I dare to step into this ghost forum - I just wondered if anyone knew when this show starts (maybe the producers don't know either?? maybe the whole thing has been aborted?) Maybe we could all start over ...... seriously, you do wonder if this whole thing is just a big joke - the word unprofessional DOES happen to come to mind.....

Who cares when it is on. The play will be a load of sententious politicaly correct claptrap which will bore the pants off the audience and fold within two weeks of the opening night. I could buy a ticket to find out if I am wrong but as I never am that would be a waste of money.

From doing a little surfing it seems that they've put back the show until June. That would fit well with the announcement of the winner being made on 19 June as the shows would then be screened consecutively and retain the interest of the press and the audience for the show that focusses on the winning play.

Rather than being a cynical plot it seems like sensible scheduling to me.

Having recently met one of the three finalists I can assure you that the process isn't a big joke and I'd be surprised if the play were claptrap. Personally, albeit an unfashionable opinion in this forum, I'm quite looking forward to seeing the outcome and hope that the process has given several of the contenders the optimism to continue writing and submitting their work.

well thanks hanamayo - roll on June. When I meant unprofessional I was referring to the website - it doesn't tell you much. How come you met one of the finalists then ..... by chance or do you move in the right literary circles. Anyways - thanks for the update!!

I too have spoken to one of the three finalists. It was really heavy and all were made aware that the winner would have little time to even think of celebrating. The play is now advertised on all the ticket and hotel booking sites, so it's serious.

what did they say about the TV series - that's what I'm interested in particularly

This article http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1779560,00.html
seems to answer the question!

Ouch!

quote:

Originally posted by CompostMentis:
This article http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1779560,00.html
seems to answer the question!

A quote from the quoted article - "Of the 2,000-plus submissions to Channel 4, 198 are about terrorism, 81 have Jesus in the title, while 335 are set in gyms or fat clubs."
Hands up if yours is one of these! Mine was about a female gamekeeper, so my hand stays down. Popular subjects with writers might easily be popular subjects with West End audiences or TV programme-makers.

Well at least that explains why my offering “Osama Bin Jesus and the exercise bike” didn’t make the short list!