Christmas is coming

Hello again. Been a quiet couple of past months in which I got down to some song recording having experienced one of my dips in enthusiasm for writing theatre. Usual hassles after a tour - where's my dosh!!
Have been rehearsing with a Lonnie Donegan (gives ones' age away somewhat eh) tribute band - The Johnnie Lonegan Trio - and loving every minute of it. Playing bass is just what I needed and even the paucity of my guitar skills can manage this although I have to say that "Don't you rock me Daddio" has a very fast rolling bass which is something of a challenge but one to which I will rise. We made some preliminary recordings for marketing purposes last week and even though I say it myself they sound PDQ due in a large part to my 2 colleagues John on guitar and voice and Carl the amazing ans sympathetic drummer.
Have a few irons warm in a few fires but all awaiting comebacks. Read a piece in "Sound on Sound" by a TV music writer bemoaning the low status of the trade of
musician as far as peoducers and commissioning editors are concerned. Course this resonates loudly with me and I suspect it is exactly the same for creative artists of any genre - painting, photography, writer etc. All that seems to matter in my line of work is actors and directors the writer coming in ssomewhere behind the lighting technician. Not that I have anything but the best of appreciation for lighting guys but ikt is actually the writer who is the bedrock of the show and not the director who in almost every situation merely uses the ideas and stage directions of the writer to transform into a living experience. There is of course a skill in this but having done my fair share of directing hand on heart i can say that the creative process involved in directing pales into insignificance in terms of the conceptual and innovative process involved in the writing. In short the actors piggy back on the writer and the director piggybacks on both the writer and the actors. The producer smkikes a big fat cigar and huffs and puffs about his own creative abilities - bo***cks!
U tube video now almost finished and hope to post on time achedule mid January
Very pleased with a session I had in the week with a guy who gave me a grounding in "Cubebase" as I've been wanting to get to grips with software based recording for some time. Whether I will hibernate from my hard disk set up in the end remains to be seen but I am intending to use this method with my next project which is to make a CD recording of a particularly dramatic one act play of mine which I may have mentioned previously is based upon the Whitwick Mining Disaster of 1898 here in leicestershire.
Well enough for now -p toodloo.

hello Mr Blog

Well hello Mr. Blog - I say this greeting as no one else looks like visiting so I don't want the virtual alogerithms to get lonely, depressed or feel neglected. Am I talking about Mr. Blog or myself? Gawd knows!
Jolly old John Sergeant has lost none of his political nous - nice coupe mate. I expect that all those years rubbing shoulders with the teflon t**ts we call politicians has paid off rather handsomely. Wodner what his fee for an after dinner speech costs now?
The Eva Cassidy Story tour has now finished and we will begin the process (me and the producer) of renegotiating the about to expire performance licence. This may (will) become a little fractious but I have little doubt we will come to some accomodation at some point.
It is all rather disappointing that no one seems to pay me a virtual visit and I have set up a c omplementary blog on my space ---- site for those on the network is my space Brian B. Langtry. few tunes on there also.
Talking ot tunes have been busy writing and recording for my new "record" (still struggling with CD never mind MP3) and all progressing admirably. Been trying to dig up money to fund a CD recording of a play originally written for Radio 4 but never broadcast which tells the painful story of The Great Whitwick Pit Disaster (Whitwick is near Coalville in Leicestershire) of 1898 where 35 miners lost their lives in the County's worst mining accident. True to form nobody showing any interest so will go ahead self funding as it is a project I feel strongly about and it will give me something to do for the next 6 months.
No movement with the West End project but met with the producer 3 weeks ago and seems things are still crawling forward. Mate of mine asked me to play bass with him and his son in a Lonnie Donnegan tribute act. Should be an interesting ride on the Midnight Special all the way to The Big Grand Coolee Dam stopping off on route to Pick a Bale of Cotton and having a drink with Tom Dooley! Good stuff.
Anyway meeting an avid Eva fan tonight for a pint sao see yah soon(ish).

eureka

Well I never. Good oldRio Ferndinand (he of the "oh I forgot to go for my dope test 3 times") has now, after 3 years cogitation, arrived at the conclusion that the England soccer time sufferred in the Euro Championship as a result of the celebrity circus and 'wag' mania. Boy oh boy that's insight for you!In another 3 years maybe he'll grow a further chromosome to attach to the other pair!
Don't you just hate this celebrity (euphemism for deadbeat) stuff. Why don't we just cart them off to some deserted shore and let them get on with 'dressing each other naked', 'espousing that 'they'r worth it', and poncing around in perfectly good jeans (well at £200 a shot they should be) with the a*se ripped out.
Have spent some time joining myspace and have uploaded my first batch of songs. Am enjoying the music stuff and it's once again coming to the resue of the blight of 'playwright overload.'
Eva Cassidy Story looking great and am off to Peterborough tomorrow to catch up. It's a satisfying feeling watching something you created take place - it would now be nice to get some of the owed money off the producer though!!
Anyway onwards and upwards as they say.
toodle ooo!

it's along way to norwich

"It's a long way to Norwich" Could that just be a song title? Naah doesn't quite cut it like Tipperary does it? Rather like 'the Wolverhampton Linesman' or 'By the time i get to Swindon'. Have to keep working on that.
Eva went terrific in Norwich -1200 people on their feet at the end was a very satisfying sight. The guys did well and are as i write in the lovely island of Jersey for 3 days. Have fun guys.
Can TV get any worse i ask myself. the short answer is 'yes it can'. Everything is an imitation of the current 'big' thing. Isn't everyone p****d off with dramas about relationships going astray, dysfunctional families, 3rd rate comedy shows - thank god for the re runs of Frasier and the Simpsons - good on you Bart!
CD is coming on well and i'm recording with the very talented Tracey Dare at the weekend who is adding a duet part to a couple of numbers. I find music very therapeutic after the trials and frustrations of the theatre business. Waiting for responses from producers is like 'waiting for godo' to the power 100.
"oneactplays" going well this year after a somewhat lean 2007 and am working on launching a new site - twoactplays - to feature full length stuff aimed at the amateur market whilst retaining "leglessproductions" for the pro stuff. Also about to start filing for the u-tube video of "Big Mack" a song Johnny Cash would almost certainly have recorded were the great man still with us.
anyway almost time to get in the car and mosey on down to dorset so see yah!!

On the Road Again

Well The Eva Cassidy Story is on tour again having kicked off at Manchester Opera House Monday last and as we speak wending it's way around Scotland. Am going to see the show Monday next in Llandudno - I tend to like to see it at theatres I've never visited before - and I rather fancy a trip up The Great Orme which will be something I haven't done since I was a wee boy - well in truth I was never a wee boy having been born and raised in grow bags. My parents didn't half enjoy their gardening - only joking before you call the services to report a case of child abuse. In fact the only garden we had measured about three feet by 18 inches the pride and joy being the privet hedge my brother and I were reluctantly detailed to cut through the growing period which seemed to be 12 months of the year.
The new guitar is brilliant and I've been brushing up my jazz chords dipping into all those old standards "Bill Bailey" "Fly me to the Moon" "Blue Moon"etc...NICE!!!!!
Off to my local Am. Dram tonight to see "Whip it up" a satirical comedy by Steve Thompson. I saw the original performance starring "I don't believe it" Richard Wilson at The Bush Theatre in Shepherds Bush, We had been auditioning for my play The Billie Holiday Story" (it was where I first met Rain Pryor (daughter of comic Richard Pryor) who eventually took the role - and damn good she was too! It later transferred to The West End for a short run and rather surprisingly is now released to the amateur market. Still it's a cracker and I'm looking forward to it- my local is The Venture Theatre Ashby de la Zouch a lovely little space and not a bad pint to boot.
Well things to do so I'll say toodle ooo - sadly (no visitors) to myself. Ah well such is life. see you.

wondrous sounds

Purchased a wonderful new guitar a couple of weeks back. I've been looking for a quality hand made english instrument and came across a couple of A1 reviews for Brook Guitars. Investigation told me that the waiting time from order to delivery was 12-14 months which speaks volumes for quality but hey how can any self respeting musician (and I use the term loosely) wait for that length of time to get their hands on a collection of stuck together wooden bits which will provide hours of drooling. Not this one anyrate! The company have only 3 dealers and I visited Intersound of Dursely where I was warmly welcomed and provided with coffee and lashings of muso bon hommie. I tried 5 or 6 of the Brook models and another 4/5 of high quality alternatives but hey when those magical sound waves that are emitted from the Brook Tamar (they're made in Devon and all models are named after Devon rivers) meander around the shop and into your lugholes there's no going back, no way - handed over my hard won lukka and exited shop door grinning from ear to ear. I swear my playing has improved ninefold - joke.
In just over 10 days the rehearsals start for the next tour of my musical play "The Eva Cassidy Story" and I'm very much looking forward to that and the ensuing tour. For tour details www.theatre-productions.com Also had a productive meeting last week with a London company for an imminent deal on a new musical play for launch Aug 09 and a West End debut in early 09. Hey not bad for an old timer who's only been writing for 7 years - well someone even if its youra truly has to give me a pat on the head and a rub of the ego right?
Another piece of good news today my childhood team - as they say in Lancashire there are 2 teams in Manchester, Manchester City and Manchester City reserves(god bless their little cotton socks) scraped through their Eufa qualifier and into the tournament proper. Big stroke boys but not in the bath! Also tonight had the unfortunate experience of listening to the most doleful and boring, he of the turnip head variety, commentating on the Villa match. I used to think Mark Lawrenson was bad but stone me he is brilliant compared to this guy. He was so bad I can't at this moment in time recall his name which speaks volumes for his incompetance and my encroaching dementia!! Was it Gordon Taylor?
See ya soon.

A surprise!

Well another month or so has slipped by and I'm in the midst of tinkering and mini rewrites for the forthcoming tour of my Eva Cassidy Story which opens in Barrow -wow!- in Furness and then trundles around the U.K. and Ireland til early November. It's looking good with Faye Tozer again playing Eva but Irish songstress Rose Marie is playing Eva's mother for this- and hopefully the next tour. It's a strong line up and I'm looking forward to it particularly as all rehearsals will be in Kettering rather than than hole of a place they call our capital city. I detest London with a vengeance.
It's still looking good for my next big adventure which is a musical play set in the 60's and 70's and pencilled for a short regional tour next August and into thence into the West End. Not bad for a boy who failed 'O' level GCE English literature eh? Also submitted a I act play to a festival in Derbyshire about W.W. 1. War is hardly my favourite subject matter but I'm happy that it manages to say something about ordinary people caught up in what must have been the most terrible of situations as trench warfare decimated so many lives.
A friend rang me last night bearing a pleasant surprise. He is on a short break in Criccieth N. Wales and was muching around Cobb Records which has an international presence on the rare and strange 'vinyl' . Ploughing through the piles of albums he came across a signed copy of a Giggetty album called Tambourine - Giggetty is the folksy band I formed back in 1970 whilst running a folk club in a village called Wombourne just south of Wolverhampton - and who, in a very different, and sad, guise are still pottering around the Midlands. There was an early Beatles album for £14,Elvis stuff etc and but Tambourine (recorded completely in a single day on 4 track) was the most expensive on display at £35. My mate asked about this and was informed that it is a highly collectible album and much prized. I have been told of other albums (we recorded 5) appearing on eBay and going for around £40-£50 and I bitterly regret having dumped so many copies of these various albums due to lack of space and such like over the years. Still it was a nice little pick me up on a wet dismal summers evening.
Well that's all for now see ya!

second attempt

Here we go again! I've just spent a half hour composing an update which disappeared into into cyber space as I published it!! That's the trouble with these things, bloody frustrating.
Anyway have been struck down by 'blogblight' last couple of months as dejection set in over the lack of postings. Still let no assert that playwrights are not tenacious in the face of adversity so here we go.
The last Eva Cassidy tour was a blast on all sides - great shows, great audiences, Reta royalties (oh well 2 out of 3 ain't bad as they say")and am looking forward to rehearsals in August for what will be the 8th tour and during the 3 months it will be back in Jersey a place I never tire of visiting as it has many memories for myself and my wife. Delighted that Faye Tozer is once again playing the lead role and almost all of the previous cast have been re recruited which is always a bonus for continuity of excellence.
An exciting project for 2009 is still on track and it is on this blog that the first announcements will be made - exciting or what! Well it'll be nice for me to read anyway. If that isn't a reason to post your comments then I don't know what is! sorry slipping into the realms of fantasy again - slapped wrist.
Have had a quiet couple of months as far as writing is concerned most of my efforts having been directed at updates to the Eva script, similar attention to the script for the "exciting announcement" so mentioned above, and dealing with the workload from the 'oneactplays' website which has been doing well of late. Bought a new car - Saab 93 Vector Sport - which we are enjoying - but my driving has been extremely constrained by an arm which is so slowly getting better. This recovery helps lifting a pint pot or wine glass much easier than having to bend down to the counter and sip through a straw which is not only acutely embarrassing but extremely bad for the back. Gawd almighty what it is to be of a certain age!
Anyway lets hope I can successfully post this and , who knows, maybe someone will actually read it! Such things are dreams made of.

only the lonely

Great song great singer. It's a pity blogs wern't around when the Big O was in fine voice as this blog would have been the perfect encapsulation of the lyrical content! If this was not all in the virtual world I would swear I was needing to take more frequent showers or change my after shave balm! Still as one door closes another slams shut in your face as they say. Never mind I remain optimistic that eventually I will get a blog visitor....really I am.
Read a piece about the footballer Ian Wright bemoaning his role as a soccer pundit and feeling that he was merely the symbolic multi cultural jester and he did not intend to continue with that part of his career.He was also irate about the convential dress of his fellow pundits messrs Hanson and Lawrenceson (not sure about the spelling) and felt the whole show needed an update. Sure we could have Amy Whinehouse co-hosting with old man Pete and a bunch of fans selected by a panel of reputed experts who's only reason for appearing on such a show would be to enhance their celebrity ratings. The point is we don't need Hanson and co (although I do have a soft spot for the inoffensively bland Gary Linnaker) and we don't need some plonker of a celeb to drool spittle and alcohol as he/she launches his/her considerd opinion upon the Match of the Day viewing public. Fact is we don't need anyone - is there anyone on this planet of ours who does not immediately rach for the mute button once the so called 'analysis' commences. Yeah Alan we can see he 'splays the ball out to the right and the covering centreback is dragged out of positioon creeating........." Blah blah blah I vote we give it all to Bart Simpson - we'd get a sight more sense out of him that our expert pundits. "He pulls the ball back across the edge of the area, jinks, wrongfoots the the back player who's having a nighmare, neat little shimmy and it's in the top corner"........we've got eyes you moron we can see it on our screens!!!!!!

Do theatre critics rate below estate agents and bankers?

Answer - most definitely affirmative. Exactly what purpose do they serve other than to trot out their own home grown brand of intellectual arrogance which bears absolutely no relation to the real world serving only to oil their own insatiable self importance! I say this not from the position of having to bear the brunt of a critical review - I've always refused to read them or to allow a critic to see any of my shows unless they purchase a ticket along with everyone else. And that's a good tip to have them give you a wide berth. Some months ago there were rumblings of discontent within the theatre press - The Stage etc - about the perceived power of the critics to close shows most notably those vying for fame and fortune in the West End. From what I remember a number of organisations were pointing out - shock horror - what everyone already knew that these anachronistic critics survive by spewed a load of old b******s which is almost unilaterally at odds with the way the work was received by the audience. I've sat through shows that I and several hundred fellow audience members have thoroughly enjoyed only to hear how the write up has been an outburst of vitriol and disdain. Similarly I've sat through "art" along with 25 others all equally bored, bemused but not bothered to find the show advocated as a 'must see'! Scary or what? Anyway suffice to say that even estate agents and bankers do serve some purpose in this world we lease but theatre critics......pull the other one!!!!

back in the world of the living!

well the lurgie seems to meandered into stratosphere and things are looking brighter. I had a call from a writer yesterday asking about publication and he is sending me his work for consideration of publishing on the website. Anyone else out there in blogland interested in sending stuff check out the websites - www.leglessproductions.co.uk and www.oneactplays.org.uk I don't claim to be the next publishing phenomenon but I can at least put stuff out there in cyberspace. Sales are as you might guess unpredictable and you won't make much cash but then what playwright except those at the top of the tree worried about that. The legless site is mainly aimed at the pro market but also showcases full length work suitable for both the pro end and the amateur market and the oneactplays is aimed primarily at the societal drama groups. Did a radio broadcast last week for the Eva Cassidy show in Leicester, enjoyed it and it makes a change for the writer to be invited instead of the 'stars'! Had to duck out of a free evening in Birmingham hosted by 'The Writers Guild' due to a dodgy knee which is affecting my driving just at the moment. I don't know how many of you out there subscribe to the Guild but one of my ongoing beefs is their total neglect of the commercial end of theatre i.e. the producing houses in the unfunded world of course is where, for all of my sins, I choose to work. There's a gap out there for someone to fill so come on all you similarly minded writers lets get together and form us an association. Silly me there's already one in existence isn't there, it's called the unemployment register! Seriously though a forum on the net where us bods could meet (or virtually meet to be precise) would be 'bosting' - that is Black Country slang for 'brilliant'! Anyway now intending to rest from writing once the latest play is completed and concentrate on recording my CD for the benefit of all those grandchildren and friends out there desperately awaiting receipt of the said CD!!!! Bye for now.

one great one good!

Hi again and welcome to the magical and mundane world of the playwright. Went to catch up on my Eva Cassidy Story at Lichfield Garrick on Friday and Saturday. Friday was stunning, a perfect performance and true harmonisation of sound, acting and technical bits - the only whinge I still have relates to some detail in costuming. Saturday was an excellent performance again by the cast - the lead male Reuben has grown into the role superbly and the whole ensemble exudes a focus and energy alongside a belief which together produces a sparkling and electric audience experience. Well done guys and see you again in the near future.
I've had a tough few weeks being struck down by a wave of lurgie which has befuddled my brain (I do realise that such a state is not a too challenging task to achieve) and rendered my ability to write to linger in a morass of lacklustre creative instincts. It's also left me feeling excessively tired in a way that is the equivalent of being permanently hungover. Am now slowly emerging and have some considerable stuff to catch up on so, fingers crossed, am in for a busy 2/3 weeks or so.
Had coffee this morning with two old and gracious friends of mine also still in the entertainment business and always with a thousand bogglingly funny anecdotes to tell. If you're around the Midlands and ever see a billboard sporting the name "Dandy" drop everything and make sure you catch the gig. Unquestionably the funniest act within 50 miles of Birmingham and likely much farther. Why they're not a household name remains one of those ridiculously stupid conundrums which are too painful to ponder.
I expect Eva fans will know that the film of her life story is in pre-production with an American company headed by the daughter of Robert Redford. Lets all hope that it comes to fruition (only something like 5% of films which enter pre-production ever make it to celluloid - God that's give my age away in this digital age) and can thus bring Eva's music to a so far completely deaf American audience to whom her name means zilch. The Eva show producer and I went to Washington a few years ago to meet up with people who had known her. We went to a small town called Bowie where she spend the majority of her pre and teenage years and narry a soul had ever heard of her. When you mention the U.K. and Europe phenomena they smile politely muttering "Gee is that right, well have a nice day and thank you for asking." Even at her old secondary school -The Robert Goddard School- we could only find an administrator and a teacher who remembered her and there is not a single refernce to her anywhere within the establishment. This is kind of odd as American schools usually hook into the most minor of old pupil's achievements like flies to s*** creating exotic and reverent homages for all to see. Weird! Incidentally the teacher I mentioned was in fact an old friend of Eva and played with her in several bands. Sadly he did not wish to talk to us but that whole scenario is a blog for another day - or year!!

Question - Before the programme starts how can you know 'who dun it' in any of today's detective flicks?
Answer - Check out who's the most famous guest co star and you'll have your answer. It never fails!
See you soon.

tedious times

Well it's Wednesday. Oh good there is something to celebrate after all. It's been a boring week suffering from the granddaddy of all colds and getting through toilet roll tissues at an alarming rate and sporting the reddest of Rudolph noses.
Does anyone have any tips as to how to encourage birds into the garden? I write in an extension which overlooks our garden and 2 months ago in a fit of gleeful expectation I installed a triple bird feeder along with a highly visible row of fat balls hanging nonchalently, nay provocatively, from the blossom tree. The total of bird visits to date is 4 and even the 12 foot multi colour arrow and advert I put up on the roof seems to be of no avail.
Am hoping to finish off the play am writing with Richard Parkes but brain so fogged it's going to have to wait til more creative thought processes are available. We have high hopes for the work but who knows!
Hoping to catch Eva Cassidy Story at Buxton Opera House and Lichfield Garrick next week - my local theatres so friends have been comandeered!
Loreto Murray who is a lovely person, actor and singer, played the role of Eva Cassidy in the first 2004 tour of the show, She is 'Running for Life' in aid of cancer research and looking for sponsors. Loreto lost a friend to cancer last year and is wanting to raise as much sponsorship as possible. Anyone interested in sponsoring this incredibly worthy cause post me a note or email me at brian@langtry.fslife.co.uk and I'll pass on relevant information.
Anyway brain now well and truly fogged so sign off time has arrived. Keep writing and keep smiling (at helps when trying to keep smiling to picture a prostrate producer across a medievil wrack and you smirkingly tweaking the mechanism.)

eva cassidy story

Went off to Liverpool yesterday to see how my "Over the Rainbow The Eva Cassidy Story" was bedding after 2 weeks on the road. Cracking night everyone on top form with 1000 people in. Good sound and strong playing from the cast. This is I think the 6th U.K./Ireland tour and the momentum continues to gather. With regard to this I must record the tenacity and vision of the producer Stephen Leatherland who undertook to produce the show back in 04 and has stuck with it. Good on yu Stephen!
Enjoyed a wander around the 'pool stoppping off at the Cavern, The Beatles Museum, Albert Dock and popped into The Everyman to chat about future producing possibilities. All in all a good day. I do wonder about city centre eating though - every time I visit a new place to catch a show it's a bit of a nightmare trying to find a centre pub with a half decent menu - have Weatherspoon clones taken over the World? Fine if you wanr burgers, fish and chips, steak pie etc but why oh why does every flaming pub have the same menu. Is this a conspiracy?
Well have to get down to some recording over the next week to move my new CD forward - just for friends and family consumption but nonetheless still serious stuff - can't have the grandchildren thinking they're th only ones who understand music! Somehow I doubt the latter will have much of an impact on them.

Eva launch

Well Wednesday saw the launch of the new 'Eva Cassidy Story' show at The New Theatre Hull - and a very fine theatre it is too except that they sadly no longer do pre- show meals. Still 'The Theatre Coffee Bar and Cafe' (think more greasy than chic) around the corner served up a veritable mouth watering steak pie.
The show went exceptionally well with everyone on form and only a couple of minor technical glitches which would have passed unnoticed by the audience - I hope!
Eva's drummer Raice McLeod had flown over to play in the show on the Saturday a special celebration as it would have been Eva's 44th birthday. Anyone interested in seeing the show, now in Scotland, can find details on www.theatre-productions.com - follow links to Eva Cassidy.
Stayed at The Camponile Motel which was clean, efficient and had all the necessities with a decent breakfast. The only fly in the ointment was the pub adjoining the car park which played mindless four to the bar kick drum (can this really be called dance "music"?) until about 2.30 a.m. The only counter balance to this pointless drivel were the cheers and whoops of the enthusiatic outside smokers as they encouraged the eager copulating couples who must have been the floor (or would that be table) show?
Anyway time to get the tea sorted so off to the kitchen to rustle up a succulent fish pie and fresh vegetables. Lovely jubbly!

short changed!!!!

well it's saturday the 26th and part payment of monies owed arrived in the post!! this is so tedious - I wonder how many others there are out there who experience similar problems with production companies? let me know.
the eva cassidy tour kicks off next week which i'm looking forward to and have just completed the usual last minute re-writes and mailed them off to the rehearsal rooms at the premises in hackney. funny how after 6 tours i'm still rewriting stuff but heck it' keeps the grey cells turning. now to concentrate on 'tilly girls' the new play written with my mate rich parkes so the phone is going to get warm over the next month ringing potential producing companies.

todays controversial question - how many producers does it take to mend the central heating? answer: none they produce sufficient hot air not to have to mend the system!

hi it's Wednesday 24th Jan. Am getting irritated as I continue to wait for owed royalties from a production company - this has been promised since Sept. 07 and I've lost count of the number of phone calls and "I'll sort it" responses!!!
On a more positive note I've just signed off a new one act play which I'm intending to put into the risky world of a theatre competition and will sign off this within the next week or so an exciting new comedy co-written with my collaborative friend Rich Parkes. Hoping to find a home for it with a producer but who knows. One thing's for sure it's a damn sight easier to write them than place them.
Off to Hull next week for the opening of the 6th Eva Cassidy tour so will be popping in on the show over the next 3 months to keep an eye on things. Further tour details
www.theatre-production.com and follow the links to Eva Cassidy. A truly magnificent singer and it would be crass to say that there is a singer alive who get display the eclecticism, power, voice control, creative song arranging and versatility but I have to say ex Steps vocalist Faye Tozer who is starring in the role does a truly fantastic job.

Also wondering if any playwrights around Leicestershire would be interested in meeting up for some stimulating conversation and even more stimulating beer???

playwright page

Hi,
I've been writing for theatre for some 10 years having taken up the scribe after a serious illness that rendered it impossible for me to continue my part time gigging music career (I use 'career' here in it's broadest sense). I work in the field of commercial theatre and host 2 publishing sites - www.leglessproductions.co.uk and www.oneactplays.org.uk aimed at giving new writers an outlet for their work.
Recent successes - "Over the Rainbow - The Eva Cassidy Story" about to start it's 6th national and European tour (opening Hull New Theatre 30th Jan. 08) and "The Billie Holiday Story" co-written with my friend Len Holden, two national and Europe tours in 2007. Fingers crossed new musical coming out (planned for West End) October 08 and a comedy to tour Feb 09.
I'm interested in getting discussion, hints, swapping ideas, possible collaborative offers, tips, moans and groans, making links and hearing from others who struggle in this artistic format.

First provocative question - is the title 'producer' a euphemism for Arthur Daley? Come on now gimmee, gimmee, gimmee!!

Second provocative question - funded theatre is full of arty up your backside types? Ooops I sense raised hackles at this!!
Come on now make this blog "the must post it site"......I'm waiting.