Writing The Thing

After conquering Edinburgh last summer and then enjoying two, yes two London runs, Hot Mess has become one of the buzziest new musicals over the last year. Here, its book writer and director Ellie Coote talks about the show's genesis, her partnership with lyricist and composer Jack Godfrey, and how they approached an issue like climate change in such an original way. 
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener

Why write and put on one critically acclaimed, hugely successful queer show when you can write and put on two? At once? As a double-bill? And act in one and co-direct the other? Paul Bradshaw talks about his plays tell me straight and aggy, which went down a treat at Park Theatre earlier this year and are now heading to King's Head. He also talks about going through the Criterion New Writing group, grappling with ACE applications, and why Mass is his play of the year.
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener

With his company Awkward Productions, Linus Karp has created and performed in a string of shows that have brought joyful queer chaos to audiences all over the place, via characters like Princess Diana, Gwyneth Paltrow and the hot couples of made-for-TV Christmas movies. Now, in his new show Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella, he's playing himself and drawing from a real-life homophobic incident. Here, he talks about all of the above, plus his love of the Edinburgh Fringe, how he and Joseph Martin have weaved banging music into their work, and how he started making his own stuff in the first place.
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener

After working as a school teacher for 17 years, Jayshree Patel tried her hand at writing and absolutely soared. As well as writing some properly massive Hollyoaks episodes, she has worked for shows including the BBC's iconic Waterloo Road and 5's high-camp cozy crime hit The Good Ship Murder. Here, she talks about all of that, as well as what makes a good pitch, having her work featured on Gogglebox, and the evergreen importance of continuing drama.
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener

Her Bruntwood Prize-shortlisted play (the) Woman picked up huge acclaim on a UK tour and at London’s Park Theatre, where Paloma Faith called it the “best play I’ve seen in years”. Now, just months later, her totally gorgeous piece Scenes From A Friendship has earned similar plaudits at the Nottingham Playhouse. Jane Upton talks about honesty in playwriting, the massive benefits of an ace dramaturg... and sitting next to a vomiting audience member at the Royal Court. Plus, a voicenote cameo from our mutual friend, the awesome actor Jamie-Rose Monk.
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener

He's written big plays for big names in big theatres, and now Ben Weatherill has entered the world of cosy crime on the BBC's massive hit, Death In Paradise. Here, he talks about his experience in the world of continuing drama, what it was like to come aboard Motorhome Marilyn for Michelle Collins after the death of its initial writer Stewart Permutt, and how he came to write for none other than Sir Ian McKellen.
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener

Any show that puts Brenda Blethyn in a fabulous wig and has her talk about "reVenNnNnGE!" was always going to be a winner. A Woman of Substance has had enormous success on Channel 4 this year, and here its co-creator and co-lead-writer Roanne Bardsley discusses the process of adapting Barbara Taylor Bradford's epic novel, the joys of gloriously escapist telly, and her invaluable beginnings in soapland.
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener 

As the Olivier Award-winning The P Word returns to London's Bush Theatre, playwright Waleed Akhtar opens up on how he got into writing after starting out as an actor (via some wild advice from a former agent), how this particular banger of a play was put together, and what it was like to win at the UK's biggest theatre awards.
Host: Shaun Kitchener
Music: William Kitchener

How did they write that thing?! Find out in this new podcast talking to a whole load of banging writers about how they worked their magic. Coming June 2026.