Archive for June, 2010

People’s Play Award

Pig stew stage playMy play, Pig Stew, has just won The People’s Play Award. Three sisters inherit a pig farm in Northumberland and are targeted by a conman. Take one dash of greed, a good dose of unforgiveness and a hint of cannibalism and you have a great recipe for drama. The bi-annual award is sponsored by New Writing North and the People’s Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne. As well as a nice cheque, the prize includes a full production of Pig Stew in November 2010. It will be directed by Sarah McClane of the People’s Theatre.  Previous winners of the award include Peter Straughan who most recently penned the screenplay for Men Who Stare at Goats (starring George Clooney), playwright Carina Rodney (Pub Quiz) and of course my co-director and producer of The Last of the Gypsy Royals Tony Glover.

New website for Gypsy Royals

I’ve just launched a new website for my documentary, ‘The Last of the Gypsy Royals’. You can follow the making of the documentary from page to screen on www.gypsyroyals.com as well as just getting to know the descendents of this most unusual royal family who frequently drop in to visit. See you there!

The Last of the Gypsy Royals Documentary

I am giving a talk on Saturday 19 June at the Literary and Philosophical Society in Newcastle on the making of the documentary ‘The Last of the Gypsy Royals.’ The talk starts at 11am and all are welcome. This will form part of a broader North East Screenwriters’ meeting. I’m working together with producer Tony Glover to produce a 60-minute film about the descendents of the so-called Gypsy Royal Family of Yetholm and their gathering at a reunion this July. Up until now, the family have been ‘meeting’ up on one of my other websites in response to an article I wrote on their colourful ancestors. To read this article or join in the discussion visit The Last of the Gypsy Royals