The second programme in the 2012 season on Wednesday May 30 was a double bill of two short pieces.
To Have Never Loved, by Rachel Marsh, is set in an academic conference, although the characters have other things on their minds! Rachel describes the piece as using an experimental format. She was looking for audience reactions before going into another and final rewrite.
Too Many Cooks, by Gary Bottoms, took us on a journey back through time. It’s sci-fi, but not as we know it! This script had never had a proper public airing. Gary was keen to get both positive and negative audience feedback, as he considers both essential for the further development of the work.
The audience had the option of watching rehearsals of both pieces before attending the performed readings and discussing the plays with the writers and actors.
Both writers found this discussion very useful, particularly in the way it raised some unexpected questions. A number of people commented on how noticeable an improvement was delivered by the final performed readings. Again, the hard work put in by the directors and actors led to a stimulating and rewarding evening.
Rachel Marsh
Rachel Marsh
A native of Louisiana, Rachel moved to Scotland a number of years ago. She has academic qualifications in English literature and creative writing, and she has held several teaching positions in this field in Colorado and Scotland. In the world of publishing she has worked as a critic and editor. Two of Rachel’s most recent short short story publications include The Day the Women Disappeared, in the anthology Almost an Island (2010), and Cracks in the Cubicle Walls, a Shortbread Stories audio podcast (2009).
Gary Bottoms
Gary Bottoms
Born in Dundee, Gary is a photographer, screenwriter and filmmaker. Gary’s most recent collaborative work, What Goes Round, was an entry in Virgin Media Shorts Film Festival. In addition to Too Many Cooks, Gary is working on a romantic comedy Hating Loving You and a science fiction screenplay for television, The Hourglass Ark.