From the profound to the provocative, my writing invites you to explore new perspectives and unexpected stories. Feel free to browse my books and plays and let's connect!
The Joke
It comes to us all. In the end. Death. Time to move on. Time to move over. When you lose a loved one, death comes knocking ...
But what happens exactly? Where did he go? Nowhere? Nothing? Zilch? The end?
Or have the gods been kidding us all along, from up above, on Mount Olympus? We are not mortal. Your loved one has just moved on, he has just moved over. Gone to another shore.
I’m prepared to believe that. But I don’t know how it works. You know? What are the practicalities? Has he become young and handsome again? Has he met up with all his old girlfriends? Won’t there be a terrible row?
And while you are contemplating this great enigma, you wake up one day and discover that the folks you thought were your friends, have in fact been grooming you all these years, waiting for your nearest and dearest to depart, so they can move into your house and solve the housing crisis of their dysfunctional family.
That’s another joke you didn’t see coming.
The Whyte Cliffs
‘The Whyte Cliffs’ is a dark comedy - abrasive, some would say shocking - which plays out against the backdrop of the ‘migrant crisis’ on the shores of south-east England.
Siobhàn, a young Irish busker, is on her way to Paris to start a new life as a student. But before crossing to the continent, she has an old score to settle at the ‘Whyte Cliffs Guest House’.
Mrs Whyte, the menopausal owner of the ‘Whyte Cliffs’ is still in love with her long-term abusive partner, Fred Tennant, former member of the National Front, who has lost interest in her. Mrs W constantly tries to rekindle his desire and is supported in this by her friend Joan, who runs a beauty parlour from her garden shed next door.
Singing, and its restorative effect, is also crucial to this drama, so the three principal actors (Siobhàn, Mrs Whyte and Joan) need to be able to hold a tune, and if possible, harmonise. If this proves problematic, then a karaoké machine could be used.
Running time: 60 - 75 minutes - depending on how much time the director would like to devote to the songs.
Mrs Whyte's epiphany: in a Thuderstorm she sings 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain?' (Credence Clearwater Revival, sung by Elaine & Ellen)
Sung by Siobhan: 'I've looked at clouds from both sides now' (Joni Mitchell, vocals and piano by Ellen Durand)
Wigan Road PartyGate
(Does that last bit of birthday cake still stick in your throat?)
Wigan Road Partygate is a short one-act play set in a student house on Wigan Road during the Covid-19 lockdown. The central character, Abigail, is celebrating her 20th birthday with a house party that violates lockdown restrictions. The play opens with the police arriving at the scene after complaints from neighbours about the noise.
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The main characters include:
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Abigail: A young woman hosting the party.
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Tattoo: A belligerent young man with dragon tattoos.
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Side Kick: A skinny adolescent hiding under the sink.
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Police Officers: Fresh-Faced, a young policeman; Sergeant, a middle-aged male; and Super, a commanding female officer.
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​Use of this script is free, as long as I am credited as the author of this work.