Gareth Parker
Frozen is Gareth Parker's first professionally produced script, under 720 Productions, the company he founded in 2006 with a remit for producing the highest possible quality of theatre drama and comedy.
After a successful first run at the Etcetera Theatre in 2006, he was delighted to be asked to not only revive Frozen for the LOST Theatre Festival where it was commended for Best Overall Play, but also adapt it for audio for the Wireless Theatre Company. At this stage he asked Andrew Swann to join him as co-writer, resulting in this revised stage and audio version.
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Read below for an insightful look into the mind of Gareth-
What inspired you to write?
Ha ha... Since I was a teenager I'd been trying to write novels and joined several writer's groups... some of which weren't complimentary at all. Then later on, a bout of illness and the laptop at home... and suddenly to the idea of tapping out some dialogue seemed like a good idea to relieve the boredom. From there came a very simply idea - a guy, a girl, a bedsit, a couple of secrets. How could I make that interesting? And that's what became FROZEN.
What attracted you to The Wireless Theatre Company and audio theatre?
The honour being the very first play ever recorded was a big bonus. The artisitic director was setting up Wireless when she saw FROZEN and asked us to adapt it. That was so flattering, how could we say no? Of course it also helps that her eyelashes would butter many a cob so we couldn't resist. Also Wireless gave us the opportunity to inject new ideas into the original theatre script - that freedom helped improve the piece so much that the next theatre revival was adapted back from the audio version, thanks to the brilliance of Andrew Swann joining me.
What's your favourite play?
Sarah Kane - Blasted and Crave are brilliant, Schaffier's Amadeus is also wonderful. And I did enjoy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Palladium. But that's the guilty secret...!
Who is your favourite writer?
Alan Plater - writes with silence, utterly brilliant, Sarah Kane - so raw and powerful, Russell T Davies - simply for the emotional strength he can hit you with, Stephen Moffat - never has anyone understood or been so damned clever with writing structure, Joss Whedon - the most under-rated writer in the world who's won an Oscar for a Screenplay. All of them made me want to try to be as good as all of them.
Who within the entertainment industry do you most admire?
Alec Guiness is my hero, but if you had to have someone alive right now? Hmmm - I'd point to Don Murphy as an rare example of being a level headed producer and staright talking guy in the craziness of Hollywood. David Tennant
