Warwick Playwright, Tim Hodgson, discusses his new play, Potato

The _Boar_ met up with student-playwright, Tim Hodgeson, to talk about the up-and-coming performance of his first play, _Potato_, at the Warwick Arts Centre Studio in week 4 of this term. Tim is currently studying for an MA in English Literature at Warwick.

**So, Tim, how did you get into script-writing? **

Well, I guess I owe a lot to the English and Creative writing course I completed three years ago now. And after that writing only came back into my mind when I was looking for a job and stumbled upon a misplaced ad for the Royal Court’s Critical Mass’ course, which is for creative writers, and is based in London with satellites in Birmingham and Coventry. I really can’t recommend the course enough…and I know they’re looking for people for this year’s intake, so anyone keen should apply!

**Why did you decide to write plays and not poetry or prose fiction?
**

As for plays, if you want to start writing it’s a hell of a lot easier to write a play than a novel. Prose fiction was what I planned to be doing, but from initial ideas to getting it all down in front of you can be years!

**What has the process been, for getting _Potato _from page to stage?
**

I started writing Potato at the beginning of term 2. In week 6 I emailed Freshblood, in week 7 they emailed me back, week 8 they said they wanted to take it on, week 9 we pitched it to the Arts Centre, and week 10 then said it was going to be on! Less than two months later it’s going to be performed to the public!

**What would you say has inspired your writing generally, and _Potato_?**

It’s always mainly been novelists that have been my heros; Kafka and Bulgakov to name a few, but playwrights I like are people are ones which make the audience uncomfortable. I love Edward Bond. Anything that is unashamedly unpalatable. I guess that’s what I’m hoping my play’s going to do.

A lot of the inspiration for _Potato_ has come from living in Birmingham and Coventry. I mean I’ve lost count of the number of times I heard someone say how ugly and nasty they find Coventry, but that’s just not interesting to me. I think its easy to forget that when these concrete, brutalist landscapes were first build they were state of the art, pieces of their time, and not cheap either.

**We hear that there is a lot of mud involved in this performance? **

We’re filling the studio with two tonnes of soil, to recreate an archaeological dig. People probably won’t get dirty but they shouldn’t wear good shoes. As you can imagine the Arts Centre weren’t too pleased about it, but with our promise to clear up and in the name of art, they agreed! I don’t think its spoiling it too much to say that during the performance stuff gets dug up, and this includes coffins and things.

**Are you nervous about the opening night, about what people are going to think?
**

I’m planning to be drunk every night! My parents are going to hate it – my dad’s a priest and my mum is even more religious than that – and the play is quite atheistic. I’m also a bit nervous because everything has been done so much to the wire – everything is completely last minute! But surely it’s perfectly healthy to be petrified that’s it all going to go wrong.

**Will you find it embarrassing, is there anything personal about the script?
**

Yes, but I’m perfectly comfortable talking about those sorts of things. You need to talk about the things that we find uncomfortable, as that’s where the interesting stuff is. The things that aren’t immediately accessible to us are more interesting.

**Do you have anything to say to budding Warwick playwrights?
**

You’re in a student atmosphere where people drop everything to do something they like – there’s no better place to get something put on. Freshblood are superb. They don’t get enough new stuff and they were so excited by my script. They’re a great sounding board and it’s really good to get feedback from peers. The actors have been amazing; they’ve learnt the script in a week and they haven’t complained about all my last minute changes. There are so many outlets at Warwick, for example there’s WSAF if you don’t get into the WAC. There’s always a way to get your play on.