17 May 2010

William Ivory's latest play at Lakeside, Nottingham


William Ivory’s latest play Bomber’s Moon is being played at the Lakeside Theatre in the University of Nottingham (UK), until Saturday 22nd May 2010.

As a very young man, the main character, Jimmy, had been a rear gunner serving with Bomber Command during World War Two. However, we see him mostly in the later stages of his life, as his health is failing and he rarely moves from his chair. He is visited by a carer, who administers his many medicines. In their conversations they explore matters such as sickness, ageing, religious belief and death. The play also moves back in time to demonstrate the heroism and comradeship of airmen such as Jimmy, who faced death and coped with fear and the loss of companions on a daily basis during wartime action.

The author writes for television, film and stage. His recent projects include a film for the BBC based on D.H. Lawrence’s Women in Love. In 2007 he created The Invisibles, which starred Warren Clarke, Anthony Head and Jenny Agutter, and was screened on BBC1 in the following year. His seven-part series The Sins starred Peter Postlethwaite and Geraldine James, was nominated for a BAFTA award, and won The Edgar Allan Poe Award presented in New York by the Mystery Writers of America for Best TV Drama Series in 2002. In 2009 he was awarded the degree of honorary D.Litt. by the University of Nottingham.

William Ivory will lead a workshop for screenplay writers in Deans’ Hall, Berkhamsted School (Berkhamsted, UK) at the Graham Greene International Festival from 9.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday 2nd October 2010. This practical course should suit aspiring adult screenwriters of all ages. While there will be a certain amount of overlap with the teaching material offered at the Festival 2009, there will be much new material as well. The event will include breaks for tea, coffee and lunch, and attendance at Michael Brearley’s talk, “A (second) Psychoanalyst looks at Graham Greene”.

Full details of the programme are available on the Festival’s website. The running of the Workshop will depend upon there being a sufficient number of advance bookings received by the Festival Secretary by Friday 24th September 2010.