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Buxton,
a beautiful town has mineral water, attractive gardens, and the
grand Opera House. Maggie Dealey, the writer of A Woman of Uncertain
Age lives here, performs here, and wrote her first play in the town.
She has a very gentle expression in her eyes. She speaks in a graceful
manner with a slight shyness. But her heart is so open and full
of clever thoughts.
Your
name?
Maggie Dealey is actually my pen name. I wrote the play but decided
to present it under a pen-name because I wanted the play judged
separately from the acting. Because it was my first venture into
writing for the stage, I was not sure how it would be received.
Do
you have a theatre background?
I did not have any writing experience before. I actually did a degree
in French at university. I've written sketches and lighthearted
things for reviews. But I have not written a play before. I have
studied French and British playwrights. I suppose every culture
has its great writers.
What
do you do now?
I am an actor and a voiceover artist. Most of my acting work is
for theatre, and I've done some films. But I have to pay bills,
so I work as a part-time freelance administrator. And I now work
for a cross-arts networking and support organisation for artists.
It's wonderful to meet other artists and we can learn a great deal
from each other's art forms.
Why
did you start writing?
I wanted something to perform! The year before last, I did one of
the Talking Heads pieces by Alan Bennett in the Buxton Fringe, and
it went down very well. But you have to pay for the performing rights!
The idea of writing my own play had been brewing in my head for
quite a long time. I actually put the entry in the Fringe programme
before I had finished writing the play, which as an actor, is not
really a good thing. I specified in the programme that it would
only be half hour long, but when I had finished writing it, it was
an hour. This did me a favour, because it made me cut out a lot
of rubbish! I condensed it to something hopefully much more interesting.
Less rambling. And when I came to write it down, it was very quick.
Actually I wrote it in three days, and then fiddled about with it
for about a fortnight. Much less painful than I thought it was going
to be.
Is
there anything in your play related to your own experience?
I suppose there are things related to my life. I am a mother with
two children. Also, I think from the universal experience of relationships,
both successful and non-successful, struck a few chords. I think
there are more autobiographical notes here and there although it
is not actually based on my life. But I expect most writers draw
on their own experiences.
How
did you know about 24:7?
This is my first play. It was a great fun thing. It was Denice Hope,
an actress I have worked with, might be the first person to mention
it. I also saw it on the UK Screen website. And another friend of
mine reminded me about the deadline. I just got it in time. The
chance to put something on in Manchester is great. I am obviously
delighted to be part of it.
Who
is your writing role model?
I totally never thought about that, because I am such a new writer.
I think I write from the point of view of the performer. But the
specific influence on the play, and on the start of the play, was
Dorothy Parker, an American; a fabulous, witty, clever writer who
wrote short stories and poems and book reviews. Quite a bitter style.
My writing is nothing like hers, although I admire her immensely.
And I quite fancied the idea of being able to have a play where
you heard what somebody was thinking as well as hearing what she
is saying. So in my play, there is recorded speech, while the actress
is silent. The audience hears the character's thought and just watch
the actor thinking the thought without a word. The inspiration for
that came from Dorothy Parker, I think.
Does
your writing interest lie in Feminism?
My interest does not lie in Feminism. But it is about a woman, and
I am a female. I'd like to write another work not specifically about
women. This play talks a lot about a particular woman's attitude
towards men. It is not based in Feminism, definitely.
What
kind of plays do you like the best?
I have a very catholic taste. I love many of Shakespeare's plays
and a lot of modern plays. I just love theatre. Generally my theatre
experience is very positive.
What
do you think about the 24:7 idea?
I think here in Buxton, with the Opera House, some people just feel
theatre is not for them. I think 24:7 is a great idea. I think theatre
in a non-theatre venue could be very exciting. In fact, going to
a pub and watching someone performing can add something to the evening.
I am quite used to the idea because of doing fringe theatre, which
can often be in any corner you can find. I think sometimes you may
have to work harder to keep an audience with you. But sometimes
the intimate atmosphere can help.
Will
you continue writing plays?
I definitely want to try to write again. I do not find it particularly
hard, but it has to be in my mind for a long time before I actually
put it down. I think I probably have to wait again until something
is brewing in my mind before trying to put it down.
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What
do you want to do now?
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24:7
- Daisy Wang talks to Maggie Dealey
Powerhouse
-Watch again
