Preview votes have been counted...

BRILLIANT! BEST YET.  That's our audience feedback for Media Monsters preview nights... and also one of the replies to What did you think of tonight's performance? We've never had such a torrent of feedback forms, all of them super-appreciative. Excellent and thought-provoking peppered responses, with lots of comments that showed how completely our Frome audiences 'got' our intentions. There were positive comments about our scripts ("brilliantly written"~ "Modern Shakespeare") our cast ("sensitively acted"~ "fantastic performances") and Marc's direction ("Loved the staging and movement" ~ "sensitive and nuanced".)  The contrast in tone between our plays went down well too: "Both enjoyable, interesting perspectives" ~ "Good contrast – first satirical, second original with dramatic development, thoughtful and very powerful.")  Our plays are moving & real,  funny, clever, sexy and shocking, meaty & complex, uncomfortable & enjoyable, entertaining, complex & seamless, riveting, challenging compelling & evocative.  And comments along the lines of "created lots of discussion and will keep us talking" are certainly proving true!

As the company gets ready for our run at Alma Tavern Theatre, Rosie and I can take a deep breath until opening night. I've found that for a playwright the process of production is fascinating & deeply terrifying. Your words, like The Prophet's children, leave the home of your imagination and saunter off into the house of tomorrow which you cannot enter, not even in your dreams. That's why we write for theatre, of course, rather than for readers. In my mind, my characters were idealists who  since 1967 had progressively constructed separate lives: their memories ~ heart-breakingly beautifully acted by Olivia Dennis and Vincent Enderby ~ are selective, and their real-time interaction non-connective: a jagged route to their final stand-off.  Marc as director saw the journey slightly differently, and that becomes the writer's journey too. It's a fearful privilege and I've learned much about the vital steps from page to stage. I'm Bafta-gushingly grateful to Stepping Out Theatre for taking on the Media Monsters project, and to this talented cast & crew.

So prepping's done and taster tasted, on now to Bristol for the real feast... After two full-house shows with such a generously enthusiastic supporters, what challenges will next week bring?