Back to Mark Wheeller's front page

Wheellerplays October News

Ziggy’s Band

I have changed the title of THE STARS LOOK DIFFERENT TODA-AY… so it is now ZIGGY’S BAND… I’m toying with the idea of having (We Were) in the title as well.  Also, now the shape of the play is almost finalised I have been able to update the synopsis that appears on my plays page.  Danny Sturrock has also completed the first version of the ZIGGY’S BAND poster… I include a picture of it here for your interest.

Synopsis: (We Were) Ziggy’s Band is a new play set against the backdrop of Bowie's early 70s music and charts the life of a Ziggy era David Bowie fan.

It wasn't only the Spiders from Mars who were Ziggy's band... thousands of teenagers around Britain in the early 1970’s were Ziggy’s band of followers too... I was one of them!  I have used this play as an opportunity to both share my enthusiasm for this era of Bowie’s (master) work and imagine what would have happened if my idea for a glam-rock group, Eed Sud and The Luminous Earwigs (and all the mad concepts I had for them) had actually come to be!  So, although autobiographical to an extent... in that I was a David Bowie fan in the early seventies… and did have some mad ideas… it is fictional… because my ideas never came to pass!!!  The story focuses on Shakey Threwer (party that lasted all night), the person I might have been, had I had the courage, and had my friends in Thornbury, Bristol, been stupid enough to go along with my off the wall ideas!

Shakey Threwer, as an adult is performing as David Bowie, in a modern day TV 70s special tribute competition.   He remains blissfully unaware of the chaos that will follow the announcement of the resultant winner, and as he awaits this announcement, he reflects on his teenage years.

In his childhood, following his discovery of David Bowie (anecdotally documented throughout the “story” of the play) Shakey develops ambitions to become a rock star. Together with his best friend, Billy Porter (You didn’t tell me that I needed a gun… see what happens at the end of the play!!!), he forms The Luminous Earwigs and prepares to perform a strange new Rock Opera.  Shakey firmly believes this will lead them to instant fame and fortune. However their rival, Jim, is equally determined to destroy their dreams.  The Luminous Earwigs’ performance of their strange new Rock Opera is set for July 4^th 1973.  Would they be able overcome the evil Jim?  Will the events at the Hammersmith Odeon the previous evening overshadow their efforts?  Should he British record-buying/concert-attending public ever be exposed to such a strange, and frankly… silly Rock Opera? I don’t even dare tell you what’s that about… oh go on then… o alright then… but promise you won’t laugh… ready?  My rock opera is about a monk… yes a monk… but that’s not all… this monk had… wait for it…  halitosis… yeh bad breath… amazing eh?

This comic play is ideal for any theatre group with members who are fans of the early seventies music scene and particularly that of David Bowie and his alter ego… Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

It will, I believe, be a unique school production, with fantastic opportunities.  It will appeal to (older!!!) teachers and parents (who will of course form the audience… how nice to have a school show parents will enjoy!!!) and serve to introduce school students to such fantastic music!

ZIGGY’S BAND will now be premiered at the Oaklands Theatre in Southampton on the 3^rd February and will run until the 5^th.  We will then see how the reviews are… and, if successful will look towards fundraising to take the production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival… but probably not until 2006!

Professional Tours.

I am delighted to report that more of my plays than ever before are now out on the road and touring to a school near you! 

Ape Theatre Company are touring both Too Much Punch For Judy and Legal Weapon. Punch is now in is 18^th year of consecutive touring… it must be up there in the record books alongside the Mousetrap… whoever complies these records just needs to know about it!  Punch has to be the world longest running TIE touring production!!!  Thanks Ape… and wow… amazing! 

Ape’s work can be seen on their web site

http://www.apetheatrecompany.co.uk/

I still remember the first performances in a 30 seat Drama Studio (kitted out with lights from the ticket money we made from Race To Be Seen) in Epping!  I think we sold out… but only just!

Legal Weapon is also touring across Scotland organised by the Scottish Road Safety people, who are also planning a web site link with games and all sorts linked to the play.  This link will, in time take you to this resource.  http://www.dontriskit.org/education/secondary/legal_weapon.asp

StopWatch Theatre Company are (still) touring Why Did the Chicken?, which has now overtaken Punch as my most performed play each year… and is fast catching it up as my most performed play… ever!  Thanks to them… and well done for securing all those bookings!  Amazing!  StopWatch also have a new website up and running where you can see all of there work

http://www.stopwatchtheatre.com/

They are currently in discussions with various interested parties and are hoping to tour Arson About sometime in the future… here’s hoping!

Two Companies are touring The Gate Escape. Brendon Burns’ new Company, Solent People’s Theatre, are touring it to schools in Hampshire, Southampton (yes they’re coming to our school!!!) and Portsmouth.  The Act Venture In Theatre Company are touring it to schools in Kent!   I believe a third company are planning to tour it into Essex/Herts Schools early in 2005.  Act Venture are also hoping to tour Hard To Swallow in 2005… what a year that should be!.

Arson About

Has moved up the chart this quarter due to exceptional sales figures reported from Nelson Thornes. Tanks to all those who have bought it.  Reactions I have heard have been really good.  Even though it seems the series is marketed for Key Stage 3 I think the play is best suited for Years 9, 10 & 11.

Arson About can be ordered (or in the UK be “inspected” without commitment).  The page on the Nelson Thornes site is:

www.nelsonthornes.com/stoic/PA_displaybook.pr_mainbook2?p_product_id=6411947

It is also available on Amazon, as are all my plays, if you search “Mark Wheeller” spelt with two l’s.

Missing Dan Nolan.

By all accounts the Grassy Knoll production of  this went really well… there is a page on their site dedicated to the production with some superb images and soon some directors notes which I too look forward to reading!

http://www.grassy-knoll.co.uk

Click on Past Productions and the first option is Missing Dan Nolan.

An increasing number of people are using this play as their study text fro GCSE Paper 1 Unit 2 in the Edexcel syllabus.

Chunnel Of Love

The availability of this through Paypal payments seems to have revived interest in this play… so thanks to all those who have followed this up.   Details of how Paypal works can be found on www.paypal.co.uk or www.paypal.com though I think the uk one is what you should go for!  It is effectively a way of paying online without revealing your details… you would pay into my email account.

A UK publisher is now reading Chunnel with a view to perhaps publishing it (after 13 years!) and making it available on line… more on this as soon as I hear what their decision is!  If you hear nothing more… assume they didn’t like it!

Gagging For it

Danny’s new play is due out in January.  One of my jobs today is to read through the version he is submitting to dbda to print. I have already drafted out an introduction to this play, which will, I believe become a classic GCSE script.  The group who performed it at our school this year all got A*’s and A’s… and they weren’t expecting to do quite that well… so do watch out for Gagging For it.  

Keynote Course

I am offering a further course for Keynote Educational based on the study and performances of my plays. 

WHEELLERPLAYS, GCSE AND THE SCHOOL PRODUCTION: WORKING WITH THE PLAYWRIGHT

MANCHESTER: The Marriott Airport Hotel: Tuesday 18 January 2005
LONDON: The Thistle Kensington Palace Hotel: Wednesday 26 January 2005

This new course is designed for Drama teachers who have or intend to use Mark Wheeller’s plays (e.g. Too Much Punch For Judy, Hard To Swallow, Wacky Soap) as study texts or performance pieces for GCSE drama courses/School/Youth Theatre productions.  This is a unique opportunity to see how the creator of these plays works with them in the context of GCSE examinations and School Productions.

The course will demonstrate a range of practical work which will enable teachers to support students in these plays as they approach their exam/production.  It will also be “fun” … undertaken for the fun of doing it seriously.  There will be a variety of easy to adopt strategies/techniques which teachers can adopt or adapt for use with students to assist them with stylistically rich presentations (devised or otherwise).

Wheellerplays June News Supplement:

Just to let you know that my new chart is out... I forgot to do it at the start of the month due to the excitement of the premiere of Arson About which was amazing... thanks Paul & you guys at Westgate!!!! 

The main changes are The Gate Escape climbs to number 2 reflecting how well it has done in it's first few months on sale. Arson climbs to number 6 due to it's performances and launch workshop by Andy Kempe... an excellent morning by the way full of ideas on how to introduce this play to a class... thanks Andy!

Sadly Absurd Xmas inexplicably falls to the bottom of the chart... what is going on there... it's one of my faves... and I still maintain it is a jewel waiting to be discovered... why not check it out?

See you...

Mark

Wheellerplays June News

Arson About

Thanks Paul Mills (Director) and the cast from Westgate School in Winchester.  You gave this play a wonderful (kick) start in life last week when it was premiered at the Winchester Theatre Royal.  The performances I saw on Wednesday and Friday evening were really outstanding.  The cast gave it their all.   Polly, who played the pivotal role of Molly was outstanding and inspired the cast to perform at a standard one would have thought impossible for such a large young cast.  On the Friday performance they were utterly outstanding… the play sizzled along… and I was VERY proud to be associated with it… thanks guys!

I remember, when re-writing it for Nelson Thornes last year I decided to try to do what I always thought Marc Bolan (of T. Rex fame) did with his hits following Get It On… to consciously incorporate elements from other plays (songs in the case of Marc) I have written which have appeared to be popular to create an custom built play for GCSE use, the target audience for Nelson Thornes.  Consequently, Arson About has lots of different styles (like Hard To Swallow)… stylised and highly dramatic scenes… (like Too Much Punch For Judy accident)… and body props (idea from Herts. based SNAP Theatre company) as I originally used in Race To Be Seen (which later became Graham- World’s Fastest Blindman).  Hopefully it will give teachers lots of scope to not only do a school or GCSE production (it is written for a cast of 2m 2f… but Paul Mills used over 30 students in his version with a large and fantastically effective chorus for the dramatic fire scene) but an opportunity to do work on individual scenes which are designed to “stand alone”. 

Nelson Thornes lived up to their word and had the play on sale at the performances and it can be ordered (or in the UK be “inspected” without commitment).  The page on the Nelson Thornes site is:

www.nelsonthornes.com/stoic/PA_displaybook.pr_mainbook2?p_product_id=6411947

It is also available on Amazon, as are all my plays, if you search “Mark Wheeller” spelt with two l’s.

Chunnel Of Love

Above I have said all my plays are available… this is not true… Chunnel has not been made commercially available… however… I do have copies that I can sell “privately” with a photocopy licence.  I have recently been doing some buying on E-Bay and have discovered PAYPAL… so if anyone wants to use PAYPAL to buy Chunnel Of Love (which was selected to be performed at the NSDF in 1984).  This simple system of payment would be entirely acceptable.  Details of how Paypal works can be found on www.paypal.co.uk or www.paypal.com though I think the uk one is what you should go for!  It is effectively a way of paying online without revealing your details… you would pay into my email account.

Wheellerplays Festival

Whoa!!!  Yes this is true… and this is what prompted me to suggest about Chunnel.  The Howard of Effingham School in Effingham Surrey are planning a Wheellerplays Festival in June… I understand that extracts from a number of Wheellerplays included the little known Chunnel of Love are to be performed in a One Night only event!  Wow!  This is very exciting… and I am deeply flattered by it… thanks!

Hard To Swallow

In between the performances of Arson About I was invited to see The Vyne School’s production of the above play, which, again was done really well.  Much care and attention had been taken in presenting this tragic story.  The cast was one of the youngest I have seen presenting this play and I was impressed by their maturity.  Thanks Alix, Anna and the very able cast.

Primary Schools

Watch out!  I believe that publicity for Wacky Soap is (belatedly) making its way into all 24,000 primary Schools early in June.  This is very exciting for me as it has proved such a popular choice for Secondary School Drama Club productions.  I hope that the new Mini Musical proves equally popular in that phase!

Also… I am delighted to see that Blackout (my World War II evacuee Musical published by SchoolPlay Productions)  is being performed by another Primary School.  It was originally intended for Secondary Schools so it is somewhat surprising to see it taken up by Primary Schools… please spread the word.  My regular readers will know this musical contains my fave (of my songs) The Eyes Of A Child which will, I’m sure, provide all who do this musical with a tear-jerking finale! 

Workshops.  “Using Wheellerplays in schools.”

The Keynote courses are, as I said last month in Manchester (29^th June) and the other on London (2^nd July) as before… both in “posh” hotels with a wonderful lunch… the Keynote web site now has the details.  Both are on the advantages of (& how I go about) using my plays in GCSE courses and as after school productions.

Thanks to all for your continuing support.

Wheellerplays May News

Just to re-iterate that my mailing list was destroyed by the “death” of my computer… so I know some people will not have received this through emails in the normal way.  Please do re-subscribe if you wish to if you have not received this separately in your mailbox.

Very short news this month…

Hard To Swallow.

Last month I was able to say how this had become one of my most popular plays.  This month I am really pleased to say that AVIT - ACTVENTURE IN THEATRE (from Kent) are hoping to get a (professional) tour of Hard To Swallow up and running.  My understanding is that they are prepared to travel if there is the interest.  Any teachers interested in hosting a performance of this should contact me by email and I will put you on to the director, Richard Andrews. 

Dan Nolan - Missing… now Missing Dan Nolan.

The new version of this play is now released and (hopefully) available in all good bookshops.  No more Dan-Nolan-Missing’s are being produced so, unless you are buying second hand this is the version you should get.   

Tasters…

You will find on my web pages an opportunity to download a taster of some of my plays… so that you have an opportunity to assess whether it will be to your liking before ordering. So far the following plays have links to download a few pages.

Absurd Xmas Musical; Graham – World’s Fastest Blindman & Waky Soap.

Let me know if you have any problems with these as it is early days.

Let me know if this proves useful (or not)!

Arson About

I can’t wait to see the Arson About in performance!  It is being presented by The Westgate School (Winchester) at the Winchester Theatre Royal and tickets are priced at £5.00 and (concessions £3.00).  Tickets available from the Theatre Royal Winchester's Box Office, tel: 01962 840440.  Nelson Thornes have told me that copies of the play script will be on sale on the opening night… one month in advance of the plays official release… they’ve done brilliantly to get it out so quickly… many thanks!

I understand there is also a matinee on the Friday afternoon where tickets are £2.

I have attached the schools Press release for your interest.

PRESS RELEASE

STARTS

Premiere of a new play by a leading playwright: ‘Arson About’ by Mark Wheeller

Performances: Wednesday 26^th, Thursday 27^th and Friday 28^th May 2004.  7.30 p.m. at Theatre Royal Winchester.  Schools Matinee at 1.30 p.m. on Friday 28^th May.  Tickets: £5.00 & £3.00 (concessions).

Mark Wheeller is an outstanding playwright with a growing international reputation.  He has written vivid and powerful plays on a range of topical issues ranging from drink-driving to anorexia.  Mark’s plays have been performed by amateur and professional groups around the world and are recommended at GCSE and A level.

This exciting production is sponsored by Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service as part of their drive for Arson Reduction.

Pupils involved: over 30 pupils from The Westgate School, many of whom are involved in the Arts Council’s ‘young people’s Arts Award pilot’.

Plot:  Ian and Molly meet in Mr Butcher’s school detention.  Things soon look rosy for the young couple until disaster strikes!  Molly’s parents announce over dinner that they will soon be moving Molly storms out of the house in a defiant rage.  She joins Ian at the Fairground and, for a brief moment, we see the courage of young love against the backdrop of an uncertain future. The romantic atmosphere is soon disrupted, however, when Ian’s wayward friend Stueey turns up.  Stueey is an unpredictable, challenging and confrontational.  Since his exclusion from Ian and Molly’s school, Stueey has started to exert a firm control over Ian, and Molly appears unable do anything to stop him.

At school, someone’s been sending threatening notes to Mr Butcher.  With Stueey and Ian among the prime suspects, they decide to steal into school and investigate after the fair. The three set off - with Molly a reluctant tag-along.  Once in the school, Ian and Stueey begin to revel in their new found freedom and power.  Soon their clownish antics take a dark turn as paper aeroplanes become glowing torches gliding through the darkness.  It becomes clear that Ian has no intention of breaking free from Stueey’s control, and in a dramatic climax Molly realises the futility of her situation and breaks away into the night.  As she runs of, chased only by the echoes of Ian and Stueey’s manic laughter, she senses a presence… something shadowy lying in wait for her…lurking, silent and unseen in the maze of darkened corridors…BANG!!

Major issues:  arson, trust, moving home, relationships, breaking and entering, bereavement, isolation, school exclusions.

Arson in Schools:  Arson attacks on schools cost more than £1 million each week in Britain. Every day three schools are damaged or destroyed by arson. Schools are the most arson prone buildings in the UK. Many of the attacks start in refuse bins, sheds and around doors and alcoves. The danger increases at the end of term when staff clear out rubbish and bins overflow with unwanted displays and piles of paper. 

Fire References:  The script of Arson About is broken up into units or scenes, each one given a caption type heading which suggests the mood and purpose of the scene – e.g. Combustible Material.

Target Audience:  The play will be particularly relevant to teenagers as it deals with themes of independence, trust, relationships and irresponsible behaviour.

Style:  Arson About makes good use of juxtaposition to create powerful drama.  Conversations are inter-cut with spoken thoughts, audience asides and narrative captions.  The play has a unique and playful interweaving of styles as ranging from the photo-love story, the public health film and the gothic horror.  However, there’s nothing ‘old fashioned’ in this fast-paced thriller.  The unpredictability of the action highlights the chaotic, irrational behaviour of the plays teenage protagonists; inventive use of physical theatre gives Arson About strong visual quality.  Sometimes the action is fast and comedic; at others the mood is quieter and more emotive or haunting.  A lively contemporary soundtrack sets this play very firmly in contemporary youth culture – this is a play about today’s issues and it sizzles with the voices of today’s young people.

An after-show buffet on Friday 28^th May will serve an invited audience of dignitaries from the fire service and education department.  

Theatre Royal Winchester is a business partner of The Westgate School.

For Enquiries about the production and / or to arrange a photo call please contact:

ENDS.

You can email the box office with your tickets request:

boxoffice@theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk

It's generally best to phone as you can reserve the seats you want - stalls, circle etc.

The Gate Escape.

There has been a lot of interest in this. 

AVIT - ACTVENTURE IN THEATRE (from Kent) have contracted to present a forty date set of performances to schools in and around Kent.  The Haymarket Theatre/Solent are hoping to  be presenting it to schools in Hants.  I am also in discussion with another well known company from Hertfordshire who aim to present it in that area in the early part of 2005.

Gresham’s School in Cromar, Norfolk are presenting the Amateur Premiere on the 16^th June.  Good luck to them… please let me know how it goes!

Workshops.  “Using Wheellerplays in schools.”

The Keynote courses are, as I said last month in Manchester (29^th June) and the other on London (2^nd July) as before… both in “posh” hotels with a wonderful lunch… the Keynote web site now has the details.  Both are on the advantages of (& how I go about) using my plays in GCSE courses and as after school productions.

Mark

Wheellerplays April News

Just to re-iterate that my mailing list was destroyed by the “death” of my computer… so I know some people will not have received this through emails in the normal way. Please do re-subscribe if you wish to if you have not received this separately in your mailbox.

CHICKEN!

What an astounding term is has been for WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? – BECAUSE SOME STUPID TURKEY EGGED HER ON.

StopWatch Theatre Company have performed it 190 times in the last three months!!! What an amazing success… well done on the bookings guys… and I hope those schools who saw it enjoyed it!

Also…

The Young Portonian Theatre Company (Scotland) entered CHICKEN for the Scottish Community Drama Association (SCDA) festival of 0ne Act Plays and won the Adjudicators award   -    The Margaret Miller Quach. It also went forward to be showcased in the SCDA Eastern Division Youth Finals .

These took place on 20th March… with the adjudication conducted by Russell Boyce, the Dean of Drama at R.S.A.M.D.

CHICKEN won!!!

This means the group now go on to the Scottish Final in Castle Douglas on June 19 th ! Wow!!! Well done Irene and the whole cast!!!
.
Hard To Swallow
While on the subject of Festivals, my Youth Theatre also participated in the Totton Drama Festival (winning three awards with one group going forward to the regional finals… (well done OYT!) and in the programme there was a piece about local achievements. I learnt from this that Hard To Swallow was the (joint) second most performed play across the country in the All England Theatre Festivals last year. Chuffed? You bet I was!!! I couldn't keep count of how many people I pointed it out to… and now I'm boasting to you guys! In first place was Me And My Friend (Act 1) by Gillian Plowman.

The Stars Look Different Toda-ay.

Yes!!! Completed a first draft… had a read through two weeks ago and was mightily relieved. I'm really pleased with it… and am now working towards a lightly shorter and tighter second draft. It is being uniquely successful in getting parents of cast members asking questions about it… there is much interest. I also heard of someone I know who had spoken to aperson in Shropshire who knew the play was on its way! News travels…

Dan Nolan - Missing… now Missing Dan Nolan.

Some of you probably know that this play was restructured for the performance at Woking. It includes all the up to date information concerning Dan and his family… but I also took advantage of the experience of performing it at Drama Festivals to make important structural changes to the play. I didn't publicise this as dbda were in a position where they still had copies of the first edition to sell before a second edition could be discussed. However… two weeks ago (nine or so months before I was expecting!) I heard that they were ready to reprint the new version. It is due out any time now. The play will remain as it is for the foreseeable future now, and is much improved as a play.

Any further developments in the real story (there have sadly been none for a while now) would be made by appendix which I will make available as and when. Be sure to order MISSING DAN NOLAN to ensure you get the new version. It will have a new ISBN number and will be listed separately in bookshops… I can't see there will be a problem as the old books just will not be available “new”.

I hope this new version will prove as popular as the original and that it will continue to raise issues and be performed across the world.

I will leave this section with a quote from Pauline (Dan's Mum) to show her continuing support for the play:

“ Although we've lost our Dan, I feel very proud. All the issues about Dan's disappearance and the safety issues surrounding teenagers are in the play and it must continue to raise awareness .” Pauline Nolan.

Workshops.

The Keynote courses are on! One will in Manchester and the other on London as before… both in “posh” hotels with a wonderful lunch…

WORKSHOP WITH THE PLAYWRIGHT MARK WHEELLER: ENHANCING PERFORMANCE IN GCSE DRAMA AND IN SCHOOL PRODUCTIONS

MANCHESTER : The Marriott Airport Hotel: Tuesday 29 June 2004
LONDON : The Thistle Kensington Palace Hotel: Friday 02 July 2004

We are delighted to offer this course, new for Summer 2004 and designed for Key Stage 4 Drama teachers who have or intend to use Mark Wheeller's plays (eg Too Much Punch For Judy , Hard To Swallow , Wacky Soap ) as study texts or performance pieces for GCSE drama courses/School/Youth Theatre productions. This is a unique opportunity to see how the creator of these plays works with them in the context of GCSE examinations and School Productions.

The course will demonstrate a range of practical work which will enable teachers to support students in these plays as they approach their exam/production. It will also be “fun”… undertaken for the fun of doing it seriously .

There will also be post course notes which can be used to supplement your existing Key Stage 4/extra- curricular provision of Drama.

Sweet FA/No Place for a Girl

Doing my shopping in the Hedge End Sainsburys who should I bump into but Sedge! Shes hardly changed and was easily recognisable… though I bet she didn't think that about me! I was amazed to hear that she has become somewhat disillusioned with football and last season stopped playing for Wimbledon. She said her priorities have had to change with a mortgage to pay… and as a painter and decorator she has to be up early in the morning… I wish her well… she has been an inspiration to me… and many others! I bet her mum's relieved!!!

Gagging For It.

This was fantastic… and gained two awards… a fantastic adjudication…

Thanks to all for your continuing support.

March News:

Wheellerplays March News

Just to re-iterate that my mailing list has been destroyed by the “death of my computer… so I know some people will not have received this through emails in the normal way. Please do re-subscribe if you wish to if you have not received this separately in your mailbox.

Chart.

The new Wheellerplays quarterly chart is out. Dan Nolan - Missing seems unassailable at the top of the chart which delights me… if only there could be some good news for his family.

It will be interesting to see if The Gate Escape can challenge it at the top. Plans for various tours are in preparation and book sales figures will only take effect in the next chart as none have come through to me yet. The word is from dbda that it is likely another record breaker… though it will have to go some to beat the figures Dan Nolan achieved in it’s first three months!

At the bottom there is a real dogfight… the Christmas presentations of the ABSURD CHRISTMAS MUSICAL have enabled it to leapfrog two positions… but still, as yet, it is not the most popular Xmas Musical in the world ever as I hoped it would be. It seems when I try and target a market (like the Xmas market) it takes longer to register… whereas now the more issue based plays seem to go into schools without any concerns as to what they are about… or perhaps teachers are more suspicious of untried musicals… I wonder??? I think they are just as good… but then I would wouldn’t I?

Commissions.

I am delighted to report that I am in negotiations with two schools for commissions. The first, which will be for January 2005 is for a new Musical for schools… and I will be writing the whole thing. As anyone who has read my opening page knows it was music that got me into writing plays in the first place… and I can’t wait to do this… can’t wait. All should be worted in the next month so I will bring you up to date on that then.

I am also talking with another school about writing a One Act Play for them to do at Drama festivals. This will probably be ready for September 2005… so I am booking my time up well in advance… but making sure that I am not writing two (or three) plays concurrently as I did last year!

The Stars Look Different Toda-ay.

I am now working to wards a complete draft of this… and am aiming for a read through on March 21st. Last night I went to see ONCE UPON A TIME IN WIGAN written by Mick martin who reviewed so many of my plays for the TES many years ago. What an achievement this has been. I can recommend it thoroughly to anyone. I imagine the Wigan Soul nights were to Mick what Bowie was to me… so I found it an inspiration to se when I am in the throes of writing this very personal play. I attempted to contact Mick but could find no web link… I wanted to offer him my personal congratulations… so if anyone knows him (apparently he now lives in Bradford) I would be grateful if you could pass this message onto him.

Workshops.

The Keynote courses were fantastic… and it was great to meet people who have been receiving my mailings. Keynote have asked me to do two more courses in July looking at using Wheellerplays in GCSE and as school productions. One will be in Manchester and the other on London as before… both in “posh” hotels with a wonderful lunch… I will post details as they become available but the keynote web site should soon have all the details. One of the aspects of Wacky Soap that has made it so successful is that it occupies the chorus well… thus relieving the need for discipline problems… I hope to be showing how this can be done as well as giving ideas that can be developed to help students studying the plays for GCSE.

Gagging For It.

The Oaklands Youth Theatre is presenting an amazing new One Act Play by my colleague, Danny Sturrock. It is being presented on 20/21st March… and anyone wanting to see a bright new playwright come along and this will not disappoint! If you are interested in seeing the play please contact Danny through his web site which will also give more details about this play.

www.clubgfi.com

Thanks for all your continuing support.

Mark

February News:

Mailing list:
Firstly a huge apology. My computer "died" last week and I have consequently "lost" all the details of people who wanted to subscribe to my newsletter. I would therefore ask that if you would like to be a subscriber you sumbit to "join" again and I will build up a new list of those who wish to hear my news. I am sorry about this.

The Gate Escape:
The published version is now out though I am yet to see it. If you buy it from the publisher direct there is an "offer" allowing you to buy copies of it for £4:50 (as opposed to £5:50) for the whole of February. I am really pleased to say that there is interest from professional TIE groups to tour this production. I have made a decision not to license this play in the same way that TMPFJetc. is currently licensed which has led to some areas not getting the oportunity to see the play and moreover not being able to book it. I am well aware that this is causing schools frustration as it is for me! THE GATE ESCAPE is being licensed for professional tours on a county by county basis to see if this works better for schools. If you have a local professional touring Theatre company do let them know of its availability and I will update which counties have bought into touring it. At this point in time thre is interest from: Beds, Berks, Cambs, Essex, Hants, Herts, Kent, Sussex, though as yet nothing is finalised. Apparrently early indications are that the play is proving popular with one group already applying for a license to produce a Darama Club version of it!

Dan Nolan - Missing
I am planning to add an extra page of script to the existing published play which will bring the story up to date with all the most recent developments. This page will be available free to any group who apply for a performance license. One group has already contacted me re this... could I ask them to contact me again as I have "lost" their details with the death of my computer! Once again sorry! We attended the Curtain Call Awards last night and were disappointed to learn that although nominated were not "awarded". However my good friend Tim Ford (who premiered GRAHAM - WORLDS FASTEST BLINDMAN a while ago) was given a special award for his "Outstanding Services to Youth Theatre in the South Of England. Tim left his post as Director of Eastleigh Borough Youth Theatre in December to tak up a post as an Associate Director in Birmingham Rep Theatre... watch out Brum... Tim is amazing!!! Apparrently Tim is planning a production of HARD TO SWALLOW there at some point.

The Stars Look Different Tod-ay
Our Youth Theatre had a fantastic read through of this last week. It was the best read-through of one of my plays I have ever attended. The group found it really funny... and have now duly been introduced to the music and words of David Bowie. Sadly the read through had to finish slightly early in that I am still about 6 pages from completing the play. I have set myself a deadline of the end of March to complete the play... and am really looking forward to working on it once I have sorted my computer out... fortunately I saved a copy of the script... though at this point in time have lost my early drafts.

Keynote Courses.
It was great to meet people at the Keynote courses in January. They were great fun and I look forward to hearing from you as time goes on. Pam at Keynote has asked me to prepare a course for the summer focussing on using my plays with exam groups as well as putting them on as productions. I will update my newspages with this information as and when I have it!

I think that's all for now... I look forward to hearing from you at some stage in the not too distant future... and noce again, I am sorry about losing the address book.

Mark

Wheellerplays January News 

Happy New Year to all my readers.

2003

Looking back on this year I realise how busy and successful it has been for Wheellerplays. 

My greatest achievement was, without doubt, the publication of Dan Nolan Missing. I consider this to be the most worthwhile project I will ever become involved in. Over 1000 copies have gone into schools across the UK in its first year of release and it has also been top of my chart for the final months of this year… confirming there is much interest in Dan’s story though tragically still no closure. His family are still battling to find out exactly what happened on the night of Jan 1st 2002. I went to see Pauline and Greg today and they are pleased that the play is helping to communicate messages regarding personal safety to others across the UK. In fact they were delighted to see that Clare (Nolan) had it as one of her school’s suggested plays for performance. To this end I was delighted that Edexcel were keen to allow this play to be studied on their GCSE syllabus and obviously AQA schools (Clare’s is one such) are also suggesting it!

One of my great inspirations, Tony Key died earlier in the year. Tony was a lecturer at Goldsmiths’ College in London and ran a fantastic community Dance project (4R Movement and Dance Group) in the 70’s/80’s in Lewisham, London while I was at College. He always encouraged me in my writing… though at that time I was writing the music for songs. He gave me so many opportunities and allowed me to see what was possible. I will always be grateful to Tony… I didn’t enjoy College much (much of it seemed so irrelevant) but 4R was a fantastic creative and personal outlet! I know he has touched many other people’s lives as well. Thanks Tony… I imagine he’ll be organising the angels in massive productions like heaven has never seen before!

To write two plays in a year (for me) is something I don’t think I have done previously. Arson About and The Gate Escape were written this year and both are to be published next year. I aim not to be so “prolific” next year… one play, STARS will be quite enough I think!
Arson About.

Work on this is now complete and I am really pleased. It will be a superb play to perform and use for GCSE. It has been tailor made using many of the stylistic devices that have made plays like Hard To Swallow so popular in schools. The Nelson Thornes publication is due out in June. 

It will be premiered by Westgate School at the Theatre Royal, Winchester on Wednesday 26, Thursday 27 & Friday 28th May 2004 at 7.30 p.m. (Arson About will be the second performance in a two-play event, incorporating a lower school production). Paul Mills is directing and it promises to be really excellent! I can’t wait! I will relay the ticket booking phone number so that people are able to book tickets in advance as soon as tickets go on sale.

The Gate Escape.

This is to be released early in January. Please contact dbda for more details. It has toured schools in Hampshire very successfully and has attracted interest from other counties who are planning to tour it in the Autumn 2004 and onwards. If you want to do something for your school to assist with raising awareness of truancy then this could be for you. It is ideal for groups in KS3 to perform to their peers. Alternatively (as is increasingly the case with Chicken) KS4 students could perform it to KS3. It is also ideal for performance to parents as a drama club play and would (with a small amount of cutting) be suitable for One Act Play Festivals. It gives schools the opportunity to test out the use of multimedia… should they wish to… however like all of my plays it can be performed on a nil budget with nil equipment!

The Stars Look Different Toda-ay.

Having now completed work on Arson I am able to return to work on this, my fan tribute play to David Bowie. I am really looking forward to doing this and have promised my cast a read through on January 18th so I will have to have my second (new improved) draft ready by that time… arrrrgh!!!

Workshops.

Both my Keynote workshops for Secondary Drama teachers are on… London Jan 21st & Manchester (haven’t been there since I was six!) Jan 22nd. 

These courses are looking at improvisation as a base to curriculum Drama work. I have sub-titled the course HOOKING BY STORYLINE. It is the first course I have done for Keynote not related to my plays but looking at teaching methods which aim to give students more enthusiasm/confidence in developing all their Drama work.

Belgium Bookweek.

I am really pleased to have been asked to become involved in a Book Week in The British School of Brussels, Belgium in September 2004. I will be delivering workshops/talks along with such luminaries as Anthony Horowitz.

Gagging For It.

The Oaklands Youth Theatre is presenting an amazing new One Act Play by my colleague, Danny Sturrock. The play is called Gagging For It and is fantastic… and I’m not just saying that. If schools are interested in seeing the script which is really lively and I hope will go on to be published at some stage I suggest you contact Danny through the web site he has set up which will also give more details about this play.
www.clubgfi.com

Dan Nolan Missing.

The big Southern England Theatre awards sponsored by the Southern Daily Echo has nominated two members of our Youth Theatre for their work on this play.

Rachael Dennett for her performance as Clare (Best Supporting Youth Actress)… well done Rachael… thoroughly deserved as anyone who has seen either the video or play live will testify.

Ollie Wheeller (my eldest son!) for his work operating the sound (Best Newcomer). Ollie has worked so responsibly in the background and so professionally at all times on such a sensitive piece. It is his first production and his first ever nomination. Well done Ollie! 

The Awards ceremony is at the end of January… we will be attending… and will have to splash out and buy Ollie some posh clobber!

Thanks for all your continuing support.

Mark

News 2000
News 2001
News 2002
News 2003
News 2004
News 2005
News 2006
News 2007
News 2008

Back to Mark Wheeller's front page