Write On! interviews playwright Jamie Christian Taylor

Jamie says: “My name is Jamie Christian Taylor, and I’m a playwright currently living in Herne Bay, Kent (and loving it). I’ve written, produced, and directed four of my own plays: A Fight At The Opera (Etcetera Theatre, 2014), Skewed Judgement (White Bear Theatre, 2017), Four Loyalty Cards (Tristan Bates Theatre, 2018) and Museum Pieces (Tristan Bates Theatre, 2019). I received an OFFIE award in the short run category for Museum Pieces, of which I am immensely proud.

WO: How would you describe your writing to someone new to it?

JCT: Dark comedy. A friend once told me that I have a knack of creating loathsome characters that you somehow end up rooting for. I guess that’s a compliment!

WO: Can you tell us a bit about your latest project, Reality Bites?

JCT: My OFFIE-awarded play Museum Pieces has since been taken apart, reworked and redrafted as Reality Bites and the very talented acting team (and myself) are currently looking for a home to bring it to a wider audience. Reality Bites explores what happens to the people around you – a stranger, an employer, and a partner – when you appear on a particularly contentious  reality television show.

WO: What inspired you to write in the first place, and what inspires you now?

JCT: A funeral of all things, in the first place. It was in 2013 and I had just turned 40. I felt I needed to make a creative space in my life. Nowadays I’m generally inspired on holiday when my iPhone is locked in the safe back at the hotel and my brain becomes stimulated by unfamiliar surroundings.

WO: A recent issue of Write On! explored the theme of ‘Change’. Do you actively embrace change and the chaos it can bring, especially in your writing routine, or does the idea of any change at all fill you with dread? What tactics can you recommend for coping with change?

JCT: I’m such a creature of habit that I don’t seek out change, but I often find that the idea of a change to your writing routine is far more dauting than the change itself. It can be stimulating. If you are struggling to cope with change (as a writer) I would recommend getting up an hour earlier than usual so you can get some writing done before the chaos of your day starts.

WO: What one piece of advice would you give an aspiring writer?

JCT: Most writers have a full-time job – I do, too. I would recommend taking a small notebook to a café on your lunch break (if you’re lucky to get one!) and take your writing from there. That’s exactly what I did.

WO: Question from Twitter user: @grasshopper2407 How difficult is it to find the right cast when you’ve created the characters from scratch?

 JCT: I often wonder if I should have been a casting director as that is the most exciting part for me. I get to meet and socialise with a lot of actors and I always know when I’ve found my cast. Sometimes I even write with an actor I’ve met in mind then approach them with the script. I guess that’s cheating…

WO: Can you tell us anything about future projects?

JCT: I am starting up a Writers’ Drop-In in central London, where six writers can bring ten minutes of script each which I will then cast (writers do not always make the best readers – I’m atrocious). This will be followed by ten minutes of constructive feedback to help the writers on their journey. My old writing guru, the late Stewart Permutt, used to run one of these and it was a lifeline for a lot of people. My first event is planned for the end of June and has already attracted interest from playwrights, so wish me luck!

WO: Lastly, if you could choose one fictional animal/creature to be a pet or companion, who would it be and why?

JCT: Probably Big Bird from Sesame Street. I was glued to it as a kid, and I still think it was a fantastic programme.

You can connect with Jamie Christian Taylor on Instagram: @jamiechristiantaylor

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Issue 22 is out now. You will find it in libraries and other outlets. Alternatively all current and previous editions can be found on our magazines page here.

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