What’s happening in 2020?

As the holidays get closer I suppose it’s natural to not only look back on the year that’s passed but also think ahead to the year that’s about to start. Financially there are question marks and I’ll be doing funding applications throughout the year to try and get rid of them. Putting all economical concerns aside here are the things I’m going to do and going to try to do during 2020:

Since I have not one but two (!) plays programmed for autumn 2021 (there might even be a third one…) I will be doing lots of writing and even more rewriting during 2020. Hopefully there will be workshop sessions with the actors at some point to help make those scripts as good and solid as possible (since R&D/workshops aren’t really a standard part of the commissioning process here there are no guarantees). 

The six part audio drama series I’ve work on for almost 18 months finished recording in November and is being edited at the moment. If everything goes according to plan it is going to be sent out into the world late spring/early summer. Writing a series (even if it’s just 6 episodes) has been one of the most challenging things I’ve done so far, so I’m both eager to hear the finished result and nervous about the reception. A lot of people have been telling me that it would work well as a TV-series, so I’ll try and explore those possibilities further as well.

I’m also producing a rehearsed reading of a play of mine during the spring. It’s a play that’s very close to my heart, but after making the rounds at the theatres it’s become quite clear that no one is going to produce it. So, before I let go of it and lay it to rest in the desk drawer I want to give it a proper outing.

A couple of months ago I went to a lecture about, among other things, language death. The question of why people stop using their own language or refuse to pass it on to their children/the next generation got me interested. My plan is to explore those questions, and the consequences of the choices we make with regards to language, by writing a play about it. If I can get a first draft done during the year I’ll be happy with that.

The biannual international radio play competition run by the BBC World Service and the British Council has it’s deadline at the end of January and for the first time I have a play I want to submit, so there will rewriting and polishing of that script going on right at the beginning of the year.

Sapho the dramaturgicat looking over a script.

So, there are lots of things to be getting on with during 2020!  A part from all this there are new ideas, old ideas, books to read, plays to see, discussions to have, podcasts to listen to and life in general. All with the help of my trusted dramaturgicat of course!