Mark P. Henderson

Catching up

We had a meeting about the “Fright Night” plans on Wednesday November 27th. The outline ideas I’d suggested met with approval, which landed me with the job of writing a draft script… without actually taking over what should be a communal project incorporating the ideas of all concerned. So I wrote a draft script for about half the performance, added some notes on what I think should come next, and e-mailed it to everyone in the “Inspire Glossop” group yesterday evening (November 30th). I await responses. A copy of the e-mail went to my friend Libby, a valued member of our creative writing group who has more experience of dramatic productions that the rest of us (I have none at all, so this project has thrown me in at the deep end). Libby’s advice and guidance will be gratefully received!

While I was busy scribbling these 4500 words of Fright Night draft script I was also preparing for Helen’s storytelling workshop in Wensley on Saturday 30th (i.e. yesterday). We were all asked to prepare a traditional tale for telling. I opted to use a variant of the one on which I’d based the Fright Night script, thereby saving myself some mental energy, but it was pretty hard work nevertheless. (Helen ran a brilliant workshop, as she always does, despite an abscess on the roof of her mouth; a tough lady.) We have a great group for these workshops and despite the demands of the day it was good fun. When we left, just after four in the afternoon, we were rewarded for our diligence by the spectacle of a brilliant sunset, all cerulean and Peynes grey and vermilion with flashes of purple and cadmium yellow… (Wensley, by the way, is just a few miles from Matlock, where the monthly storytelling cafe is held – I’ll be going to the next one on Friday of this week, December 6th, and hoping Helen is sufficiently recovered to perform.)

In the creative writing group we’ve been working on our application for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and we plan to meet on Wednesday coming (4th) to sort out the preliminary stage. The following morning, Thursday 5th, will be our final rehearsal for the public performance-come-party on December 12th, when we hope to entertain a collection of civic dignitaries.

Just to make sure I don’t get bored, I have a collection of ten medical manuscripts to edit in my copious free time…