Grand Scheme was delighted to be involved in this year’s showcase for new comedy writing at The Soho Theatre.
‘Conkers’, a mainstream situation comedy, is a script that Grand Scheme’s Mark Robson and co-writer Chris McGuire have been working on for a while. Their ambition is to try and create a show that has echoes of traditional BBC One comedies like ‘Are You Being Served’, albeit with contemporary stories and characters.
“We learnt a hell of a lot”, says Mark. “It was painful, educational and inspirational all at the same time. There is nothing like actually hearing great actors deliver your script to make it a tangible thing. It is exposed to the light and you can see all the flaws”.
Amongst the cast were Lizzie Roper who is a key member of the BBC’s ‘Boy Meets Girl’, JUlian Dutton – who helped wrote and performed in Matt Lucas’s ‘Pompidou’ and Toby Williams, who featured in Ben Wheatley’s ‘High-Rise’.
Mark and Chris knew the script needed more work and the live event confirmed it. “The staged reading energised Chris and I to write a fresh draft. We recommend it to any writer – get your script read by actors in front of an audience. It’s an amazing experience”.
The Soho Project runs annually at The Soho Theatre and more information can be obtained from Hollie Ebdon at Ebdon Management.
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