Mailbox

A round-up of the latest news, gossip and other information from members. Health warning: Anything in this article should not be relied upon as gospel. 

Got something to share? Send it to mailbox@bscw.co.uk

BSCW NEWS UPDATE
From: Gill Smith

NEW DISCOUNT PRICE FOR SOAP OPERA WORKSHOP!

SOAP OPERA with Shaun MacLoughlin and John Temple - 24-25 March

Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY

There is a continuous demand for new and established writers to work on long-running series such as, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Brookside, Hollyoaks, Crossroads, The Archers, Station Road, Westway. Writing for soap opera is a difficult craft to master, but once mastered it can help the writer to flourish in other media.

For course and tutor details, see the website on http://www.bscw.co.uk

FEES
Due to late notice, discounted fees are available:
BSCW Members/Subscribers: £50
Non-members: £75

For enrollment details, please contact Ken Rock, BSCW, 61 Parry Road, Ashmore Park, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV11 2PS - ken@bscw.org.uk

Please make cheques payable to "THE BRITISH SOCIETY OF COMEDY WRITERS".
Registration form available from the Society website at www.bscw.org.uk


MEMBER UPDATE
From:Geoff Parfitt

The following is an update about the Sitcom Writing Workshops I am presenting at Stratford-upon-Avon College.

SITCOM WRITING WORKSHOPS - UPDATE

Tuesday April 24th sees the start of a new ten week term of my course of Sitcom Writing Workshops at Stratford-upon-Avon College. There will be places available for new class members, to join those continuing from the previous term. To enrol, contact the college on 01789-266245. For further information, contact me on 01564-779576.

Now in case you think these workshops are just an opportunity to sit behind a desk while I talk at you for two hours, that’s not the point. The whole point is to develop good sitcom scripts by working on them in class... with the support of not just myself, but the other writers in the class.

We do things in these classes that are impossible for writers working alone. We are able to perform scripts written by class members, and discuss all aspects at length... and I mean at length! The classes end at nine o’clock, but most of my students are still with me in the pub two hours later!

I have also been arranging group visits to television studios to watch sitcoms being recorded. Members of the class have found this a very enlightening and enjoyable experience. Recently I have obtained tickets for the new Simon Nigh sitcom "The Savages", and the new ITV sitcom "Sam’s Game" starring Davina McCall.

At present, a BBC producer is very interested in a radio sitcom I am jointly writing, and I am working on a pilot script that will be the first step towards a series. This has meant that I can tell members of my class a lot about the commissioning and development process for a new sitcom.

I believe that sketch writing is a good way of learning some of the skills needed in writing situation comedy, and I also promote the opportunities to write for television and radio sketch shows. All of my current students have sent a batch of material to "Smack the Pony", though none of them had written sketches before this course.

If any of you are curious to know what my classes are like for yourselves, guests are always welcome to come along for a class to join in and see what we do. Then they can decide if they wish to enrol for that or the next term. This term, two visitors have come along and they are both planning to join my course in April.

All members of my class get an un-written personal guarantee from me that if they don’t get a highly paid commission to write a situation comedy series for the BBC or Channel 4 within the next 32 years, they will get half their enrolment fee back (in cash!) Unfortunately, I can not guarantee that anybody gets a commission to write a situation comedy for ITV. I’m a comedy writing teacher... not Ali Bongo.


SITCOM NEWS
From: Kev F Sutherland

Thanks to everyone who made it along to this week's Sitcom Trials at The Comedy Pub in Soho. Your response made it highly enjoyable, and it proved to be one of our most fruitful showcases.

As I left, a very important TV exec and the producer of two top current sitcoms had singled out and were courting our lead writing team, we'd been successfully docusoaped and recorded for webcast and broadcast by our new TV partner, two of our cast had learnt they've got parts in Eastenders as a result of being seen at earlier Trials, and a couple
more had found themselves writing a BBC2 sketch show. So all in all we were feeling pretty chuffed with ourselves.

And the audience's votes reflect a similar positivity, with only one item dipping into minus figures. The voting looked like this:

The Client (rewritten pilot) by Harris, Wainwright & Blakewill (36 points)
Orange Girls (3rd episode) by Miranda Hart (21)
AOB (new)by Yeaman & Cottier (15)
Bill The Builder (rerun) by Sutherland (15)
Suburban Anarchist (3rd episode) by Rich Johnston (12)
Socks Pies Sellotape (new) by Steve Wallace (-18)

Sitcom Trials Overall (voted for seperately) (29)

For copies of scripts or contacts for writers and performers, email me at kevf@sitsvac.org. Webcast clips and archived scripts from previous Trials are to be found on our website.

See you at the next show on April 16th

Kev F Sutherland
Producer
The Sitcom Trials
http://www.sitsvac.org


WANTED AD
From: The Stage Magazine (sent in by Alan Stafford)

Message: Display Ad in "The Stage" 15 March:

Want to be in sketch comedy on TV? So do we! Seeking creative female performer/writer to complete trio.

Influences: Julie Walters/Victoria Wood, Steve Coogan, French and Saunders.

Send pic and CV to: Jason Wood, 48 Scotts Road, London E10 6LW.