Saw Children of the Night by Danielle Phillips last week.
90s; clubbing; youth; relationships; social comment; regionalism; class… It was gorgeous.
It opens at the Lowry tonight (before partying to Hull Truck (25&26 Feb); Birmingham Rep (2&3 Mar); @swkplay.bsky.social (11 Mar - 4 Apr))
Go see!
A picture of handwritten text saying ‘unLab applications open 23rd Feb’
Get this noted down ✍️
Unlimited Theatre are reopening their unAwards for one last time to offer 2 more unLab awards for companies of Artists to retreat, reimagine, and think about their future!
Applications will open Monday 23rd Feb.
unlimited.earth/unawards/
Get involved!
Very good. Tired but doing good things with excellent people (mostly). Hope Snoops isn’t ‘feeling it’ too much this morning! Hope you’re well?
”You think it's a talent, you think you're born with this thing. What I've found out and what I believed is that everybody is talented. It's just that some people get it developed and some don't.“
Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021)
Arts education is for everyone.
‘So much talent comes from the base of poverty and those in the margins. You limit the base, you miss too much talent’
Jesse Jackson (1941-2026)
A purple, blue and blush(?) coloured tile saying ‘Call Out: Manchester based stage manager’ for Amy Lever’s Lost Girl.
Stage managers!
We’re looking for a brilliant Manchester based stage manager to work with us on ‘Lost Girl’ at the Lowry. Amy Lever has written and will be performing, the awesome Daisy Howell is producing and I’m directing.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Application deadline: 11am, 23 Feb 2026
Trustee opportunity:
@mikrontheatre.bsky.social are seeking new trustees to support their/our unique touring theatre company and help shape its future.
You’d be part of something creative, values-led, and nationally visible.
Oh, and get to spend time with me(!)
mikron.org.uk/about/newtru...
It’s almost like history is repeating… (and in this instance it’s more than welcomed!)
‘The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is – it’s to imagine what is possible’
bell hooks
Happy jólabókaflóðið to those who observe…
My fourth (and final) published academic (journal) work of 2025.
‘Daly’s article […] critiques power and hierarchy in learning spaces and proposes non-hierarchical ways of working in the studio and rehearsal space’
indeed
I just have… oh!
I did not…
“...This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go and becomes the future…”
Margaret Atwood
#WinterSolstice
Need support over the festive season? ❤️🎄❤️ Our website has a special 'Advice' section with resources on Legal Issues, Financial Support, Mental Health, Pastoral Care, and more. We're here to help you find the support you need.
freelancersmaketheatrework.com/support/
#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork
My third published academic (journal) work of 2025.
What is taught in and at drama school is important.
Who is included (and excluded) is also important.
Creating and sustaining diversification in what we teach is important.
This article offers some ‘in’ points.
(fully open access)
Cautiously optimistic
‘The government must retain the Arts Council’
‘The government must […] ensure that arts funding is protected from politicisation’
‘…introduce a new National Programme for Individuals […] to support emerging and mid-career individuals to ensure a diverse talent pool’
Three headshots of the Fair Play Associate Artistic Director residencies, along with logos of theatres. Jamie Sophia Fletcher at Leeds Playhouse. Rikki Henry at Bristol Old Vic. Yusra Warsama at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.
We’re delighted to announce the three directors & theatre makers who will be joining RTYDS for our Fair Play Associate Artistic Director residency.
A big welcome to:
- Jamie Sophia Fletcher at Leeds Playhouse
- Rikki Henry at Bristol Old Vic
- Yusra Warsama at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
This programme is the only one of its kind in England. It offers mid-career directors and theatre makers from working class backgrounds the opportunity to progress to artistic leadership, with a paid 18-month training residency.
Read more: www.rtyds.co.uk/news/fair-play-aad-announcement
This is quite something and quite brilliant.
Lots to take in.
‘Hero can’t die till the last reel’ Jimmy Cliff in role as Ivan in the 1972 film ‘The Harder They Come’. In his 81 years he achieved so much, very glad our timelines intersected.
In 2006 I was in a musical in London. It was a critical hit, based on a film that was - and is - a significant cultural touchstone.
On press night, the original ‘Ivan’ joined us on stage for the finale.
That production changed the course of my life.
Jimmy Cliff, thank you, go well.
Gary "Mani" Mounfield (1962 – 2025)
