Drama Critiques

It's been a great run of theatre trips over the last few weeks in a range of theatres with both amateur and professional productions.

At the recent Ulster Drama Festival finals at Ballyearl Theatre we heard the adjudicator's constructive and generous comments which were very insightful into all aspects of what makes a successful production.

The two performances we saw were 'Steel Magnolias' and 'Bouncers'. While both were very different, it was easy to forget these were amateur productions, such was the high standard. It was great to hear that 'Bouncers' took the title of best play during the festival.

At Belfast's Grand Opera House we saw Agatha Christie's 'Death on the Nile', a production touring the UK and Ireland.

During the interval I overheard someone in the row behind us critising the acting and the use of the stage - a would-be drama festival adjudicator perhaps! They seemed to be unjustifiably negative and were also very critical of the captions for the hard of hearing! I felt sorry for how miserable they must be feeling to be so negative of such a spectacular production with superb acting, authentic set and fabulous costumes.

On a smaller stage at The Santuary Theatre we saw 'A Bomber's Moon' and 'The Hop on Hop off Bus'. Both plays are set in Belfast, though very different again. While the stage and cast may have been smaller in these productions, the acting was excellent. Thankfully no one was sitting behind us critising these productions and spoiling our enjoyment as they were a very welcome escape from other dramas going on in my life! 

Breaks from Routine

It was good to meet up with fellow writers yesterday and exercise my writing muscles again after a short break. Fuelled by coffee and apple and cinnamon muffins, we caught up on news and did some spring themed writing. It was amazing what we all developed from the same prompt.

After a few lovely days away in Scotland it was good to get back into a routine again. While there was little opportunity to write while I was away, I did manage a few museum visits - including seeing the last letter Mary Queen of Scots wrote (currently on display in Perth museum) as well as making time for a return visit to one of the palaces she lived in at Falkland. 

It was also great to have time for some reading - I enjoyed Tracy Chevalier's 'The Glass Maker' over the Easter break and I got the chance to dip into a lovely anthology which includes a short story I wrote. 'Spring at Bluebell Wood' is in 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Me'.

Now to get back to writing - with some new projects on the horizon, it's going to be an exciting few months ahead.

All Booked Up

I'm still buzzing from being at the recent Children's Literature Conference at the Seamus Heaney centre in Belfast. It was great to hear so many speakers and panels talking about a range of issues impacting being creative and also sharing their very varied experience. 

Events like these are great for making connections and re-connecting with other creatives and professionals in the children's literature world. It was great to be there to support and encourage local creators, catch up with writing pals and meet others I'd previously connected with online in person at last.

It was a packed programme, but I managed to squeeze in a very quick tour of Oliver Jeffers' exhibition at the Naughton Gallery at Queen's.

It's amazing to reflect how the local kidlit community is thriving, spurred on by the success of so many local creators producing work of such a high quality. Below are just some books from my collection of signed copies of books for children and young people created by local writers and illustrators. 

What's most encouraging is that this pile keeps growing as more and more local writers and illustrators for children are getting their books published. This can only be good for young readers and writers from here.

Re-energising Writing

There's no doubt the appearance of the sun these last few days has put everyone in better form.  Longer, brighter days bring a new creative energy I'm trying to harness - torn between enjoying working in the garden and writing.

There's been so many local writing events on lately, that I've had diary clashes and been unable to attend everything I'd like to. Yesterday was a case in point when the launch of a new local picture book publisher coincided with our writing group meet up.

I would have loved to have gone to the launch event, but I'm glad I made the decision to stick with my original plans and attend our writing group meeting. Sunshine on a sparkling sea, coupled with a fresh breeze helped blow away any remaining winter cobwebs.

Over coffee and chocanana muffins we caught up on news and exercised our writing muscles. A good writing workout ensued, stretching those muscles and keeping them in good shape. Now to keep going....

Literary City

This weekend I've taken part in a couple of great events in the Look North festival. Yesterday morning I participated in a fantastic short story workshop led by local writer Jan Carson. There were lots of new tips as well as some fun writing exercises.

This afternoon saw the launch of Issue 5 from New Isles Press. I was thrilled to pick up a copy of this anthology at the launch event and read one of my poems in UlsterScots included in it at the event. 

As well as readers showcasing a wide variety of work, there was also a good panel discussion.

Earlier in the week I'd called into the Linenhall library in the final days of their Fragments of Scotch Poetry Exhibition. It was good to read all the poems from this Poetry Jukebox curation, including my poem, 'Ballooning' now displayed before tge exhibition finished.

After a weekend of literary indulgences in our wee city, the sign I noticed in the car park today seemed very fitting.

Weekend of Writing

I know it may be hard to believe - but the sun actually made a very rare appearance yesterday. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, as I was down at Coney with the writing gang when it happened. 

Our catch up over coffee and chocanana muffins with a bit of writing thrown in was a welcome distraction from this incessant rain. And it's been a weekend of good writing news - with acceptances for a poem and a short story, as well as news of an anthology on the way.

It's turned out to be a busy writing weekend, with some preparation/ homework for the 'Writing Historical Fiction for Young People' course I've been doing through the Irish Writers Centre to be completed, along with catching some sessions at the SCBWI virtual winter conference.

Thankfully I'll be able to catch the recordings of some other sessions. In this horrible winter weather it's been great to be able to attend both a course and conference from the comfort of home, without having to venture outside. But the sun came out for a while again today, and it was great to get out and see signs of spring on the way.

Making an Exhibition of Ourselves

It's so un-Ulster-Scots to draw attention to or make an exhibiton of oneself, but I have to confess I was fair pleased with myself this week to see some of my writing has been referenced in the current Robert Burns exhibition at the Linenhall library in Belfast.

This exhibition opened before Burns Night celebrations had taken place and is on until the end of February.

Tracing the influence of Burns from when his 'Fragments of Scotch Poetry' first appeared in Belfast's 'Newsletter' in 1786 to the present day, the exhibition includes some of the poetry books held in the Gibson Collection dating from the late eighteenth century along with a range of Burnsanalia.

The exhibition also references the recent Ulster Scots poetry jukebox curation in which I (along with nine other poets (including two Scots makars!)) have a poem - 'Ballooning' written in response to 'To a Louse'.

It was an honour to be selected to be part of this curation with this group of contempoary Ulster Scots writers and for our work now to be included in the Linenhall library's collection.

The exhibition also includes the Linenhall's publications of the winning entries in their annual Ulster Scots writing competition. I'm honoured to have my stories included in two of these publications.

The exhibition continues until the end of February - a perfect excuse to celebrate Burns Night for a little bit longer.