Treading water

Despite their countless spectacular and intensely emotional storylines, dramatic long-forms (screen, audio, prose, full-length stage) sometimes have to confront the issue of ‘treading water’.  This applies equally to plot and to characters. It’s a kind of temporary flat-lining – the dynamism dips, the energy drains – and you find your mind wandering (and wondering, but

Crafting & Grafting

Across two meteorologically fickle September weeks, Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter witnessed what could almost be called a happening. Not a common occurrence, it had done well to court a range of reactions from onlookers: bafflement, delight, flitting interest, scorn, intrigue. And that’s to say nothing of what the paying audience thought. This was Gem of a

What a weekend!

At 11.30am on 9th September we sit near Chamberlain’s Clock in Golden Square and the magic begins. The clock exerts its power and time becomes fluid. As writers, we see our words spring to life when the actors arrive to take the audience with them on their journey round the Jewellery Quarter. There are stories

History – what is it good for?

Everyone studies History at school but what do we learn? There are so many different histories – kings and queens, wars, political, social, Commonwealth, world. How does it help us? The philosopher Santayana said ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ Judging by the number of times history repeats itself, we’re

Meet the Cast!

We’re delighted to announce our amazing cast for Gem of a Place which opens in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter on September 9th. Graeme Rose returns having previously thrilled audiences in Behind Bars: Ghosts of the Lock-Up as the notorious Tommy Tank. Another BOLDtext veteran is Adaya Henry who appeared in Power of Invention at Soho House.

Director Announced!

We’re thrilled to reveal Jennifer Davis as our director for Gem of a Place, opening in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter on the 9th of September. Hailing from Coventry, Jen is a Junior Associate at the King’s Head Theatre and Women and Theatre’s Lead Artist Practitioner. She works with writers, theatre makers and performers to produce work

Timeless

An elegant green Edwardian clock stands at the heart of Birmingham’s beloved Jewellery Quarter, towering above the bustling lives of residents, workers, shoppers and visitors. The Chamberlain Clock has been an impressive sight since it was unveiled by Joseph Chamberlain back in 1903 to commemorate his visit to South Africa after the controversial 2nd Boer

Green door, what’s that secret you’re keeping?

According to the 1956 hit song, ‘there’s an old piano and they play it hot behind the green door’. It’s a tune that was running through my head as I approached a battered green door in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. However, rather than finding a smoke-filled speakeasy, I discovered an entirely different world of wonders: a

The power of collective strength

Google searches for ‘how can I join a union’ went up by 500 per cent at the end of June, driven by coverage of the rail strikes and by the growing number of planned industrial disputes fuelled by the cost-of-living crisis. My short play for GEM OF A PLACE – about women penmakers being urged

The Cheeky Back Kick

It’s been an exciting summer so far, Wimbledon, a mini heatwave, the Lionesses through to the Euros final, the Commonwealth Games kicking off in Birmingham, Prima Facie hitting the cinemas… who doesn’t love Jodie Comer? People often compare the funding of sports and the arts –  which gets most, which is perceived to be more