Setting up a new enterprise, sometimes it's easy to get bogged down trying to dot all the 'Is' and cross all the 'Ts'. You can get quite blinkered when you're tryng to get all the endless paperwork sorted - legal stuff like sorting out contracts, business plans, writing up workshop notes, cash flow forecasts, potential marketing, timelines and just who is my customer? And where has that blooming widget gone that can link you together with all those social networking sites?
Then one day you go to a makeshift studio, like me just starting out, to record your play and as a writer experience the delight of your work brought to life by actors - friends from my local am dram. This is definitely something to jump out of bed for in the mornings! 'Couple' was my first pilot recorded in collaboration with Core Music, Hexham and is based on an imaginary conversation between the two figures in the sculpture ''Couple' sited off the Northumberland coast. Core is rapidly becoming much more established and I look forward to recording further work in their recently refurbished facilities.
Another thing that's worth getting up for is when you hear a writer reading out their own work and reading as they feel it. John Murray was one of four writers who came along to read from their own work at the first recording session I organised - some were published, some not. As well as the immense pleasure I gained from hearing them, I also felt very privileged that such talented and seasoned writers had been willing to suport my new venture and trust that I would do something honourable with their work.
I hope to upload audio samples from the other writers' works shortly but first John Murray who already has the accolade of writing 'Radio Activity' recently voted 'Cumbria's best book ever. Here John reads from his latest book 'The Legend of Liz and Joe' (published by Flambard Press) keeping the Cumbrian Dialect alive in this comedy satire. To be honest it was difficult not to chortle out loud as I listened to John reading into the studio microphone, a real pro - barely stopping for breath. Hope you enjoy.
