What now?
My play Marina and the Clone opened last week for a short run at the Kings Arms, Salford. Of the four nights three of them sold out and the cast, crew and audience had a blast!
As the Producer as well as the Writer of the play I got to see my work from two angles. I had to learn not to be precious when the Director needed to edit parts of the script and I realised the practicalities involved in turning your imagination into reality - after all it's just not worth buying a sofa for a play which will run for less than a week and covering your cast in blood in the first scene can be a bit tricky when they have to be spotless in the next.
That's when the Director has to become creative and you as a Producer have to be supportive.
The play seemed to have been received well, I've had lots of great feedback over the last week and we got a cracking review from Lancashire Life which you can read here.
What now? people keep asking me. A few have suggested I take it to Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival, which I'd love to do. I suppose the next challenge, if I take that route, is to work with the team to cut it down to less than an hour and then find the money to do it - easier said than done it appears when you consider that even something on this scale could set me back at least £3,000
Another option - and one that is far more likely to happen - is to have the play published. As the play was developed through a Studio Salford WriteForTheStage course they will help me to get it published as with my last play Barbara the Zoo Keeper.
Maybe I take it on the road and tour the play? Maybe I look to other groups to produce it? Who knows - I need to spend some time thinking about the 'What now?' One thing I know for sure is that I don't want to just let it end there. It was too much fun!
If you didn't get a chance to see Marina and the Clone this time around check out the promo video and maybe consider putting it on yourself. Get in touch
For now though I have a report to write for Arts Council England who helped to finance the production and promises to keep to all the brilliant people who donated to the crowd funder.
