S6 Ep236: Masters Series: Alison Bell

This is a conversation Kate has been dying to have for awhile now - keen for the lowdown on The Letdown and generally a massive fan of Alison Bell's work.

Alison is the co-creator/co-writer/producer/director and star of the award winning ABC and Netflix co-production The Letdown. Together with her co-writer, Sarah Scheller, Alison won the 2016 AACTA Award for Best Television Screenplay.The Letdown also won the AACTA Award for Best Comedy Program for both seasons 1 + 2 (20017 + 2019). Alison’s performance was recognised with the AACTA for Best Comedy Performer for her work in the second season of The Letdown, her fourth performance nomination. Other nominations include the 2019 AACTA Award for Best Direction in a Television Comedy or Drama for her TV directorial debut, (The Letdown).

In 2021, Alison developed and led the writing team on the critically acclaimed Binge series, LOVE ME.. The show picked up 7 Logie nominations. She wrote and starred in an episode of Summer Love, an ABC anthology series, which aired in August 2022, and in the ABC drama, Significant Others, airing October 2022. She has worked as an assessor for Playwriting Australia, a script consultant on theatre productions and short films and has contributed pieces to Marie Claire and Vogue Australia. She’s worked with production companies both here and in the US, including Sharon Horgan’s Merman, the FX Network, Kapital Entertainment, EKO, Giant Dwarf, Wooden Horse, Endemol Shine and the ABC. Prior to making The Letdown Alison was best known for her dramatic work on the stage, for which she won multiple Helpmann and Greenroom Awards, as well as her starring role in the AACTA Award winning comedy Laid. She has guest starred in many Australian series and her US credits include the HBO’s The Leftovers, No Activity for CBS All Access and the reboot of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories on AppleTV+.

Alison is currently appearing in the MTC production of What If If Only this August and September in a double bill.

The conversation covers: 

Alison's early love of stories and when she found drama

having the mindset for an artistic career - (and a healthy acknowledgement for 'luck')

the impact of having kids on an artistic career

Alison's interview with Jemma Birrell on the excellent The Secret Life of Writers podcast where she talks about unfinished manuscripts and 'learning by doing'

the 'mini bible' used to pitch for screen

How and why The Letdown was such a success

How Alison and co-writer Sarah Scheller mined their own and their friends' experiences of motherhood for The Letdown

Becoming an 'accidental' show runner

Writing for screen 

Adapting books for screen and the disappointment when you 'miss the moment'

On guilt - (as discussed with Ash Devenport in The Design Files)

Not pushing yourself until 'you're broken' - 'it's okay to be a little bit rubbish at things'

Working with Back to Back theatre

Alison's advice: Truth. Truth is the most interesting thing. The human experience in its truest form.

Alison's debut recommendation: Room for a Stranger - Melanie Cheng

Check out show notes for this episode on our website www.thefirsttimepodcast.com or get in touch via Twitter (@thefirsttimepod) or Instagram (@thefirsttimepod).

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