Stage Exposed

Mike LesslieWriterExeter College, 3rd YearHow did you first start writing?I wrote my first play, Teenage Content,to try and win the cash for my school’s2001 Terrence Rattigan Prize for DramaticWriting, which ended up gettingme a part-time job at the RNT reportingon unsolicited scripts. I worked incasting at the Donmar Warehouse inmy gap year, and wrote my secondplay, A Triple Bill of Shame, whichwent to Edinburgh and had, incredibly,a sell-out run and some generousreviews. Then, last Christmas, I wroteFace Up, Face Down, which in its firstdraft form was awarded this year’sCameron Mackintosh New Writingaward by Patrick Marber. Since thenI’ve spent the summer redrafting itunder his guidance, and we’re hopingto set it up in a London productionsometime over the next year or so.What moves you to write? Can yousee consistent themes in your work?Regular conversations, really. Watchingeveryday people validating theirown lives, and trying to do the samemyself. There’s definitely a macabretinge to my writing (I have to watchout for sensationalism) and fast-paceddialogue that might not be very ‘naturalistic,’but I hope it’s all rooted in therhythms of day-to-day life.Are you aware of any influences?Mamet, Shepard, Bret Easton Ellis,Martin McDonagh, Shane Meadows,Wes Anderson, Patrick Marber (conveniently),Theodore Roethke, a lot ofmusic. These are definite favourites,and if anyone said they could see tracesof them in my writing, I’d be over themoon. Considering them ‘influences’sets me out as an already-establishedwriter, though, and I’m wary of selfaggrandisement.Do you feel part of a creative scene?That’s tricky, and I’d actually say no.There are definitely young writers likeJames Wilton whom I admire, and itwould be great to be able to ally myselfto some artistic rat-pack, but I thinkthe current monomania for recognisedsuccess has instilled a competitivenessin many aspiring ‘artists’ that inhibitscollaboration.And what plans for the future?There are a few things in the pipeline,mostly on the film front. I’ve been involvedin projects with Working Titleand Big Pond productions, and havebeen working with Sam Mendes’ newproduction company. There are severalplays (and a half-started novel)kicking around my head, but it’ll allhave to be put to one side until afterfinals…ARCHIVE: 3rd week MT 2005