Intensive Script Development

I am having the best creative time of my entire life as David and I spend a couple of full days at the Octagon bouncing around ideas for the workshop draft of the script.

He floats a wild idea that I take up and run with. It looks like it will be feasible for the same actor to play Mr TV and Isambard Kingdom Brunel after all because we have discovered artistic connections between them. But if we are to forge stronger links in Fred's mind about these two characters, there is some restructuring of the play to be done.

During these development sessions David frequently refers to other plays and playwrights and obviously wants me to aim for the highest possible standards.
It's thrilling to hear him talk of his work with Arthur Miller, particularly about developing Millers' play 'Broken Glass'. I'm not sure that me having the same initials cuts it really!

We have a couple of prolonged discussions about stage directions and the slash(/) used to indicate overlapping dialogue but we never come close to anything that can be described as a disagreement and seem to be very much on the same wavelength.

I come away with masses of notes in my script, a head buzzing with ideas, a heart full of gratitude and optimism.

David says we are 'cooking on gas'.

Lunch at the Royal Court

David and I attend a lovely, informal lunch at the Royal Court where he is presented with his WGGB new writing encouragement award. We are amongst a select few of writers and directors, including one of my all time favourite playwrights, Timberlake Wertenbaker. She makes a great speech about writers needing a home and about new writing not necessarily being young writing. She also wishes me good luck as she and her director, Purni Morell, dash away back to rehearsal at the National studio.

As the wine flows freely we enjoy the food and the company but, unfortunately, we too have to make a hasty exit before the dessert because we are auditioning actors for the Fred play across the other side of London. David, who obviously knows the city well, says it will be quicker by tube so I find myself tagging after him, tottering on high heels, which I haven't had chance to change, trying not to lose him in the crowd as we change trains several times in the underground.