The WFTS Podcast

The WFTS Podcast

By The WFTS PodcastEducation
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The WFTS Podcast episodes

  • Ep 10 - Kate Adams - The process of devised theatre

    In this episode, Stephen M Hornby and Mike Heath talk to Kate Adams: writer and director of Water Is Attracted To Water. 

    Kate talks about the process of devising the material for the script in the rehearsal room, using a range of techniques to gather and arrange a non-fictional framework for this brand new piece of theatre. She uses non-actors to create a scientific exploration of climate change, using music, movement, factuality, and research to build a performance that both challenges and charms the audience. 

    Water Is Attracted To Water is due to tour in Sheffield, Jersey, and Manchester in 2020. 

    Follow Kate on Twitter @kateadams, on Insta @KateRoseAdams, and at Facebook.com/waterisattractedtowater

    Follow Stephen @StephenMHornby (Twitter and Instagram) and @inkbrew. Follow Mike @Write4TheStage (Twitter and Instagram).  To find out more about WriteForTheStage, go to writeforthestage.co.uk

    56 min
  • Ep 9 - Stefanie Moore - The Mentoring Experience

    We talk to Stefanie Moore, writer of Blue Lines (performed at Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2019). 

    Stef applied to The Hive for a mentoring opportunity, supported by Arts Council England. Tim Firth was her appointed mentor. We talk to Stef about the experience: about the process of being mentored, as well as how to be a good mentee. 

    We talk about how to take feedback and how to develop a script from the initial idea, up until it goes live in front of an audience. 

    Presented by Mike Heath and Stephen M Hornby. For more information about WriteForTheStage, go to WriteForTheStage.co.uk. To follow Stephen on Twitter, search for @StephenMHornby and @Inkbrew.

    1 hr 8 min
  • Ep8 - In Conversation With Francesca Peschier - Dramaturgy

    We're very lucky, for this episode, to have had the opportunity to interview the Head of New Works at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. 

    Francesca Peschier is the Head of New Works at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and she shares her insights into the art of dramaturgy and how it can help draw out theme, character, and structure in playwriting. We explore the idea that  a dramaturg is an early outside eye that can be invaluable to a playwright of any experience and we discuss how she has helped me as a playwright during the development of my latest play.  

    Francesca explains how the relationship between writer and dramaturg often works, as well as the relationship with the director when she goes into the rehearsal room. 

    For more information about opportunities at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, including access to the Playwrights Programme, go to everymanplayhouse.com.

    For more information about WriteForTheStage courses, publications, and to read our blog, go to writeforthestage.co.uk.

    Thanks for listening. 

    32 min
  • Ep7 - Interview with Laura Harper, winner of WFTS Prize for New Writing
    Mike Heath speaks to Laura Harper, writer of "A Quick Guide To Ruining Your Life". The piece was performed at this year's Greater Manchester Fringe Festival and won first prize in The WriteForTheStage Prize for New Writing. Laura tells us about how she develops her ideas, how she juggles her home life with her writing, and how she develops character voices and story arc. Laura's play will be published by WFTS Books in 2020. 
    For more information about The WriteForTheStage Prize for New Writing, our courses, our publications, and to read our blog, go to writeforthestage.co.uk
    49 min
  • Ep 6 - WFTS Podcast from The Greater Manchester Fringe Festival

    We're at the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival launch during this episode, talking all things process and development with some of the artists bringing their work to this year's Greater Manchester Fringe Festival. We talk with the makers of Aussie Animal Hospice, The Book Of Now, Bypass, Boots and Braces, Bard, The Earl of Winchelsea's Brother, Revolt She Said/Revolt Again, The Joy of Cannes, Disrupted, Death of a Muse, and This Way Up. And a special interview with Meredith. 

    Details of all the shows are available at greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk. For more information about WriteForTheStage and our courses, go to writeforthestage.co.uk.

    Presenters are Stephen M Hornby (@stephenmhornby) and Mike Heath (@spikal).

    1 hr 6 min
  • Ep 5 - WFTS Podcast from Greater Manchester Fringe Festival

    WriteForTheStage are official sponsors of The Greater Manchester Fringe Festival. This year, we’re meeting the artists who are bringing their work to the festival and discussing their respective creative processes. 

    In this episode, we interview the creatives behind Tits Up; Adam, History of Man; Man Chase Women Choose; Best Girl; Kasterborous in Bolton; Skank; Big Box Aliens; Mojo. 

    For more information about WriteForTheStage, go to WriteForTheStage.co.uk. For information about the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, go to greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk

    1 hr 7 min
  • Ep 4 - WFTS Podcast from Greater Manchester Fringe Festival

    WriteForTheStage are official sponsors of The Greater Manchester Fringe Festival. This year, we’re meeting the artists who are bringing their work to the festival and discussing their respective creative processes. 

    In this episode we feature the creators of:

    My Bottom Did A Burp In Class; Our Kid; Once Upon a Time In Trieste; Is Trying Enough; Fifty & Nifty; and we talk to Jonathan Hall about winning the WFTS Prize for New Writing in 2018.

    For more information about WriteForTheStage, go to WriteForTheStage.co.uk. For information about the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, go to greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk

    38 min
  • Ep 3 - In Conversation with Rob Ward
    In this episode, Mike Heath and Stephen M Hornby interview award-winning playwright, Rob Ward. They discuss the development of Rob’s one-person and multi character shows. For more information about WriteForTheStage, our courses, our publications, or to read our blog, go to www.writeforthestage.co.uk
    1 hr 13 min
  • Ep2 - The Dramatic Question
    In this episode, we explore how to create tension and conflict, and how to get those devices to propel the action of your story. We examine the construction of The Dramatic Question - a device that helps to keep the writer on track and the audience on the edge of their seats. 
    We also introduce the first listener's challenge - to write a piece that we'll read out during a future podcast. 
    If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a rating on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people discover us. If you have a question, send us a Tweet @Write4TheStage, and follow us on Instagram for accompanying images. 
    For more information about WFTS, our courses, our publications, our support of the GMFringe Festival, The WFTS Prize for New Writing, or to read our blog, go to writeforthestage.co.uk
    11 min
  • Series 2, Episode 1 - Our writing processes
    After a three-month break, Mike and Stephen come back together to be rude to each other all over again. This week we discuss our retrospective writing processes: Mike discusses the process of taking a script through a development process with actors and feedback from the audience, and Stephen discusses working with archive material and how he gathers material in the writing of history-based plays. 
    We discuss Trainspotting Live; working with living legend, Peter Tatchell; Stephen's play, The Adhesion of Love; and how we start and develop new work from the seed of inspiration. 
    For more information about WriteForTheStage, our courses, and our blog, go to writeforthestage.co.uk.
    1 hr 1 min

About The WFTS Podcast

From the publisher's feed

WriteForTheStage is a development agency for stage writers and theatre producers: helping writers of all levels of experience to hone their skills and get to the heart of what they want to say. They've helped hundreds of writers to bring their work to stages around the UK, including major theatres in Manchester and London, at the Edinburgh Fringe, Greater Manchester Fringe, and beyond.