I feel like I ought to tell you all a little bit more about how I see this blog progressing in the future. As you may have gathered, I love theatre and have a voracious appetite for travel (hence world+plays). The difficulty  of this is that I can’t always be traveling. But I can always have theatre in my life. I hope this blog will be a book one day, and I’ve recently discovered that I’d rather not write an ordinary travel tome, but instead perhaps a collection of plays inspired by my travels. So far I’ve only just begun the plays and my first one is inspired by my trip to London. It’s a thriller about a guy from East London accused of a crime he didn’t commit (or did he…?). Working title: “Run, Boy, Run.” (inspired by this song). Here’s a little teaser:

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ACT I

Scene 1

           Lights up on PHIL, JERRY, and BOB standing on a corner, smoking.

PHIL: I could kill her.

JERRY: Come on man, don’t say that.

PHIL: I mean it!

           Phil starts pacing, working himself into a rage.

How could she?!

BOB: Maybe if you weren’t such jerk, mate.

JERRY: Bob!

               PHIL shoots daggers at BOB. He tries to light another cigarette.

PHIL: Piss off. I gave her EVERYTHING!

            The cigarette won’t light. PHIL smashes the lighter on the ground and drops to a crouch, his head in                 his hands. Is he concealing tears or anger?

JERRY (unsure): Hey…buddy come on. It’s alright.

BOB: Yeah man, she was always dragging you down anyway. Hot though, so that’s a shame.

PHIL: Shut up.

            The boys help him up.

BOB:  How bout a pint on me, mate?

PHIL: Thanks. But I think I’m gonna go home. I gotta…I need to think.

JERRY: You sure?

PHIL: Yeah.

BOB: Don’t do nuthin’ crazy.

           The boys give him shoulder pats, an awkward side hug, other “manly” shows of affection. PHIL exits.

JERRY: Should we be worried about him?

BOB: Nah. Let’s go get that pint.

            BOB looks over his shoulder, wary. He shrugs and continues off-stage with JERRY.

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 I’ve stalled a bit because I don’t know very much at all about East London culture or accents or what kind of pints they might drink. I don’t know much about writing thrillers either! If anyone has any resources they might share, I’d be greatly obliged!

With each play, I want to leave you with a slice-of-life, a detailed aspect of a small sliver of each culture. It’s not just about place, but about the people that shape and are shaped by that place. I have gathered one little inspiration point and let my imagination take of from there. I’ll be writing characters like an old-fashioned fish monger in Lisbon struggling against modernity, a young writer trying to finish a book in Paris, or a Catalan socialite in wearied by Barcelona’s club scene. I don’t know how long it will take or when I’ll go on my next big adventure. But I hope you’ll be there with me to go along for the ride.

Love and theatre,

-K