The Writer's Toolkit

In this episode of The Writer’s Toolkit Podcast, we delve into the dynamic world of self-producing theatre and the vital collaboration between playwrights and venues. Paul is joined by two special guests: Sharon Willems, Artistic Director of Barons Court Theatre in West London, and Christopher Leiberman, the writer/performer behind the play Bunny Man. Sharon shares her passion for supporting early-career writers and artists, discussing what sets Barons Court Theatre apart and their commitment to fostering new talent. Christopher provides a firsthand account of his journey in self-producing, offering wisdom and encouragement to playwrights seeking to bring their own work to life.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Sharon

• Visit Barons Court Theatre’s website
• Details of The Sunday Fix scratch night at Barons Court
• Follow Barons Court Theatre on Instagram @baronscourtw14

Connect with Christopher

• Buy tickets for Bunny Man at Bitesize Festival (July 2024)
• Follow Christopher on Instagram @lieberman.christopher

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode of The Writer’s Toolkit Podcast, we explore the benefits of engaging a dramaturg in the development of new writing with special guest, Script Consultant and Dramaturg, Allison Horsley. With an impressive background that spans American regional theatres and Broadway musicals like Jersey Boys and Doctor Zhivago, plus her work with the translation of Chekhov's major plays, Allison’s insights are invaluable. She is also the co-author of Writing Adaptations and Translations for the Stage. Join us as we explore how dramaturgy can elevate new writing and provide crucial support for playwrights.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Allison

• Visit Allison's website www.allisonhorsley.com
• Buy Allison's book, Writing Adaptations and Translations for the Stage
• Listen to Allison's podcast, Play: Notes
• Follow Allison on Instagram @horsleyallison

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode, we dive into the magical world of London’s pub theatres—vital stages for new writing in the UK. We explore how these intimate spaces support emerging talent and connect directly with audiences with insights from Heather Jeffery, editor of LondonPubTheatres.com, and Jonathan Blakeley, a writer and performer who self-produced his play "Stitches" at the Hope Theatre in February 2024. So grab a drink, and let's head up the creaking staircase and celebrate the spirit of creativity and community that makes pub theatres the lifeblood of British theatre.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Jonathan

• Follow Jonathan on X @blakeleyjono
• Follow Jonathan on Instagram @blakeleyjono

Connect with Heather

• Visit the London Pub Theatres website
• Follow Heather & LPT on X @pubtheatres1
• Follow Heather & LPT on Instagram @pubtheatres1

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode of The Writer's Toolkit podcast, we're exploring play readings, delving into both traditional theatre settings and the evolving landscape of digital platforms. Paul is joined by special guests Mimi Collins, the UK Artistic Director of Bespoke Plays, a company committed to providing tailored staged readings for playwrights, and Rachel Lynett, a playwright who has boldly pioneered live play readings via Zoom, seizing control of how their work reaches audiences.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Mimi Collins and Bespoke Plays

• Visit The Bespoke Plays website
• Connect with Bespoke Plays on Instagram @BespokePlays
• Connect with Mimi on Instagram @mimi.collins288

Connect with Rachel Lynett

• Visit Rachel's website
• Discover Rachel’s work at NPX

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

Season 3 of The Writer's Toolkit podcast kicks off with a new focus: empowering playwrights to take control of their creative journeys and find innovative ways to share their work with audiences. In this episode, we shine a spotlight on The Camden Fringe, a London festival known for its accessibility and support of new plays. Paul talks to the co-directors of the festival, Michelle Flower and Zena Barrie, about its success and vision, and we hear from theatre makers Pavan J Singh and Valeria Suaste, who share their experiences bringing their plays to Camden in August.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Zena, Michelle & The Camden Fringe

• Visit The Camden Fringe website
• Connect on Instagram @TheCamdenFringe

Connect with Pavan J Singh

• Tickets for Refuge
• Connect on Instagram @PavanTheActor

Connect with Valeria Suaste

• Tickets for Nymphomaniac Anonymous
• Connect on Instagram @Purpleteporingo

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

Hey Writers! The Writer’s Toolkit Podcast is returning very soon with a brand new batch of episodes! Be sure to like, subscribe and follow to be notified when new episodes are published. 

In the meantime, here's a round-up of top tips for maintaining a healthy writing practice from the guests featured in the second season, including Simon Stephens, Andrea Scott, Nick Green, Shannan E. Johnson, and Hilary Bell.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode, I chat with Australian playwright Hilary Bell. Ahead of the opening of her brand-new version of A Christmas Carol, Hilary shares her tips for writing an adaptation and talks about her modern-day treatment of Dickens' immortal classic. We also discuss the use of puppetry in Hilary's chilling play, Splinter, and Summer of Harold, three stories that intertwine to take us on a hilarious, poignant and magical journey at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre in September 2023.

“I've always looked for different ways to collaborate. I find it so inspiring working with people from different aspects of theatre-making, and seeing what happens when we all bring our ideas together.” - Hilary Bell

Connect with Hilary

• Visit Hilary’s website
• Visit the 7-On blog
• Book tickets for A Christmas Carol at Ensemble Theatre
• Hilary's plays at Currency Press

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode, I meet Shannan E. Johnson, a former Creative Executive at The Syfy Channel / NBCU, who is making waves in Los Angeles as Script Consultant and Screenwriter. We talk about Shannan’s company, The Professional Pen - a writer-centered one-stop shop that aims to develop writers and their ideas. We also chat about Truffle Sauce, Shannan’s poignant short film, now streaming on Blavity. 

“If you build the writer, then the content will come” - Shannan E. Johnson

Connect with Shannan

• Visit Shannan’s website
• Connect on Instagram @shannanejohnson
• Connect on Instagram @theprofessionalpen
• Connect on Twitter @shannanejohnson
• Watch Truffle Sauce on Blavity
• Watch Shannan on Film Courage

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode, I meet Andrea Scott and Nick Green, the playwrights behind Every Day She Rose, a bracing play that exists where racial and queer politics collide. The fractured love story is set against the backdrop of the 2016 Toronto Pride parade, where celebrations are brought to a standstill by Black Lives Matter protestors. Now best friends Mark, a white gay man, and Cathy-Ann, his straight black girlfriend are about to discover that the things that brought them together could be the very things that will drive them apart. 

“Nick Green and Andrea Scott are two of the most exciting voices in Canadian theatre.” - Now Magazine, Toronto.

Connect with Andrea

• Visit Andrea’s website
• Connect on Instagram @andreammscott
• Connect on Twitter @andreammscott
• Andrea’s published plays at Playwrights Canada Press
• Andrea’s published plays at Scirocco Drama

Connect with Nick

• Visit Nick’s website
• Connect on Instagram @ngreen4321
• Connect on Twitter @NicholasGee
• Nick’s published plays at Playwrights Canada Press

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode, I return home to England to visit the writing room of one of our best-loved playwrights, Simon Stephens.

Simon is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which enjoyed acclaim in the West End and on Broadway, winning Best New Play at both the Olivier’s in 2013 and the Tony’s in 2015. Time Magazine called the play ‘life-affirming' and 'unmissable’, - evidenced by the 5 Tony Awards, 6 Drama Desk Awards and 7 Olivier Awards the play collected.

Words of Wisdom

"Make sure when you write a play you've read it from the point of view of each of your characters, so you chart their psychological and emotional journey individually so that it's all cogent, all makes sense, and has a sense of movement and progression". - Simon Stephens.

Discover Simon's work

• Simon's plays at Drama Online
• Simon Stephens: A Working Diary

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch