Hi,

I’m late again. Sneaking this in just before the long weekend ends means I can forgive myself and it’s a bank holiday anyway (aka “Unexpectedly Crowded Monday” to freelancers) so realistically nobody's reading this til Tuesday. I’m late because this week I’ve mostly been tired. All of the travelling really got to me and I suppose I’ve discovered I’m more of a homebody than I realised. I'm not sure if it's me being in a low mood or it genuinely is just the need for rest but I've loved becoming reacquainted with my bed.

That said, the Hugos were an absolutely glorious experience. Any chance to go to Dublin is good - to do it in the presence of hundreds of excited, passionate, supremely nerdy people is even better. It's a nice reminder that fandom is, for the most part, wonderful and I need to get back into indulging myself in it more. Also, turns out George RR Martin throws an excellent after/loser's party? Who knew! (Don't @ me, I know a lot of you knew).

I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't get a huge amount done work wise, which is frustrating, but I’ve got a nice meeting and travel free week ahead so hopefully I’ll catch up. I'm trying to get better at writing when I'm knackered and I don't want to become a coffee fiend so I guess I'll become an obsessive gym bunny or develop an illegal drug habit. Both terrible fates. Maybe it'll be both (dare to dream, Vinay!).

In particular, I find it hard to write character dynamics when I’m tired, I can't keep my head in the emotions, so I find myself leaning into my list of big images and trying to settle my mind around one and build from there. I've learned the hard way that that the worst thing you can do is absolutely nothing - even if you’re just chipping away at the project your future self will thank you.
 

I had three cultural trips this week, beginning with The Doctor at the Almeida. I've already commented with my main thoughts on Twitter so I won't add too much more, though for me is was a slightly underwhelming end to Icke's otherwise glittering Almeida career which I've been lucky enough to see the majority of. I mean, it's reviewed pretty well and it utilises some playful theatrical devices (one of which I similarly used for my Paines Plough piece last year) so, you know, who cares what I think, but among a few other things I found its interrogation of identity politics particularly surface and a little demeaning. I know the play would argue that this line of thinking is exactly what's killing us, and I'm absolutely up for a meaningful dissection of identity politics, it just felt really, really difficult to swallow the critique when, as far as I can remember, and as far as they have recorded in their own archive, that theatre hasn't ever given a proper run to a British writer of colour. The most recent full production by any writer of colour was under the last artistic director in 2010, and that was a Lynn Nottage play. Hopefully I've just misread that though and I'm happy to be corrected.

I like the Almeida a great deal. I've done a workshop there, my encounters with the people who work in the building have been excellent and I'm particularly glad to see Tinuke Craig directing there later this year. God. It's hard not to love a play when you want it theatre to blow your mind every time you sit down in the space, isn't it? It's especially hard when you have friends in it, as I did here. (The cast are top notch for what it's worth, all the love to them). But there it is. The play wanted that conversation so here is a small contribution to it. Forever searching for a method to critique while still maintaining industry relationships...

Next up was the newest Almodóvar, Pain and Glory which is a loosely autobiographical take on himself. It partly comments of his working relationship with Antonio Banderas...who plays the director figure in the film, so that's particularly fun. Films about filmmakers and/or any other kind of artists instinctively roll my eyes (I am aware of the irony of me currently writing a work about filmmakers) but there's always something compulsive about Almodóvar's work even though he isn't naturally my "thing". Every time I read that he's got a new film coming, I find the premises make me want to hurt myself and others. And then I'll go and watch them and they're just so...him and I love it. The confidence is disarming. I mean, as noted elsewhere, we don't talk about I'm So Excited! but mostly, I'm there for it. This wasn't as memorable as Julieta for me (sorry Pedro, your apartment is very nice though) but glad I got to it.

Catching the last night This Is Black, a short festival of new Black British work curated by Steven Kavuma, at the Bunker was a nice way to round out the week. Early career writers flexing their muscles and finding their voices. Sheer delight. As I understand, they're looking to do it again next year so keep an eye for that.
 

Let me round off with some things that I'm excited about. First up, Nida Manzoor's Lady Parts ​has deservedly been commissioned to series. I've known Nida since before I even wrote my first play, and she's a whipsmart and effervescent writer/director. To see her get the chance to put the fullest expression (so far) of her interests on screen is a joyful thing. The pilot is still up and you can watch it here. It's an excellent use of 14 minutes of your life. Do it. It happens to starsAnjana Vasan who I think is now getting a near weekly airing on this newsletter but, you know, she is excellent. (She's also playing the lead in A Doll's House at the Lyric Hammersmith so get on that too).

Secondly, Bisha Ali is only flipping showrunning the new Ms. Marvel series! I can absolutely see a universe where Nida ends up directing on that show too. Either way, both of those announcements come as a bit of a corrective to my downer last week. Hopefully you feel similarly. 

Finally, I've been watching season 2 of Succession and oh boy is it glorious. As much as I loved season 1, I was worried that as a story of rich kids going to pot it was going to come off as quite niche. But it feels timelier than ever, especially now that they seem to be commenting more on and playing out the link between the media, money and politics. It's so fucking funny and so fucking smart, touching lightly but with needle sharpness on ambition, masculinity, power and the corrupting influence of all three. It's on NowTV which you can get a free trial of - the series runs weekly though so if that's how you want to watch it, give it a couple of months.

Will catch you Friday - me and Jon Brittain will have just been to a Terminator double-bill (because the movies stopped after 2) and no doubt I will Have Opinions.

P.S. I didn't get into project density. Again. I started (promise!) but realised it's too big for a segment and probably too short for the whole newsletter. I'll build this week's letter around it instead so it takes pride of place. Talk soon.

xx