Writing The Thing https://writingthething.podbean.com Writers from stage and screen chat about how they... well, wrote the thing.  Hosted by Shaun Kitchener.

]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:55:05 +0100 https://podbean.com/?v=5.5 en gb Copyright 2026 All rights reserved. TV & Film 1440 episodic Writers from stage and screen chat about how they... well, wrote the thing. Shaun Kitchener Shaun Kitchener No false https://feed.podbean.com/writingthething/feed.xml https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/22355093/WRITING_THE_THING_small6ryg5.jpg Writing The Thing https://writingthething.podbean.com 144 144 Linus Karp on Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella and the hits of Awkward Productions Linus Karp on Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella and the hits of Awkward Productions https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/06_linus_karp/ https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/06_linus_karp/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:55:05 +0100 writingthething.podbean.com/c0e13ed6-be18-3d8c-a9c8-6c596417881d With his company Awkward Productions, Linus Karp has created and performed in a string of shows that have brought joyful queer chaos to audiences all over the place, via characters like Princess Diana, Gwyneth Paltrow and the hot couples of made-for-TV Christmas movies. Now, in his new show Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella, he's playing himself and drawing from a real-life homophobic incident. Here, he talks about all of the above, plus his love of the Edinburgh Fringe, how he and Joseph Martin have weaved banging music into their work, and how he started making his own stuff in the first place.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> With his company Awkward Productions, Linus Karp has created and performed in a string of shows that have brought joyful queer chaos to audiences all over the place, via characters like Princess Diana, Gwyneth Paltrow and the hot couples of made-for-TV Christmas movies. Now, in his new show Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella, he's playing himself and drawing from a real-life homophobic incident. Here, he talks about all of the above, plus his love of the Edinburgh Fringe, how he and Joseph Martin have weaved banging music into their work, and how he started making his own stuff in the first place.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> Shaun Kitchener false No 1798 1 6 full Jayshree Patel on Waterloo Road, Hollyoaks and The Good Ship Murder Jayshree Patel on Waterloo Road, Hollyoaks and The Good Ship Murder https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/05_jayshree_patel/ https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/05_jayshree_patel/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:30:00 +0100 writingthething.podbean.com/40f98563-2b34-359b-a681-0d61e03ad0c1 After working as a school teacher for 17 years, Jayshree Patel tried her hand at writing and absolutely soared. As well as writing some properly massive Hollyoaks episodes, she has worked for shows including the BBC's iconic Waterloo Road and 5's high-camp cozy crime hit The Good Ship Murder. Here, she talks about all of that, as well as what makes a good pitch, having her work featured on Gogglebox, and the evergreen importance of continuing drama.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> After working as a school teacher for 17 years, Jayshree Patel tried her hand at writing and absolutely soared. As well as writing some properly massive Hollyoaks episodes, she has worked for shows including the BBC's iconic Waterloo Road and 5's high-camp cozy crime hit The Good Ship Murder. Here, she talks about all of that, as well as what makes a good pitch, having her work featured on Gogglebox, and the evergreen importance of continuing drama.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> Shaun Kitchener false No 2493 1 5 full Jane Upton on Scenes From a Friendship and (the) Woman Jane Upton on Scenes From a Friendship and (the) Woman https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/04_jane_upton/ https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/04_jane_upton/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100 writingthething.podbean.com/aff443af-c4cf-3b0a-b09f-44cd69ecdc96 Her Bruntwood Prize-shortlisted play (the) Woman picked up huge acclaim on a UK tour and at London’s Park Theatre, where Paloma Faith called it the “best play I’ve seen in years”. Now, just months later, her totally gorgeous piece Scenes From A Friendship has earned similar plaudits at the Nottingham Playhouse. Jane Upton talks about honesty in playwriting, the massive benefits of an ace dramaturg... and sitting next to a vomiting audience member at the Royal Court. Plus, a voicenote cameo from our mutual friend, the awesome actor Jamie-Rose Monk.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> Her Bruntwood Prize-shortlisted play (the) Woman picked up huge acclaim on a UK tour and at London’s Park Theatre, where Paloma Faith called it the “best play I’ve seen in years”. Now, just months later, her totally gorgeous piece Scenes From A Friendship has earned similar plaudits at the Nottingham Playhouse. Jane Upton talks about honesty in playwriting, the massive benefits of an ace dramaturg... and sitting next to a vomiting audience member at the Royal Court. Plus, a voicenote cameo from our mutual friend, the awesome actor Jamie-Rose Monk.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> Shaun Kitchener false No 2338 1 4 full Ben Weatherill on Death in Paradise, Motorhome Marilyn and Frank and Percy Ben Weatherill on Death in Paradise, Motorhome Marilyn and Frank and Percy https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/03_ben_weatherill/ https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/03_ben_weatherill/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100 writingthething.podbean.com/15d7bf81-7ee7-3a8c-bb9f-dd25fe2498c3 He's written big plays for big names in big theatres, and now Ben Weatherill has entered the world of cosy crime on the BBC's massive hit, Death In Paradise. Here, he talks about his experience in the world of continuing drama, what it was like to come aboard Motorhome Marilyn for Michelle Collins after the death of its initial writer Stewart Permutt, and how he came to write for none other than Sir Ian McKellen.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> He's written big plays for big names in big theatres, and now Ben Weatherill has entered the world of cosy crime on the BBC's massive hit, Death In Paradise. Here, he talks about his experience in the world of continuing drama, what it was like to come aboard Motorhome Marilyn for Michelle Collins after the death of its initial writer Stewart Permutt, and how he came to write for none other than Sir Ian McKellen.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> Shaun Kitchener false No 1644 1 3 full Roanne Bardsley on A Woman of Substance Roanne Bardsley on A Woman of Substance https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/02_roanne_bardsley/ https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/02_roanne_bardsley/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100 writingthething.podbean.com/b6c1b00f-9ebc-3884-b53c-ea154f55b3a3 Any show that puts Brenda Blethyn in a fabulous wig and has her talk about "reVenNnNnGE!" was always going to be a winner. A Woman of Substance has had enormous success on Channel 4 this year, and here its co-creator and co-lead-writer Roanne Bardsley discusses the process of adapting Barbara Taylor Bradford's epic novel, the joys of gloriously escapist telly, and her invaluable beginnings in soapland.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener 

]]> Any show that puts Brenda Blethyn in a fabulous wig and has her talk about "reVenNnNnGE!" was always going to be a winner. A Woman of Substance has had enormous success on Channel 4 this year, and here its co-creator and co-lead-writer Roanne Bardsley discusses the process of adapting Barbara Taylor Bradford's epic novel, the joys of gloriously escapist telly, and her invaluable beginnings in soapland.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener 

]]> Shaun Kitchener false No 2007 1 2 full Waleed Akhtar on The P Word Waleed Akhtar on The P Word https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/01_waleed_akhtar/ https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/01_waleed_akhtar/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100 writingthething.podbean.com/c01c5696-4b51-36fc-8cc0-71e4d0bd1208 As the Olivier Award-winning The P Word returns to London's Bush Theatre, playwright Waleed Akhtar opens up on how he got into writing after starting out as an actor (via some wild advice from a former agent), how this particular banger of a play was put together, and what it was like to win at the UK's biggest theatre awards.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> As the Olivier Award-winning The P Word returns to London's Bush Theatre, playwright Waleed Akhtar opens up on how he got into writing after starting out as an actor (via some wild advice from a former agent), how this particular banger of a play was put together, and what it was like to win at the UK's biggest theatre awards.

Host: Shaun Kitchener

Music: William Kitchener

]]> Shaun Kitchener false No 1539 1 1 full Trailer Trailer https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/trailer/ https://writingthething.podbean.com/e/trailer/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:13:07 +0100 writingthething.podbean.com/21412fc8-779d-309e-9ca0-dc522c5c157c How did they write that thing?! Find out in this new podcast talking to a whole load of banging writers about how they worked their magic. Coming June 2026.

]]> How did they write that thing?! Find out in this new podcast talking to a whole load of banging writers about how they worked their magic. Coming June 2026.

]]> How *did* they write that thing?! Find out in this new podcast talking to a whole load of banging writers about how they worked their magic. Coming June 2026. Shaun Kitchener false No 36 trailer