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TF Box Office team member and emerging playwright, Simon Harvey-Williams, resumes his blog after a relatively quiet month…

In the past I’ve started writing diaries with every good intention of filling each page with my inner-most thoughts, alongside over-ambitious plans for the year ahead. I’d normally manage a week of diligent journal writing and then re-discover the diary 3 months later with those 7 enthusiastic initial entries and I’d then wonder where all the time had gone. It’s been a bit like that with the blog because I’ve just noticed the last posting is now almost a month old but it feels like I wrote it only yesterday.

In the weeks following August’s production of Eddie King I found myself going through various transitionary moods. Firstly there was relief that the production had gone well and I could get a decent night’s sleep; then came a pressing need to keep the momentum going and move on to the next project straightaway; this was quickly followed by an overwhelming desire to just take it easy for a while and not even think about theatre. My enthusiasm is now back and the work on the next production– due in December – is now underway, alongside various other projects.

Back on the TF box office things are returning to normal after almost a month of virtually no shows. Almost all theatres take a brief hiatus from shows over the summer and, although the box office phone lines were busy due to the new season going on sale, it did feel a little strange to leave at a normal office time and not be preparing for an evening show. The season started with Beanfield, which had one of the most successful runs in The Brewery’s relatively short history. The play was about the bitter confrontation between the police and the travelling community in the 1980s, which the writer managed to show in an even-handed way. Its success demonstrates that new work can find a large audience if it is well written and well acted and deals with issues that engage an audience.

This blog is written on a voluntary basis so I can say unbiasedly that I think the new Tobacco Factory Autumn/Winter season is really strong and with new writing at the heart of it. I’m particularly excited by both Hunger and A Western this week. Having recently set up a new production company it is really encouraging to see two Bristol-based companies who now have a national/international reputation for producing innovative new work – definitely something to aim for.