www.tributepodcasts.co.uk
Hi There,
This week I’m very excited to launch my TRIBUTE PODCASTS dramatic monologue project.
The website is now up and running at www.tributepodcasts.co.uk and you can also access and download the recordings via itunes.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/tribute-podcasts/id1200204959
These are 13 dramatic monologues – about life and death. Each of the short monologues (they’re between 7 and 13 minutes in length) are tributes / eulogies / reflections on a recently deceased (fictional character) by someone close to them.
Over the last year or so, I have become increasingly obsessed with podcasts – there are so many brilliant podcasts available now on such a huge range of topics, but, as far as I could see, very few drama monologues. I knew these were the sort of stories I’d like to hear on my ipod when commuting, walking the dog, driving, etc.
I am delighted with the 13 finished podcasts, I have enjoyed listening to them over the last few weeks, and I hope you will too.
One of the inspirations for this project – if that’s the right word – was the series of deaths at the start of 2016 – my mother, principally, but also David Bowie, Victoria Wood, etc. And in September 2015, one of my son’s best friends, 20 years old, had died in a boating accident in New Zealand. He’d died saving someone else’s life when him and a group of 10 friends got into trouble kayaking on a lake. It was only James and one other American boy who died, the rest survived. And James may have survived if he hadn’t swum back into the lake to try and save a friend. James was the nicest young guy you could ever meet. Gentle, kind, with a smile that lit up a room, his death at such a young age has really rocked his local community and of course devastated his family – his parents and two younger brothers.
So the tribute podcasts project is dedicated to the memory of JAMES MURPHY.
While all 13 of these podcasts have a death as their starting point, I hope you’ll find them uplifting rather than depressing. I hope they’ll make you think about the value of each and every life, how every single person’s life is extraordinary and unique in some way.
Most of these mini-dramas are about the legacy of love we leave behind.
As readers of this newsletter, can I ask you a favour? First, I hope you will find the time to listen to the podcasts and read the supporting text about each of them on the website. Second, if you enjoy them could I please ask you to spread the word via social media referencing the website or using #tributepodcasts.
In advance – thank you very much!
I have many people to thank – first and foremost all of the writers and actors involved. As you may remember, I put out a call in May last year for these scripts and the response was wonderful. I received about 60 scripts and the quality was so good. And these 12 scripts are the pick of the bunch (although it was incredibly hard to choose). They show off some really exciting writing talent. The 13th script is one I snuck in there – producer’s privilege.
Some of these scripts are more biographical than others but they’re all distinctive and written with passion and humanity.
Secondly I need to thank the actors who all did this basically for free. Every single one of them turned up on the day having done thorough preparation work and without exception brought even more to the script than I’d ever seen in them.
I’d like to name-check all the writers and actors here.
All of these actors you will have seen or heard before and I was so excited that the quality of the scripts attracted this calibre of actors – Patrick Brennan, Neil Caple, Paul Chapman, Samuel Crane, Sam Hazeldine, Will Mount, Sally Orrock, Carl Prekopp, Laura Rogers, Joe Sims, Sarah Thom, Jessica Turner, Finty Williams.
And the writers (and I hope this project acts as an effective showcase for their outstanding talents) – Robin Bell, Daniel Brierley, Tony Clare, Carol Cooper, Marilyn Court-Lewis, David Hendon, Will Mount, Sarah Penrose, Liz Taylor, Katy Walker, Louise Vale, Ben Weiner.
Finally I particularly need to thank WILL MOUNT and PATRICK BRENNAN.
Patrick has cast the actors for our day of script readings on the last 6 years of the Channel 4 Screenwriting course. As well as being an excellent actor, he is an outstanding casting director. As ever, he persuaded so many really brilliant actors to take part in this project, but as always with Patrick’s suggestions, all who turned up on the day had put some serious thought into their characters, and their performances were brave and absolutely committed to the scripts. Nearly all of the writers attended the recordings, and it was a real treat for all of them to see their scripts brought to life.
As well as doing a brilliant job of casting and persuading some very busy, very talented actors to take part, Patrick gives a wonderful performance in Louise Vale’s REX.
Will Mount is one of the writers (of the excellent AN IRRESISTIBLE FORCE) and, luckily for me, happens to run a recording studio in Whitechapel. Will – incredibly generously – gave me 5 (long) days of his time to record and edit the monologues, and then spent much of the next couple of weeks after that fine-tuning each recording.
But not only that – he also acted my piece – and, I’m sure you’ll agree – did a brilliant job – AND wrote the musical theme for the series. Truly a master of all trades and the nicest, most patient guy, to whom I am massively indebted. Thank you Will!
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Finally this week – a link to a blog I’ve written – THREE STEPS TO SCRIPT EDITING SUCCESS – for the BBC Writers Room
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/62f97fdd-c842-483f-a016-acfa4a7eb8cd
All the best
Phil
PHILIP SHELLEY
@PhilipShelley1
Feb 10th 2017
