The TENNYSON AGENCY
Representation
for Literature, Drama and Screenwriting
Among Our Current Clients
TONY BAGLEY
Tony is an
experienced writer in all media: initially a transport economist, he worked as
a copy editor for Wayland Books, a journalist and a script editor for
Central Television. For radio, Tony has written short stories for BBC R4,
and contributed to its daily soap opera, The Archers, for two and a half
years. Two series of his comedy, The OLDER WOMAN, with Martin Clunes and
Zoe Wanamaker, have gone out on R4; as have three series of MARRIED, with Hugh
Bonneville and Josie Lawrence. Commissioned radio plays include: CATCHING
BULLETS, LIFE on a NEW PLANET, PUBLIC INTEREST and The LAST CIGARETTE of the
WAR. On television, Tony's black comedy, The LAST WORD, was seen on
BBC-2, and he has provided copious sketch material for both adult shows
including Alas Smith & Jones, Spitting Image, Rory Bremner, Arnold Brown,
and children’s television. Commissioned scripts include The
Walkers, Control, Best Supporting Actor, The Fantastic Adventures of Simon
Blood and episodes of Specials for the BBC; and for Alomo, both an
original script and an episode of Birds of A Feather. Elsewhere, a comic
novel, The NATURAL HISTORY MAN, was commissioned for Pavilion Books; and a
screenplay, ENEMY, was developed with help from the BFI Production Board.
Tony's work has been widely acknowledged. He won a Giles Cooper Award for
The MACHINE (BBC R3) - imagining the effects of sound recording in Jacobean
England - and a New London Radio Playwrights Award for his L.B.C. play,
PROPHET. He was joint winner of the Gooding Award for best 30-minute
script; winner of the Alomo Comedy Writing Bursary (1996); and Grand Prix
winner of the PAWS Drama Award (1999). Tony was also shortlisted for the
London Weekend Television New Writer Award (1998) and the Oscar Moore
Screenwriting Prize (2001). Currently available are LIFE IS SUFFERING, an
innovative television comedy in half-hour format; and NAZIS, a powerful
post-WW2 drama exploring British Fascism and the human cost of divided
loyalties. Forthcoming is The NEED of MASSACHUSETTS for COMPOSERS,
confronting the repressive puritanism of the English Commonwealth. Tony
is under commission from the BBC to produce a radio version of RUBBISH, his
painfully funny story of a life in local government and measured out in coffee
spoons.
KRISTINA BEDFORD
At the University of Toronto, where she graduated with distinction in English
and Drama, Kristina Bedford directed several productions at the George Ignatieff
Theatre. She went on to earn her M.A. in Drama at the University of
London with a thesis on the NT production of Coriolanus, later published by
AUP, which opened the door to three years' intensive work at the
Cottesloe. Her drama criticism has been extensively published, and
Kristina has done dramaturgical work for various London theatres. An
early version of her play ANGEL DAY was presented by NAAA at the Tristan Bates
Theatre under the title LEAP of FAITH, and the play has undergone professional
critical review. Current stage projects include The SOUL of PLEASURE,
taking a quizzical look at John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester; and a new
adaptation, co-written with Kenneth Ross, of The Value of Life, the best work
of Chekhov's friend and sometime collaborator, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.
ALASTAIR CORDING
Author of numerous
literary adaptations, Alastair has achieved repeated success with his 1993
version of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's classic SUNSET SONG, revived by Prime
Productions in 2001 and 2002 for national tours of Alastair's native Scotland,
and now available from Nick Hern Books. Amongst the stage pieces now
available, following initial commission and production by TAG Theatre and
Eastern Angles T.C., are CLOUD HOWE and GREY GRANITE (second and third in the
SCOTS QUAIR trilogy); LANARK; and NO NAME. In 1998, MRS O'S SATURDAY
NIGHT was produced at the Covent Garden Festival (revived 2000); while
Alastair's acclaimed version of Dickens' DAVID COPPERFIELD for a cast of eight
(revived for a national tour by Eastern Angles in Spring 2003) is the foremost
stage adaptation available, widely performed on the non-professional
stage. The original thriller FATALE was premiered at the Horseshoe
Theatre, Basingstoke in 2001. Eastern Angles' Spring 2002 tour of a
touching Norfolk-set tale, The WALSINGHAM ORGAN, played to enthusiastic
audiences across East Anglia, and was followed by MARGARET DOWN UNDER, seen on
a UK regional tour in the autumn of 2004. It is to be followed by an
adaptation of John Buchan's WITCH WOOD for RCB Productions, and a further
factually-based work for Eastern Angles, scheduled for 2007.
CAROLINE COXON
Currently
collaborating with Philip Hurd-Wood on A PLACE in the COUNTRY, Caroline is a
very experienced freelance writer. Formerly a teacher in special educational
support services, she has authored works for organisations as diverse as the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Fawcett Society. Her other
screenplays include AIN'T SO NEAT, now in development with Cheeky Maggot
Productions and WHEN YOU DO DANCE, both stories of women rebuilding their lives
after emotional and physical trauma.
IAIN GRANT
An accomplished
translator of German literature, Iain Grant has specialised in the work of
neglected modern authors, including Stefan Zweig. The CHESS-PLAYERS, his
adroit version of Zweig's Schachnovelle, is currently available for
publication; and Iain is now working on complementary fiction from the early
20th Century.
JONATHAN HOLLOWAY
Director of Red
Shift T.C., which he founded in 1982, Jonathan is also an established
writer. Original plays include In the IMAGE of the BEAST (Edinburgh
Fringe First award); The HAMMER (theatre and BBC Radio 3); DARKNESS FALLS
(Palace Theatre, Watford, and published by Samuel French Ltd.); NOSFERATU: the
VISITOR; and two plays commissioned for Nottingham Playhouse, BECAUSE IT'S
THERE: the STORY of MALLORY and EVEREST and ANGELS among the TREES (produced in
May 2004). Adaptations for the stage include The DOUBLE, DEATH in VENICE,
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, The ASPERN PAPERS, Les MISERABLES, NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, The
MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY, The LEGEND of KING ARTHUR and the premiere of Graham
Greene's The THIRD MAN, seen nationally, in Jonathan's own production, during
autumn 2004. For television, he has written for both Anglia and Thames
Television (The Bill). Jonathan has also written extensively for BBC
Radio 4, with four original drama series and adaptations of work by Walter de
la Mare, Willa Cather, Angela Lambert, Evelyn Waugh, Heinrich Boll, Perez-Reverte
and George Eliot, and a masterful ten-hour adaptation of C P Snow's STRANGERS
and BROTHERS novel sequence, broadcast as the Classic Serial in spring
2003. Jonathan's original ghost story, NO CONFERRING, went out on
Christmas Night 2003; and his two-part dramatisation of the first human heart
transplant by Christiaan Barnard was broadcast March 30-31, 2004.
Scheduled for future transmission is a striking detective story set in
contemporary Sweden. Jonathan has served on both the Board of the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe and the Council of the N.C.A.; he has led EU-sponsored theatre
workshops in Chile; and he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
JULIAN HOWELL
With a record of
writing in a variety of genres, including comedy revue, conceptual theatre and
audio books, Julian consolidated his place as a feature screenwriter with an
original thriller, working title PURE, currently under option to a major
independent. Having burnt all her boats, a young woman finds life is
accelerating out of control: in a twisting story, reality and lies are juggled
to devastating effect. Three equally strong projects are now at proposal
stage: DEADLINES, a black temporal fantasy; MUSE, a bittersweet romantic
comedy; and THE WORKS, a dark, brooding, complex drama set in locations across
the world. A feature development of his widely-admired 30-minute film,
ART HEIST, is ready for production (working title HOOKED).
PHILIP HURD-WOOD
Philip has three
scripts currently available for television or feature production. The
FIGHTING MACINTYRES, a sensitive story of feuding and reconciliation set
against the beautiful backdrop of rural Northern Ireland; WHERE the DEER and
the ANTELOPE PLAY, an unusual comedy-drama which questions society's treatment
of emotional and mental disturbance; and CITY LIMITS, a fascinating,
fast-moving thriller whirling through the changing landscape of millennial
London. Just finished is The CRAIGEELEE, a short film giving the
colourful background to one of Australia's national icons; and newly in
development is a life-change drama set in rural Britain, A PLACE in the
COUNTRY, co-authored with Caroline Coxon. Philip's daughter Rachel stars
as Wendy in P J Hogan's acclaimed feature adaptation of Peter Pan.
JOANNA LEIGH
Screenwriter and
senior lexicographer, Joanna is currently developing several television
projects, including GUTS and GLITTER, a sparkling story of beauty, beastliness
and... belly-dancing. Trouble TV's FLASH BAND, the animated web
series which was a major hit with its youthful audience, appeared subsequently
in a successful broadcast version: Joanna was a lead writer. She
was also sole author of PLANET JEMMA, an online narrative for N.E.S.T.A.,
targeted at the teenage market, which was nominated for a prize in the 2004 BAFTA
Interactive Awards, in the Education category. New projects for 2006
include SAM J, a tragi-comedy for the screen telling the colourful life-story
of the 18th Century's greatest man of letters; GREEN GODDESS, a tale of union
solidarity and heartache from the late 70s; and LIONEL'S VINYL,an
uncomplicated, laugh-out-loud sitcom, co-written with Veronique Christie (David
Higham Associates) and Steve Lewis (Sayle Screen).
STEVE MacGREGOR
In Steve's
freshly-available feature screenplay FULL MOON DAY, unimaginable forces have
been set loose in the Scottish Highlands, and the police find themselves
outflanked - by the Americans, the Russian mafia and not least, the strangely
self-possessed Linda Grey. Only her knowledge can explain the twenty-four
hours of mayhem that lead to an unnerving conclusion. A technical writer,
software developer and expert motorcyclist, Steve kick-starts his screenwriting
career with this powerful thriller. A perfectly-judged period drama for
radio, GENTLEMAN'S MASQUERADE, is also available. Shortly to be completed
is THE STONES, a cautionary tale set in 1914, showing what happens when the
modern world intrudes on ancient mysteries best left well alone.
ANTONY MANN
Antony's
short film, BILLY'S DAY OUT, was exceptionally well-received at the 2004
Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it jointly won the Best UK Short
Film Award, and he now has several more short projects available, including
MECHANIC, IT'S MY RAMPAGE and TENNIS. FRIENDS LIKE THESE, a screen
adaptation of his serio-comic novel The SUICIDE CLUB, has now been developed
via the EAVE and Good Foundations schemes, and Antony has recently completed a
screen version of Peter Grimes under commission from Allegra Films. Full
rights are currently available to FRIENDS LIKE THESE; to Antony's gripping
supernatural mystery feature, KING under the HILL; and to a radio drama, WILD
MAN of the SOUTH. Antony is also the author of a delightful chapter book
for 5-7 year-olds, WINDY DAY, which is available for mainstream publication.
KENNETH ROSS
A native of Edinburgh, Ken has lived in London for many years. His work has
been produced at the Traverse Theatre, the Almost Free Theatre and on the
Edinburgh Fringe, and on television and radio. He has also contributed to two
collections of Scottish short stories published by HarperCollins. Ken
received a Peggy Ramsay Foundation Playwriting Award in 2003 for his two-hander
abduction drama HELEN'S STORY and he is currently working, with Kristina
Bedford, on a film-script and a translation of Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko's
The Value of Life. Ken's wide experience is related fields includes
writing audio and video sales scripts; abridging numerous classics for Penguin
Audio; producing over 100 talking books; and editorial peer review for The
Royal Court Theatre, Writernet, Scriptvault, and the London Script
Consultancy. Production rights are available to all Ken's stage
drama, notably The POOL on the 26th FLOOR, The SMELL of FANTASY, MORENO (a
reimagined Renaissance revenge tragedy) and HELEN'S STORY. Other projects
include OSCAR WILDE: A SAVOY OPERA, a cleverly worked musical using Gilbert's
lyrics, Sullivan's music and Wilde's poetry to create a rich and enchanting
fantasy world.
JOHN RYAN
Vastly experienced
as a musician and composer, John has two musicals now available for
production. BROOKLYN BRIDGE is an ingenious one-woman show: Muriel
is fast approaching 40, but she's distracted in her efforts to find Mr Right by
an endless battle of wits with her momma-from-Hell, Ada. Then, God steps
in... with alarming consequences. New York-set ME presents One Apartment;
Two Relations; Three Attractions; Four Revelations; Five Denials; and Six not
entirely generous People in a round-dance of love and misunderstanding.
Both pieces have received public and critical plaudits on their world premier
productions in Ireland, and are ideal for small and mid-scale, medium-budget
presentation.
WALTER SAUNDERS
SHAKESPEARE 2000
is a new edition of the most-studied plays of the canon,
juxtaposing Shakespeare's text with a lucid modern version which adheres
closely to the poetic form of the original. In addition to the great
tragedies - Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear and Antony and Cleopatra - the
series to date features Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo &
Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest and Twelfth Night, and is now open
to negotiation for European, US and Australasian publication. In South
Africa, the initial publication by Centaur and Heinemann SA has been widely
used for teaching and performance in the public school system, with over
150,000 copies in circulation. As a concept, SHAKESPEARE 2000 has been
universally praised by teachers and educationalists for its unparallelled
success in making Shakespeare readily accessible to a modern audience ("An
exciting project... greatly to be welcomed." Dr Susan Bassnett,
University of Warwick). Read more at: www.shakespeare2000.com
GRAEME
SCARFE
Following his
feature debut with the claustrophobic and intense thriller, LIGHTHOUSE,
released in 2002, Graeme now has two further full-length screenplays completed,
each in a different genre. SEAGULLS on SPEED is a delightful, quirky tale of
seaside skulduggery, featuring gangsters, narcotics, passionate romance - and
some peculiarly addictive fast food. "You'll believe a bird can
fry". GAMBIT, adapted from the bestselling novel by Antoinette Falquier
& Joseph Harned, tells a complex tale of nuclear blackmail, in which the
fate of world peace comes to depend on a very surprising substance.
Rights to both properties are currently available. Graeme is currently
under commission from Articulate Pictures to script the romantic comedy feature
MARTA’S VINEYARD (w/t) for production in 2007/8.
DIANE SPEAKMAN
Drama Editor at the Cambridge University Press, Diane is a
seasoned writer of prose and poetry, with work in many published
anthologies. She has also been a senior member of the editorial staff of
Argosy, and has written both for the national press, including The Guardian,
The Daily Telegraph and The Stage, and such periodicals as Drama and
Everywoman. Currently in preparation is a compilation of writing on women
in theatre. Major plays now released for full production include
BOUNDARIES, workshopped twice by Soho Theatre; TALISWOMAN, the astonishing true
story of the Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi, presented in partial
form at both Birmingham Rep and the New Vic, Stoke; and An HONEST ACTRESS,
detailing the switchback career of Sarah Siddons, first lady of the late 18th
C stage, which was developed at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. Other
stage writing includes DANCE for THI’ MAMMY, SYDNEY (a monologue), and A COUPLA
HOTTUNZ. Among Diane’s short screenplays are PLAYING with FIRE, BIG
SISTER, RUSSIAN ROULETTE and HOUSE of CARDS, all of which are available for
production; a feature, REVOLUTION DREAMING, is currently in development.
Diane was the winner of the Raymond Williams Award for FEMALE VOICES, FIGHTING
LIVES (1992).
DIANA WARD
Ready now for
television or film production is ARMADALE, Diana's definitive adaptation of
Wilkie Collins' 1850s classic. Featuring Lydia Gwilt, Victorian fiction's
greatest anti-heroine, a breathlessly thrilling plot takes in murder, revenge,
multiple mistaken identities and the final triumph of innocent love. A
must-read. Diana has recently completed a richly atmospheric screen
version of Robert Louis Stevenson's 19th Century Scottish romance WEIR of
HERMISTON. Both are also available in radio versions.
___________________________________________________
The TENNYSON AGENCY
10 Cleveland Avenue,
Wimbledon Chase, London SW20 9EW, U.K.
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8543 5939
ŠThe Tennyson
Agency 2006