Fishwick Papers: The "It's a Mail Explosion!" edition
Goooood morning!
I’m writing this from a cafe in Parnell, Auckland. I’m here for a few weeks working on of the most exciting, nerve-wracking and enjoyable projects of my career.
A few years ago I started developing an interactive, immersive theatre show with my friend Laura Irish, later joined by my partner Kirsty. It’s a 1920s Hollywood murder mystery, set and performed on a luxury yacht, based on the real death of hotshot producer Thomas Ince.
We were given funding from a private donor to finish developing the show (and rehearsing and producing it…) on the condition that we opened a two-month season in the first week of June. So, I quit my day job, and two weeks later arrived to start working!
It’s been an absolute dream to work alongside some of my favourite actors and writers to make this een happen. It’s so rare to be working full-time (and let’s be honest, more than full-time) just doing writing and directing and rehearsing and thinking about character and story and how to give the audience an absolutely wild time. Let along to be doing it all on a luxury yacht like the Sea Breeze III.
If you want to find out more about the show, you can listen to my co-director Laura talking to RNZ about it here. If you or somebody you know lives near Auckland, you can find a link to book tickets here.
Alright, I need to get back to wrangling the sprawling script of the show (did I mention the characters are moving between all four levels of the boat?), so in the meantime, allow me to satiate your desire for ol’fashioned links.
The Writers’ Strike
The looming threat of AI to Hollywood, and why it should matter to you
I highly recommend Going Rogue, whose latest season is on the 2007 writers’ strike
Pop Culture
Big Numbers
Endings
The Titanic of the Pacific: The sinking of the Valencia
Interview about improv of the week