The Northern Newsletter

Recently I had the unforgettable experience of having a piece of theatre that I, myself had written, being brought to life by a performance executed with assistance from group of phenomenal actors and organisers who certainly reciprocated my intentions. The piece performed was an extract from my up and coming Kitchen Sink Drama entitled ‘Monday Morning’ written and directed by myself, Oliver Mellor. As stated, the play is called Monday Morning and was advertised as:

‘In a life where disappointments continue to exist, Smith attempts to find his footing within society but it takes a tattooed girl from birkenhead to really, really open his eyes. Our protagonist Smith is a young, working class teenager estimated to be of 15 years of age. He is intelligent yet introverted and miserable being surrounded by the constant tedious teenage endeavours of life. Inspired by the writers experiences under society’s suffocating grasp and adoration to Kitchen Sink Dramas. Monday Morning highlights the struggle and neglect teenagers endeavour through stereotypes and expectations.’

The writing process of Monday Morning begun early September of last year and while the play was beginning to take shape, I attended a set of workshops in Bradford to develop not only the play but my writing techniques, since I suffered from minimal experience. These courses were run by Kerry Wright, who I have previously done an interview with, and Alex Dunlop both part of the Freedom Studios Team. These sessions contributed a considerable amount to the development of my play and the inclusion of having my work performed certainly exceeded my expectations. Regarding the actual performance, I had the pleasure of participating in a session with the actors performing my chosen extract and allowing me to direct them while constructing the scene I had always imagined, but receiving additional input by the cast and Kerry. The actors who performed my piece were: 

SMITH — John Broadhead

SHEILA — Hannah Mullen

KATHERINE SMITH — Carolyn Eden

I am still yet to finish the play, however it is beginning to finally formulate itself into an actual professional piece. I eventually do hope to be able to either work with a theatre company or publisher to promote Kitchen Sink Dramas and reestablish their importance within society once again. Excitingly however, I will be certainly applying to the ‘Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting’ which, if I win, will include my play being performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. But now some questions from an anonymous attendee who watched my performance:

What is a Kitchen Sink Drama? 

Kitchen Sink Drama is a form of theatre categorised as realism, that was a British cultural movement which developed in the late fifties to early sixties. It commonly features in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as ‘angry young men’ who were disillusioned and unsatisfied with modern society.

Where do your ideas come from? 

My ideas in incense are not original, in the sense that they have been inspired or manipulated by film, music and literature moulding themselves into influencing my reasons for writing and their plot lines. Most prominently, I commit diluted plagiarism upon plays such as A taste of Honey, Billy Liar and Look Back in Anger and eventually their film counterparts which only concentrate my formula for my work. Lastly, I write what I know. Which may sound fabricated since certain events have being ripped from my imagination, but either settings or characters have been directly inspired by events, real locations or people. This is very vivid with Smith’s similarities to myself.

How did it feel to see your work on stage and the audiences reaction?

An overwhelming sense of satisfaction and addicting adrenaline courses through your veins as you suddenly realise that after all the blood, sweat and tears that they have been worthwhile and that the enduring process has finally prevailed, resulting in a harmonious denouement to the entire procedure.  

Will we find out what happened to Smith and Sheila?

I certainly hope so, however I am truly uncertain as to their fates within my play as well but I will definitely attempt to eventually finish it and fulfil your expectations…