Plug-In: Double Bill At The Studio Below

Liz Redwood, Bob Towers, Steve Bird, and Bernie Winston have burst onto the creative scene with their brand new collective, Writers Inc Productions. Speaking to Steve Bird about Writers Inc, he explained that the idea came after a December 2022 chat with Liz Redwood. They decided to collaborate on a new writing project for 2023. In April, Bob Towers and Bernie Winston joined the effort, forming Writers Inc Productions.

They successfully produced four thirty-minute plays, titled 'Plays in the Key of Life,' inspired by Stevie Wonder's album. The group came to life at their debut Liverpool's fringe festival in parallel to that Bernie Winston and Steve Bird had two individual shows featured at The Valley Theatre's 'Sense of Place', where their shows were performed to a sold-out audience. For their work, Sarah Howes-Dixon claimed the Best Comedic Performer award for her role in 'Fluorescent Adolescent,' and Bethany George and Tommy Tyler Morgan earned a nomination for Best Dramatic Partnership. Steve hinted that their next production, 'Love Is Strange,' is set for April 2024. Based on their last show, this promises to be another great work from writers inc.

Following the successful run, they are ready to bring both their plays back, with thirty minutes of gripping storytelling at The Studio Below on Nov 11th, at 6pm and 8pm. The reason they chose to do a second run at this venue, Steve Bird explained:

‘As part of the Liverpool fringe, Tom McClennan produced his annual show at the Valley Community theatre called “A Sense of Place.” This show featured several short plays over two nights. Both myself and Bernie had two shows included in this production. Bernie suggested performing our two plays again as a double production, to give the actors the benefit of two more runs while they were still in the zone, so to speak. So we agreed to run them for a second time, at the Studio Below in November.'

Bernie added: 'For me, bringing the show to the Studio Below was a no-brainer. It’s a lovely performance space and MIW is close to my heart, having provided me with so much help when I was starting out. Also, I met my wonderful cast through their MIW connections.'

The MIW team is recognised for its support and guidance for upcoming creatives who are just beginning their journey. Not only do they provide a space to showcase work at Studio Below, which was so helpful at this year's Liverpool Fringe Festival, but they also received the award for the best venue at the festival.

When asked what inspired the play 'Fluorescent Adolescent' and how the character of Kitty came to be, Bernie explained:

‘The play's inspiration stemmed from a quiz question in the 'I' newspaper, which mentioned the unique bustle at Castle Cary train station in June due to its proximity to the Glastonbury music festival. This sparked a vivid image of a frustrated older woman, Kitty, dealing with the festival crowd passing by her tranquil home. Sarah Howes-Dixon, the actress, embodied Kitty effortlessly. Her portrayal earned her the Best Performer in a Comedy Role award at this year's Liverpool Fringe festival.'

It's fascinating how creativity can come from unexpected sources of inspiration, leading to engaging and relatable stories. Bernie went on to give more insight into the characters within the play. He explained:

‘Luke Morgan plays the role of Ben, a Scouse lad who is off to the festival on a mission (if you want to know what the mission is, come and see the play!) There's just one problem... He doesn’t have a ticket. The partnership between Ben and Sarah is great. There's a real chemistry between them. Kitty’s troubled and troublesome son Gordon is played to brilliant comic effect by Terence Caddick. The three actors form a great team.'

In 'Sweet Old World,' the story revolves around twenty-something Nikki, portrayed by Bethany George, who seeks solace on a high-rise rooftop, immersing herself in music and cider. She exudes an air of introspection, embodying the characteristics of a loner and a deep thinker. Nikki’s peaceful break is interrupted by Dave, a caring businessman portrayed by Tommy Tyler Morgan. Their initial tension gives way to the discovery of surprising connections.

The story takes a turn with the arrival of the Janitor, portrayed by Stephen Donegal, revealing a complete plot twist. Steve went on to say:

'This will be the fourth outing of the play; the first outing was back in 2019. The play has been developed further this year. Bethany George has played Nikki every time we’ve performed, and the play has always been well appreciated by the audience and critics alike. Bethany fully understood the troubled character Nikki and portrayed the role brilliantly.'

We asked both creatives what emotions or themes they hope the audience will take away after experiencing the plays. They went on to say:

‘Fluorescent Adolescent is a feel-good piece about two lonely people coming together and helping each other move on with their lives Sweet old world will amuse the audience at times, but they will be taken on a roller coaster of emotions, they will see how a couple at the different sides of life, can look to help and support each other, however, they will be in for a surprise at the end. Both pieces will have the audience feeling good, but will no doubt have them reflecting on life.’

This Double bill will be performing At The Studio Below, on Nov 11th, at 6pm and 8pm. Buy your tickets below.

Written by, Meg Kay