For the longest time it's been about the words.
Where you take them.
Where they take you.
For the longest time it's been about the words.
Where you take them.
Where they take you.
But I write too much.
That's okay, because I really like writing. And I'm good at it.
16 published books. 20 short films in 20 weeks during the Lockdown. 4 years of performing at the Edinburgh Fringe. 8 Spoken Word Shows. Several plays both long & short. Various articles. A couple of podcasts in development. A website advocating men's mental health. And countless random phrases scribbled on Post-It Notes in the hope they'll turn into something.
If there is a plan, it's been 'Everything, In Every Direction, All At The Same Time'. Which is a stupid plan. It's not a way to make a living. But it is a way to live. And I only decided on Creative Maverick because Creative Genius would sound way too egotistical.
What I'm writing now.
1. A play called 'FLOOD' – A comedy set 5000 years ago. And last Wednesday.
2. A podcast called '52 Imaginary Jobs'. It's about jobs that aren't real, but maybe should be. e.g. Hipster Whisperer.
3. A project called 'My Father was a great artist. I think his work should be better known'. Because he was. And I do.
4. A Spoken Word show called 'Comments For This Life Have Been Turned Off'. It's about being judged.
5. Whatever you might need a Creative Maverick to get involved with. If you've got something in mind, let's talk.
What I've Written Before.
For a while I wrote books.
It started with 'The Little Book Of Stress'. That sold over half a million copies. Fifteen other books followed. By end I had sales of over a million books. But what can I tell you, I've got a big family.
Other titles included: 'The Little Book Of Wrong Shui', ' The Stocking Filler', 'The Retox Diet' ,'The Autobiography Of A One Year Old', 'Viva Cha!', 'Rules Britannia – The 101 Essential Questions oF Britishness Answered', 'The Curious Incident Of The WMD In Iraq' and 'Picklehead'.
The Iraq book is a surprisingly accurate satire on why this country went to war, that Tony Benn gave the thumbs up to. Helen Fielding called the book about the one-year-old 'Hilarious'. And 'Picklehead' - which combines a family memoir with the history of curry in Britain – got a 'Sharply funny' from The Times.
My favourite book is 'The Stocking Filler'. No-one bought it.
Then I diversified.
Spoken Word Shows
20 Films. In 20 Weeks. In 2020.
20 Films. In 20 Weeks. In 2020.
It started with a piece called 'How I Said Fuck You To The Company When They Tried To Make Me Redundant'. I took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. It worked. The audiences loved it. I wrote more. And performed more. And learned that I liked being in a room full of people. Making them laugh, think & perhaps even feel something.
20 Films. In 20 Weeks. In 2020.
20 Films. In 20 Weeks. In 2020.
20 Films. In 20 Weeks. In 2020.
So the world shuts down just as I'm about to start rehearsing a play with two actors. All their work disappears. And at the start there's no support from anyone. So I decided to start The Lockdown Theatre Company and pay actors £200 a time to film short monologues I've written. In the end, despite the lockdown limitations, we make 20 films in 20 weeks.
Plays
20 Films. In 20 Weeks. In 2020.
Audio drama
'Seven Year, Seven Messages' is a love story told via seven answer machine messages. 'FLOOD' is a comedy about Noah, God & impending oblivion. 'BOX' is a one-woman show about boxing. And boxes. And 'Occupy Mars!' is what happens when Elon Musk lands on the red planet and gets stopped by immigration.
Audio drama
A Men's Mental Health Website
Audio drama
Having written short monologues I thought I'd go one better – scripts for two voices. In one a woman is rung up by her phone. In another Chekhov is career-coached by his muse. And then there's 'When Penis Met Vagina' – a Harry/Sally conversation conducted by genitals.
Podcastery
A Men's Mental Health Website
A Men's Mental Health Website
A new platform I'm exploring. Still a bit early days. Two ideas in the pipeline.1.'52 Imaginary Jobs' – about jobs that aren't real, but maybe should be. 2. 'Ros & Gil. Reborn.' – A couple of renegade Shakespeare characters trying to understand 'it all'. Or at least some of it.
A Men's Mental Health Website
A Men's Mental Health Website
A Men's Mental Health Website
Working on a fund-raising show for young people's mental health with schoolmates I realised that men's mental health is also a big issue. And we're crap at talking . So much easier to bury our heads in the sand. So I build a Mental Wellth website that pitches a more bloke-friendly way in.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, The Lockdown Theatre Company wouldn't have happened without the ridiculously talented Kat Kleve. If you ever get the chance to work with her, seize it.
My Spoken Word shows are about where the words can take you.
the one about redundancy
When the books stopped selling I went back to adland. Not very interesting work, but secure. Until it wasn't. I was called into a meeting room and told I was being fired. I decided to fight back. "How I Said 'Fuck You' To The Company When They Tried To Make Me Reduntant" is the story of that fight. I took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. And it really connected with the audience. At which point I decided maybe I should do more Spoken Word shows.
The Form
It's incredibly simple. I sit at a table with a pile of papers and read out what I've written on them. It only works if the words are interesting and if they connect with people. I want people to laugh, think, and maybe even feel something. Most of the time it works.
the one about love songs
the one about love songs
'What Listening To 10,000 Love Songs Has Taught Me About Love' is about love, love songs, and how we all lead lives with our own personal soundtracks. This show features actual records, and a Dansette record player. Plus music by Blondie, Soft Cell, The Beatles and Ian Dury. And it has been know to leave the audience members in tears. But it's okay, because they're good tears. .
the one about haircuts
the one about selling books
the one about love songs
I really like doing shows in unusual spaces. So I've performed in a meat shop, a 1930s council chamber, an optometrists, a solicitors foyer, a boardroom and a gym. One day I walked past my local barber's and thought that might work. So I wrote a piece about a haircuts. And put it on in that barbers, Then took 'The Last Man Cave' to the Fringe. (Which works as a gag).
the one about selling books
the one about selling books
the one about selling books
'How To Sell A Million Books. And Then How Not To.' is a wry reflection on the short journey from being a best-selling author to being dropped by your agent. I could tell you more, but it's too painful. But it's such a relief not having to go into bookshops any more to sneakily rearrange the displays.
the one about being judged
the one about selling books
the one about selling books
'All my life I've been judged. If you can relate to this there might be something in this for you. If you can't, you're lying' is how 'Comments For This Life Have Been Turned Off' starts. It's a new piece, only performed it once so far, but it did resonate quite deeply with the audience. And I love how the silence in the room changes when people are really listening.