Local actor and writer Linda Hampton was invited to take part as a reader for this live event hosted by The Old Electric, on a cold January night. Each year at the culmination of the annual scriptwriting course offered by The Old Electric performing arts organisation in Blackpool, participating writers are invited to show their work-in-progress to a live audience.
Six Blackpool-based writers – George Bamber, Angela Murphy, Amanda Webster, Joshua Shaw, Lyndsey Barlow and Lydia Warrilow – have been developing their stories under the guidance of Melanie Whitehead, Artistic Director of The Old Electric. She has been helping the playwrights to grow their creative ideas into scenes for the stage through a course of weekly workshops. The writers tackled a wide range of themes from the supernatural, the Stanton Prison Experiment, the pre #metoo movement, mental health issues, youth trafficking, and the threads that bind families across generations.
Last week, the writers assembled alongside invited local actors for a scratch night at the theatre at Blackpool and Fylde College, University Centre on Park Road. Melanie, with actors and writers, workshopped the scripts and prepared scenes for a live script-in-hand performance. The standard of writing across all of the playscripts was impressive, characters were well-drawn and recognisable, and the audience were gripped throughout. The Q&A after each piece was lively as the audience expressed their appreciation and offered encouraging feedback to each writer.
The icing on the cake for this year’s cohort was the opportunity to be selected for the inaugural Barbara Bramley scriptwriting award. This was presented by Ian Lamond, with whom many will be familiar, Ian being the former Education Officer for the Grand Theatre amongst other arts-based roles in Blackpool. In 2010, Ian was one of the founder members of Stage Write, which was formed with the idea of bringing together those interested in reading new works aimed at theatre, radio, TV and film. The group disbanded after some years due to other commitments, but later rediscovered the fund from regular subs sitting dormant. The group decided that an award should be created in honour of their late friend and member, Barbara Bramley, and Ian Lamond expressed their wish to award it to a participant of the Old Electric scriptwriting course.
After attending the workshops and the evening performance, Ian selected the writer, Lydia Warrilow to receive the award for her play, After Bite, based around generations of a family. She will receive a small cash prize to support her writing in the future. We can look forward with anticipation to what these emerging playwrights will produce. If I had been in the audience I know I would have been uplifted and inspired by the evening’s offerings, but to be a part of the performance as an actor/reader amongst so many creative people was energising to be immersed in this swirling pool of creativity.
Thank you to The Old Electric for once again bringing original theatre to Blackpool, and to all the writers for their creativity and crafting new ideas into being.
If you are interested in getting involved in scriptwriting, The Old Electric are hosting Write Club – monthly in-person group aimed at anyone interested in writing for the stage. Next session: Friday 6 February – Sign up here
To keep up with everything that is going on this year at The Old Electric follow them on Facebook and Instagram, or take a look at their website for all details
