I’m really pleased with this feature I wrote for Entertainment Focus about the world of Psycho, and how different interpretations have added to the mythology. Ultimately though, it’s always going to be Anthony Perkins’ gig… but follow the link to what I said:
http://www.entertainment-focus.com/tv-section/tv-news/psycho-mythology-who-are-norman-norma-bates/
Check out the August 2014 issue of Gay Times Magazine for my article on teen scientist Jack Andraka.
An Ordinary Genius was a lovely article to write, and it was great to speak to someone so pragmatic and focussed. I’m delighted it all came together, and I’ve hopefully done my bit (through Gay Times) to increase knowledge about Jack Andraka’s pioneering work in medical research.
Jack Andraka
I was, putting it mildly, thrilled to see my name connected in any way, shape or form with Oedipus Retold, a show that runs at the Tristan Bates Theatre until mid-February.
Written by Jeremy Kingston, directed by Robert Gillespie, and starring Jack Klaff, Clare Cameron and David Shaw-Parker amongst others, it’s a terrific production with considerable talent in every department.
My very small contribution was to interview actor Jack Klaff as well as director Robert Gillespie for Entertainment Focus.
At the show, press were given a copy of the play text, published by Playdead Press. Flicking through it the following morning as I started my review, I spotted this:
Occasionally worlds collide, and I have a love of theatre and cult British TV. When I heard Sally Knyvette was directing a piece of new writing to be shown at Theatre503, I wasn’t going to turn down an interview.
Now an established director, Sally is also an actor, and she had played Jenna in the first two series of Blake’s 7 (one of the seven!).
Again, she was a real pleasure to interview, very insightful and intelligent. You can see the results here.
I was shopping in Morrisons when I realised I had a missed call. There was a voice message from Jack Klaff. It was surreal listening to the refined and cultured voice whilst queuing to buy my groceries, and quite thrilling since he is an actor who has been in one of my favourite episodes of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett, and has been bumped off by Roger Moore (no less) in For Your Eyes Only.
I did get back in touch and he was a real pleasure to speak to, and so eloquent that it was an absolute breeze to transcribe! You can see the results here.
Here are a few more links to my interviews with Robert Gillespie.
You can see the second part of my in-depth discussion with him about his career here, in which Robert talks about his life in situation comedy.
The third and final part is about his time with the RSC in the 1990s up to the founding of his company, Jane Nightwork Productions.
More recently I did a video interview with him about the play for one actor Portia he has written and directed, which starred Clare Cameron.
I’ve been reading a lot of Ian Fleming lately – one of the few authors I read during my childhood, when I was a voracious if unadventurously narrow consumer of books. Returning to the Bond stories, even the titles I didn’t get around to twenty-five years ago, is a nostalgic treat.
Article published in the October 2013 edition of Gay Times magazine. It’s called “The New Breed of Out-At-School Teenager”.
Most people know that I am a fan of Doctor Who. Many who have come to the series through the abortion of a remake assume that it and the classic series are one in the same, and are often faintly bemused to discover that I draw a distinction between the two. I treat the remake with apathy. I’m happy to concede and live with the fact that I’m not its target audience.
But Peter Capaldi is a proper actor. So, the question has fairly been put to me from several quarters: will I tune in again when he takes over the lead role?
