsh-made show about an immigrant family using English and Farsi and with wonderful creative captioning. And to see that having transferred and reaching an audience beyond Wales after two successful runs in Cardiff was brilliant! 

The show is beautiful and political and important and made me feel proud to live in Wales. 

In our latest Playwright interview Director of Get The Chance Guy O’Donnell chats to Welsh Playwright and Director of Chippy Lane Productions Ltd, Rebecca Jade Hammond. Rebecca discusses her career to date, her latest play Right Where We Left Us and her thoughts on opportunities for Playwrights in Wales.

Hi Rebecca, great to meet you, can you give our readers some background information on yourself please?

Born in Cardiff, I am a Welsh writer, dramaturg, actor, lecturer and Artistic Director/Founder of critically acclaimed Chippy Lane Productions Ltd.

In the last few years I have been shortlisted for the Papatango Writing Prize, placed in the top 10% for both the BBC Writers Room and the Verity Bargate Award, and longlisted for Theatre Uncut and the Traverse Theatre. I recently worked with National Theatre Wales and Lagos Theatre Festival on a Writers Exchange. I am published by Methuen Drama and represented by The Haworth Agency.

Academically I lecture at Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Mountview and Italia Conti.

As an actor, I trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and have appeared in several big television series including Bafta Cyrmru-nominated comedy The Tuckers (BBC), Silent Witness (BBC) and Trollied (Sky One), Mrs Sidhu Investigates (ITV) and I’m currently filming The Wet Look (Channel 4) starring Iwan Rheon and Steve Speirs.

So, what got you interested in the arts?

The first formative experience I had at the theatre was The Snow Spider (Sherman Theatre, 1993). I had no idea what I was watching but I knew I wanted to be part of it more than anything else in the world.

I think I’ve always gravitated towards the arts. Though none of my family have ever been interested in the arts, the idea of building and making something artistic was always something that felt natural to me. At a young age dancing was my life, I was obsessed with ballroom, disco, tap, ballet and cheerleading, until I realised I could sing. I remember being part of West Glamorgan Children’s choir and singing on my own at St David’s Hall at ten years old with a 120 piece orchestra and a full house and thinking, ‘This is magic! More please!’. That led me into Sherman Youth Theatre, Everyman Theatre and Orbit Musical Society. Then to University and Drama School at Royal Central School of Music & Drama. It is a path none of my family have walked, and at times has felt lonely but I have always taken what I do incredibly seriously.

Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas come from?

The play I have in production at the moment, Right Where We Left Us, is actually my fourth play. My first never got beyond a second draft, I hope to bring that back one day. It’s set on Gwaelod-Y-Garth Mountain and it felt so powerful finishing it. My second did very well in lots of literary competitions, and is another I hope to return to. My third is in development with a London theatre, so we hope and pray that it goes somewhere but one never really knows. You have power in your pen but beyond that you need to find an advocate and believer in your work to take it to production.

I have written about grief, grooming, county-lines, ambition, war, death, PTSD, youth, mental health and love. An eclectic mix but on reflection what binds them altogether is the human heart. The human reaction to these epic themes. I am consumed with how we pick ourselves up from the rubble of trauma and try to get back to life, back to home, back to some form of peace and solace.

In terms of my process, ideas and inspiration come to me in freefall, and get noted on my phone. The list is seemingly random and pretty extensive, a snippet would include:

• Bricks
• Reckoning
• Patterning
• Horn – Nick Drake
• The ecstasy of quietness

I look at these concepts and ideas as seeds that I can come back to later when I eventually get back to writing something new again.

Can you describe your writing day? Do you have a process or a minimum word count?

My process usually consists of mornings in my writing shed or at my desk with a Spotify playlist. Or in Cafe Nero in Wimbledon (the staff even know my ideal spot now!) – I need background hum as I can’t work in silence and I love a little bit of chaos and life. I then walk the dog in the afternoon to debrief with myself. I tend to take more time on things than I used to. Allowing more time between drafts to digest and move forward. Things always come out in the wash when you give it the time and space to breathe. I don’t have a word count or page count. I tend to write for as long as I can handle it and have been known to write for twelve hours without eating if I am in the zone, but wouldn’t recommend this!

Your latest play Right Where We Left Us , is described as “a heartfelt examination of what happens instead of “happy ever after” Where did the initial spark for the play come from and can you update us on its development?

This play is an acknowledgement of the fragile nature of creative minds and a reminder that our industry is always in a state of delicacy. If the past few years have taught me anything it’s to keep the people you love close and to rid yourself of negative energies.

I wanted to write a piece that explored the murky world of creative collaboration and navigating professional and personal relationships. Right Where We Left Us explores the darkness of ambition and jealousy and how the healing of time can change your priorities and future plans. I long for it to resonate with so many and provide hope for anyone struggling to move forward. To know that you have the power to be ok. You have the power to change the narrative.

This play was born from the shock of having everything put on hold. As the third wave of the pandemic made it seem impossible to ever get back to the stage I wanted to write a love letter to creative collaboration and the great American memory plays.

The script has been honed throughout various development periods with support from The Bush Theatre, Paines Plough, Theatre503, Sherman Theatre, Chapter Arts Centre and The Carne Trust.

At every stage of development our audiences have seen themselves in the characters, feeling the frustration and longing of lost opportunities and lost love. Our urgency comes from the vulnerability and fear we are all experiencing as hundreds of us are forced to walk away and try to find a new path. We ask if it is ever possible to find fulfilment once the creative drive is gone? Are lost loves better left in memory? Can someone else ever give you closure? Will you alone ever be enough?

This production will reunite the Welsh creative team from sell-out show Blue, which The Guardian described as “smart and superbly acted” (4 Stars, 2019). Chippy Lane Productions are fast becoming one of Wales foremost new writing companies, at our core is a drive to champion underrepresented emerging talent. Methuen Drama have also agreed to publish this play.

The play will be performed by 2 alternating acting companies, this sounds fascinating, are you able to tell us more about this choice? Are they both performing the same play each night or will it be different?

While the show will be performed by 2 alternating acting companies, the character of T will work across both casts. The companies will alternate shows and while the script will be the same for each, it’s up to an audience to discover the differences!

In the script, the characters have no assigned gender. So as we developed the play we workshopped the characters with actors of all genders. We soon found that the play resonated differently depending on who the performers were. The power dynamics across age, gender and class all changed the experience of watching the play and added nuance and detail in different sections of the story. We wanted to give the audience the opportunity to experience these different versions of the play as we are sure they will be able to see themselves reflected in the characters at different moments. Joyfully, it also means we were able to offer employment to two more actors, which after the past few years feels like a small win for a company who wants to champion Welsh and Wales based voices.

There are a range of organisations supporting Welsh and Wales-based writers. I wonder if you feel the current support network and career opportunities feel ‘healthy’ to you? Is it possible to sustain a career as a writer in Wales and if not what would help?

I wrote about this recently for The Stage as I feel really strongly about it.

The lack of funding across Wales for the arts directly affects a lack of development schemes that go beyond the beginning stages of playwriting. This means that the same canon of (mainly male) Welsh playwrights receive those rare opportunities of having work commissioned. This stunts the progress of more diverse writers, limiting opportunities to have their voices heard on Welsh stages and on stages across the UK.

In 2018, I set up the Welsh Female Writers Group in response to the lack of female voices being commissioned. My hope was to create an inclusive space for female and non-binary creatives to write, no matter their level of experience. More than 120 writers have joined our workshops. Some have gone on to work professionally for stage and screen, set up companies and collaborate together to make work. However, there are still many more voices struggling to get opportunities, commissions, productions and publishing.

I can’t control the future of funding in Wales, or improve the lack of programming opportunities at venues. What I can do is continue to shed light on this vital issue and keep the door open for any Welsh playwright wanting support from Chippy Lane to champion their developing careers. Chippy Lane prides itself on inclusive practice and will do everything we can to affect change in our sector.

If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?

Writing initiatives and development funding for grassroot companies to pair with venues across Wales to make work and tell new regional stories that connect to the respective areas. We need initiatives that take playwrights through to productions. We need venues and companies to take the leap into programming newer / younger writers and supporting them with commissions so our cannon is more diverse and not the same voices heard yearly.

What excites you about the arts in Wales?

There is a wealth of exciting new talent coming through Wales. Whether born here or settling here to train, I truly believe it is an exciting time of positive change.

With the appointment of Chelsey Gillard at The Torch and Steffan Donnelly at Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru it feels like the theatrical keepers of the major buildings and companies are beginning to shift and change for the better in Wales. Along with new work being made by Mari Izzard and Nia Morais at Sherman Theatre, Katie Elin-Salt and Eleri Jones’ show at Theatr Clwyd in the summer. Emily White won the George Devine Award and Faebian Averies won the BBC Audio Drama Award and Connor Allen’s show at Wales Millennium Centre. It feels like the rumblings of more diverse theatre being made is happening and it’s exciting to see.

What was the last really great thing that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?

I visit the theatre a lot. In 2019 I saw 147 shows and kept a spreadsheet of all of the productions I saw. For what? I have no idea, but for me one of the most difficult things about the pandemic and in particular 2020 was inability to frequent the theatre. In many ways the theatre is my church, a sanctuary for me to learn, laugh and weep. However, since coming back to my usual theatre-going habits I’ve felt like something was missing. I’m not certain whether it’s the heavy weight of the outside world seeping into the auditoriums, but nothing has really cut me deep or moved me since The Passover in early 2020 (pre-pandemic) until now.

The Normal Heart at The National floored me, it will be one that amongst the mountain of shows I’ve seen will sit with me always and I feel privileged I got to see.

After it finished I felt like I’d come through a war. I could feel the anger of Kramer’s pain in writing it. I felt helpless and powerless and thought about all the lives lost unnecessary. How they fought so hard for acknowledgement and support. It actually haunted me so much that I wrote to the Welsh government to ask if this could be considered as a key text on the curriculum for English and Drama.

“Don’t lose that anger. Just have a little more patience and forgiveness. For yourself as well.” (Kramer, L. 1986)

Hi Chris so to kick things off, what got you interested in the arts?

A passion for books which I’ve never lost. The ideas contained within them have informed everything I’ve ever done. I love words but now I’m just as interested in what lies between them. There lies the drama.

Company of Sirens is working with Sight Life Wales to perform ‘How My Light Is Spent’ at Chapter from the 16^th – 20^th August. It’s a production which is described as “What lies beyond the purely visual?” How did this project develop and what are your hopes for the future?

For me the attraction of working with the blind and partially sighted was to discover what was possible. Lock down was a double whammy for many of them, marginalised by their condition and the pandemic the situation became frightening as their interactions shrank further and for many disappeared totally. The performance tells their experiences of this time.  

Locating the performance in a forest creates an analogy between lockdown and being trapped in a situation you can’t see yourself emerging from. The only solution being friendship, support and in this case the kindness of strangers.

Last November we presented “With Eyes Closed” performed between both lockdowns. This proved a life affirming experience that audiences responded to and identified with.

With this new piece we wanted to look more closely at when and how each person’s sight was lost and how they have reconnected with some of the things that are important to them.

The copy for the work references the Covid 19 Lock Down. With the successful roll out of the Covid-19 vacancies, the arts sector is hopeful audiences will continue to return to venues and theatres. How do you think artists can best share stories of the recent Pandemic?

The pandemic was the seismic event of our time that artists will need to respond to. I believe this creative response will impact upon the nature of the work for some time. This project came from the participants’ need to express how lockdown impacted on their lives to a lesser or greater extent. There is much humor in the stories and definitely hope going forward.

If theatres want to attract audiences post Pandemic , what do you think they should do?

It seems that some of the ways theatre existed mid pandemic are here to stay in some form.

I personally feel separating theatre from a live and present audience response isn’t theatre. A live audience leads, creates and forms a performance. Without it you have only 50% of the experience. That’s not to say it can’t be appreciated online but you lose the power to inform the drama by your presence and direct response.

Company of Sirens have worked with members of Sight Life Wales before, how did this relationship develop and can you tell us about your creative process?

We led taster workshops three years ago in order to gauge interest and explore ways of working. The work is participant led while we as a company allowed their ideas to come to fruition. They learn skills, gain confidence and meet friends, while we explore a new and original way of extending our practice. 

My background stretches back  to working with companies such as Cardiff Lab, The Practice and collaborations and workshops with European artists. It is this visual and exploratory approach we look to introduce to the group.

The concept of people with sight loss participating in a highly visual performance style is an interesting paradox but hugely appropriate. Restricted by visual impairment the performers want the opportunity to move, and beautiful things occur.  

Get the Chance works to support a diverse range of members of the public to access cultural provision. Are you aware of any barriers that creatives or audiences in Wales face? If there are any, what might be done to remove these barriers?

I think it lies in the mindset of the creative. We deliver a large programme of work, working primarily with new writers and professional actors and creatives as well as the community and groups with protected characteristics..

I think to be inclusive is to approach each project whoever it may be aimed at with fairness and integrity. It’s a way of thinking that once embedded flows naturally into each process. I don’t believe imposing conditions aids creative work and development. We need to always take risks but that shouldn’t negate inclusivity. 

 If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?

Experimentation, risk and the right to fail, without those factors the arts are a museum and we are treading water.

What excites you about the arts in Wales?

The fact that current directives will, I believe eventually lead to a fairer natural way for all people to experience the empowering nature of the arts, and that young creatives keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

What was the last really great thing that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?

Working with Sightlife Wales

Thanks for your time, Chris

You can find out more about How My Light is Spent and book tickets at the link below. All performances are Audio Described.

How My Light Is Spent (chapter.org)

companyofsirens.com

The Boy With Two Hearts written by Hamed Amiri, adapted for the stage by Phil Porter. Wales Millennium Centres’ first homegrown production since reopening and the first Welsh refugee story brought to the stage.

This true story moved me to tears, it was one of the most inspirational plays I’ve ever seen. This story could be happening today, with the recent events which has led to the fall of Kabul.

The play was performed by Hassam/Son (Shamail Ali) Hamed/Son (Farshid Rokey) Hussein/son (Ahmed Sakhi) Fariba/Mum (Gehane Strehler) Mohammed/Dad (Dana Haqjoo) and singer Elaha Soroor

In 2000, Hamed Amiri’s family have to leave their home and their life in Herat, Afghanistan. They need protection from the Taliban, who have issued a warrant to execute the mother, Fariba Amiri, for speaking out against the Taliban, demanding freedom for women’s rights. They also need medical help for the oldest son, Hussein, who has a rare, life-threatening heart condition.

Their journey leaving their home, learning to live with nothing, having to spend a long time on the road, never being safe, worrying every day whether they will ever make it to the UK, their “safe haven”, and having to put their lives into the hands of smugglers again and again is heart-breaking, one of many families who have left their lives behind to find safety in Europe and continue to do so.

Clothes hang from rafters above the stage in WMC and a disarray of suitcases and clothing are strewn around the edge of the stage. Creative stage captions set the scene and draw you in to the families fight and struggle but it’s not just about the hardship, it’s about fear, love, family, determination, courage and hope – these are the emotions that ignite a fire inside of you whilst you’re drawn into their powerful story.

The play is split between two emotional, nerve-racking journeys. The first shows the families cold and desperate journey through Moscow and then onto Europe, travelling by hiding in car boots, lowering themselves into the back of a lorry to hide from police and almost suffocating crammed inside a shipping container, without food or drink, however, these are only a small part of the family’s history. Their journey depicts how much they rely on the kindness of strangers, but we also see how so much cruelty while travelling to the UK leaves Hamed mistrustful of others.

The second path they take is through Hassam, Hamed and Hussein’s determination to succeed, once they settle in Cardiff, it also takes us on Hussein’s journey with the healthcare system for the treatment he so desperately needs. The wonderful vocals of Afghan singer Elaha Soroor, drifts on and off the stage throughout the play, observing the family’s’ heartache alongside the audience but also lending her haunting vocals, like death, to accompany the beat of Hussein’s heart, his fight for life and his struggle to breathe. Despite having been through the toughest times one can imagine, Hussein Amiri’s hope and positivity shines so bright and seems to have no ends.

The actors are so skilled at pulling you into every situation they encounter, drawing you into their love for one another and the pain they endure. This story is a moving and absorbing memoir, it is a very emotional love letter to the NHS. It oozes hope, courage and a love for life, it tells the story of how many lives a person can touch in just a short time and deserves to be shown to a very, very wide audience.