And now the end is near...
In a rare quiet moment, I'm taking the opportunity to apologise for my lack of blogging, and to say that tonight marks the end of the first year of the College of Comedy. We're doing a live showcase here at Television Centre, we're expecting 130 people from the comedy world inside and outside the BBC, and it all kicks off at 6.30.
Organising the showcase accounts for my absence, since it has involved quite a lot of work. We're doing half a script from each of the six original projects, with three exciting young directors and a rather amazing cast, which made me feel rather privileged when we were all together for rehearsals yesterday.
The actors include Amanda Abbington, Martin Freeman, Miranda Hart, Lucy Montgomery, Simon Daye, Geraldine McNulty, Nick Mohammed and Una Stubbs, and the writers are as excited as I am.
Actually, it's excitement mixed with the fear, but that will go away once we hear the first laugh. Which I'm hoping will be in the first few seconds.
We're starting with Spilt Milk by Trippplicate, a show set in a failing cafe, followed by Not 19 Forever by Andrew Viner, about a group of 30-something friends, and then Sunday Lunchers by John Warburton, which is set in a pub with an eclectic group of characters.
Mix-Up, by Leah Chillery, is about a young woman discovering on her birthday that she is mixed race. 4x4 by Catherine Shepherd is about a 50ish woman with four children by four different fathers, and we're finishing with Daddy Cool by Rob and Neil Gibbons, which is about a man with early onset Alzheimers and a squabbling family. Dan Antopolski is compering.
It feels as if the year has gone by very quickly, and soon I'll have to do a proper taking stock. As of now, it feels as if most things have worked, and a good thing is that I have been able to recommend the writers to colleagues who are producing or developing shows. The year has made me think more deeply about comedy and comedy writing and production - generally,stuff that one does rather than stuff one meditates on - and that has provoked some interesting thoughts, which have been further stimulated by people who comment here.
I know that all the writers will go on and prosper, which is the main and best outcome. So now it's rehearsals then showtime.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~18~RS~)
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Best of luck to all!
Any plans to film tonight and post the pieces Micheal?
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Thanks Marc. Much appreciated. We will be filming it on a fixed shot, but just for internal purposes, otherwise life would be very complicated with actors.
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Good luck, Michael, hope it's a success and you can do it all again.
(And nice to see Marc get through a post without mentioning that bloody book!)
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And all the luck in the world from me too, Micheal, although I'm sure you won't need it as it sounds like some high quality comedy scripts that will be showcased. The resumes sounded very intriguing.
I would just like to let folks know that the lovely Una Stubbs once used to help out my grandparents by going to get the milk for them. Bit of useless trivia there but I thought it might help distract from Mr P's book again....
Mrs M
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Good luck for tonight, and for the future. Those stories sound really intriguing and exciting.
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Thanks all. I wasn't around my computer much yesterday. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves - writers, actors and audience - and I think we did the year justice. I'm feeling very much morning afterish, but time will heal. That and sugary drinks.
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What I wouldn't give to be involved with the above... will be in the future though!
Great post,
Good luck to all involved.
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I think the College of Comedy is a really great idea. The nurturing of new talent is integral to the future of the BBC and to our viewing pleasure. However, having actually attended the showcase and met some of the writers taking part, I think there is some way to go.
What could have been a snappy 90-minute showcase somehow became a two and a half hour marathon of discomfort (for audience, actors and writers). You’d think a showcase of this nature would be quite simple to put together. Do the excerpts one after the other with a bit of introduction before each to put into context, have all the actors on stage at sitting in chairs, ready to stand up and do their bits, as with a radio recording. Keep the momentum and energy up.
Instead, the actors sat awkwardly on the front two rows of the auditorium, having to shuffle past each other to get on stage for their bits. The evening was broken up with unnecessary bits of stand up (which, worse, kept drawing attention to the fact that they were unnecessary). Proceedings were then stretched out further with a pointless interval during which it was not possible to even get a drink, but which did allow numerous disappointed industry types to flee the scene. Small points, perhaps, but cumulatively, a growing dead weight on the atmosphere of the evening.
The pieces themselves were pretty mixed. They all felt under-rehearsed but, more importantly, they certainly did not feel like the products of a year’s worth of careful mentoring. Many could have been improved in quite simple ways: cuts, mainly.
So what did this mentoring consist of precisely? I get the impression that the scheme itself may not have delivered on its initial promises. Who mentored these writers? What sitcoms were they attached to?
Say these things were not possible (for whatever understandable reasons) then, if nothing else, time and energy should have been invested in the run up to the showcase. And I’m not just talking about getting a great cast together (into which effort clearly had been expended). For example, workshop the scripts with actors beforehand, allow the writers to hear their words out loud, then give them a chance to do rewrites, so that the showcase can show work in which they have confidence and which will show them to their best effect. Or failing that, just give them some feedback. Surely the whole point of this is to nurture their development, not shove them, unprepared, into the spotlight.
I would be interested to hear what changes the organisers are planning to make to the running of the scheme this year because there is certainly room for improvement. I hope I do not sound mean-spirited but having witnessed the evening first-hand and then hearing accounts from those involved, I was left feeling pretty angry at such a waste of time, money and potential.
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@stagmountcowsfoot
Thanks for that. Other people had a different experience, and I'm sorry yours wasn't as positive.
The showcase marked the end of the first year of the college, from which we have learned a lot, and which will influence the second year. The first time for everything has to be a learning experience, and the imperfections of the scheme and the showcase have been noted and will be addressed.
The scripts were clearly presented as works in progress, and were at different stages of development, rather than purporting to be the finished article. All of the writers have had feedback, some from mentors, while some are awaiting mentor availability.
Equally, some writers have yet to complete their programme attachments due to a shortage of suitable production. As with mentors, there seems little point in involving a writer with a production which differs greatly from their style and aspirations.
So the initial promises will be met, albeit outside the original time scale. In any case, our association with the writers is intended to be a continuing relationship rather than coming to an end when the college year does.
I think you do sound a bit mean-spirited, actually, but you're absolutely entitled to your view. I'm glad you liked the cast. And I'm glad that not everyone who was there feels as you do.
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I was at the showcase too and really enjoyed it. There were good laughs in all the scripts and some were outstanding. They were all different styles which was good, because the college is obviously about helping people to develop their own styles rather than forcing them into a mould. There seemed to be about twenty actors, so having them all sitting around would have looked a bit silly I think. Okay, the show element might have been smoother, but there was some great acting and a nice atmosphere in the audience, and industry people are a hard crowd. So it was a good night for me, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from the six.
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It's very interesting to read that the showcase went well. I suppose the writers will feel at a bit of a loose end now the year is over. Good luck to them.
I have a question about the 2009 competition. Correct me if I'm wrong but are entries from students/graduates of recognised writing institutions now barred from entering unless they have a credit?
I seem to recall last time Michael mentioning at least one writer with no production credits who made it quite high in the competition. What happened to them? What will happen to people like them that have graduated from courses but for one reason or another have been banging their heads against brick walls?
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@Micheal,
Any chance of you being able to post extracts here from some of these newly showcased scripts? Or does copyright and the fact that they are works in progress preclude you from being able to do that?
BTW, I wasn't at the showcase myself but enjoyed it immensely. Hope that helps...
Mrs M
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@Shandling - glad you enjoyed yourself.
@Someday - I hope the writers won't be feeling at loose ends! We're still developing scripts and they're all busy with other stuff. You're right that we ruled out writing graduates this year, and also correct that a graduate without professional credits was in the final 15. Experience of this year made us feel that things work best with a group of writers who have had largely equivalent experience.
@MrsM - I think it might be good to post some stuff in due course. I'll explore with the writers. And thank you for your btw, which is much appreciated.
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'....Daddy Cool by Rob and Neil Gibbons, which is about a man with early onset Alzheimers and a squabbling family.'
...er, OK. Can't knock it unless I saw it, I suppose.
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