I had such an enjoyable day seeing my play ALAN HAS LEFT THE CHAT take to the stage at The Cut theatre as part of INK Festival 2024. Following a long, coffee-fuelled drive to the incredibly pretty market town of Halesworth in Suffolk, I arrived in the nick of time to see the professional debut of my play as part of Pod 6 - a curated set of four short plays performed by the same actors in a seamless one-hour show.
Expertly directed by the delightful Sally Broatch, the play drew many laughs - and at least one loud gasp - which is always a thrill to experience as a writer, especially nestled amongst the audience in such an intimate venue as The Cut. Actors Joe McArdle, Julian Harries and Charlotte Parry (playing characters Stuart, Alan and Helen respectively) are a first-class ensemble, and the quality of the acting was evident throughout the peformance, skilfully lifting each piece from the page to create four unique and captivating dramatic worlds. As a writer for the stage, your primary ambition is that a planned production does the script justice, and your secret hope is that it will elevate it beyond your own vision to deliver something truly special. Thank you to Team Alan: INK edition for achieving just that.
To be selected from over a thousand script entries and make the final selection for this jewel of the UK arts calendar has been hugely exciting. My thanks to Artistic Director Julia Sowerbutts, Associate Director Jane Zarins, Assistant Festival Manager Tor Stewart, Administrator Lena Joffe and all of the INK Festival team for their help and support.
The festival runs until Sunday April 14th, and I very much hope to be able to share performance pictures of the run soon!