As my next short film Blank Canvas goes into pre-production, here’s a look back at the reading of the script at Rising Phoenix, an arts collective holding a monthly new writing night in the atmospheric Net Loft venue at Brighton Fishing Museum. I knew the founder of Rising Phoenix, actor Isabella McCarthy Sommerville, from her role in my short film The Mirror, which was part of my ongoing practice to bring modern dramatic verse to screen and stage. Blank Canvas builds on The Mirror and Time and Tide to a present a full narrative drama using verse in certain sections of dialogue. The rehearsed reading to a packed audience, with written feedback, was a great way to assess the impact of the verse and how best to incorporate it into the interactions between the characters. You can read more about the film here
Sir David Hare gives fascinating insight into The Hours
I greatly enjoyed appearing as the guest panellist at the CenterFrame Script Club, hosted by Luke Foster, when Sir David Hare joined the club live at the Actors Theatre in Brighton. Held as part of Brighton Rocks Film Festival 2026, the discussion focused on an...










