In this episode, I chat with Australian playwright Hilary Bell. Ahead of the opening of her brand-new version of A Christmas Carol, Hilary shares her tips for writing an adaptation and talks about her modern-day treatment of Dickens' immortal classic. We also discuss the use of puppetry in Hilary's chilling play, Splinter, and Summer of Harold, three stories that intertwine to take us on a hilarious, poignant and magical journey at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre in September 2023. “I've always...

In this episode, I meet Shannan E. Johnson, a former Creative Executive at The Syfy Channel / NBCU, who is making waves in Los Angeles as Script Consultant and Screenwriter. We talk about Shannan’s company, The Professional Pen - a writer-centered one-stop shop that aims to develop writers and their ideas. We also chat about Truffle Sauce, Shannan’s poignant short film, now streaming on Blavity.  “If you build the writer, then the content will come” - Shannan E. Johnson Connect with...

In this episode, I meet Andrea Scott and Nick Green, the playwrights behind Every Day She Rose, a bracing play that exists where racial and queer politics collide. The fractured love story is set against the backdrop of the 2016 Toronto Pride parade, where celebrations are brought to a standstill by Black Lives Matter protestors. Now best friends Mark, a white gay man, and Cathy-Ann, his straight black girlfriend are about to discover that the things that brought them together could be the...

In this episode, I return home to England to visit the writing room of one of our best-loved playwrights, Simon Stephens. Simon is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which enjoyed acclaim in the West End and on Broadway, winning Best New Play at both the Olivier’s in 2013 and the Tony’s in 2015. Time Magazine called the play ‘life-affirming' and 'unmissable’, - evidenced by the 5 Tony Awards, 6...

We asked all of the guests from the first season of The Writer’s Toolkit Podcast to share their top tips for maintaining a healthy writing practice. This special episode is a round of what they had to say, featuring words of wisdom from Diane Samuels, Mark Sanderson, Douglas Lyons, Marjorie Chan, Gary Goldstein, Norman Yeung, and Kathryn Burnett. The Writer’s Toolkit Podcast is returning with another round of writer-to-writer conversations very soon, when Paul will be talking practice,...

In this episode, I chat to Kathryn Burnett - an award-winning screenwriter and playwright, whose name can be found on many successful TV series in New Zealand. We talk about the development journey of her new comedy play, The Campervan, the iconic kiwi sit-com writing room that provided her first TV credit (plus enough stories to dine out on for a lifetime!), as well as her latest work on TV comedies, My Life is Murder and Under the Vines. Words of Wisdom Kathryn Burnett on writing to a...

In this episode, I talk to Norman Yeung - a Chinese Canadian writer for whom the use of language takes on a whole new meaning. As we discuss Norman's body of work in this episode, he explains how he uses 'magical realism in his work to encourage empathy through dialogue, blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality in order to break down language barriers. And of course, we talk all things Theory, following the publication of his multi-award-winning play earlier this year. Words of...

In this episode, I talk to Gary Goldstein. Since cutting his teeth in the writer's room on TV shows like Saved By The Bell and Beverley Hills 90210, Gary has seen more than fifteen of his screenplays produced, including Hitched for the Holidays, starring Emily Hampshire and the first two movies in the Flower Shop Mystery series, starring Brooke Shields. Marking a new chapter in his career, Gary recently turned his hand to novel writing and is celebrating the publication of his debut novel,...

In this episode, I meet Toronto-based playwright and librettist Marjorie Chan. Best known for her epic dramas focusing on Chinese history, including; China Doll, A Nanking Winter, and The Madness of the Square, Marjorie is also the Artistic Director of Toronto's Theatre Passe Muraille - Canada’s original alternative theatre. We talk about her practice and process and how she balances artistic leadership with a prolific writing career. Words of Wisdom Marjorie Chan on making time to write......

In this episode, I chat to Douglas Lyons - the playwright behind Broadway's newest comedy, Chicken & Biscuits - and notably, one of seven Black writers whose names have just been etched in the history books of American theatre. Douglas is one half of the sensational musical theatre writing partnership, Lyons & Pakchar - creators of Beau: The Musical. Words of Wisdom Douglas Lyons on the writer's potential to gift joy to an audience... "On stage during closing, I broke down. I cried...

In this episode, I sit down for coffee with Mark Sanderson. Aside from writing over fifteen produced screenplays, Mark is the author of the utterly brilliant, A Screenwriters Journey to Success, a book I devoured in one weekend last year, and which continues to inspire me today. In his book Mark takes you on a hike around Hollywood, sharing invaluable tales from the screenwriting trenches. Words of Wisdom Mark Sanderson... on the need for screenwriters to get out from behind our desks and...

In this episode, I chat with Diane Samuels, the British playwright behind the hugely successful, Kindertransport. Diane's beautifully confronting play won the Verity Bargate Award in 1992 and Meyer-Whitworth Award in 1993 - enjoying a West End run at the Vaudeville Theatre in 1996 and an Off-Broadway production by Manhattan Theatre Club. We talk about Diane's playful approach to playwriting, her unique Writing & Meditation workshops; plus, a writing adventure that inspired a new creative...

Here's a little preview of what's coming up in the very first season of The Writer's Toolkit Podcast. Please like and subscribe so that we can let you know when the first episode is published. In the meantime, follow Paul on Instagram @PaulKalburgi for updates and click here to visit Nick Hern Books and save 20% on your copy of The Writer's Toolkit! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-writers-toolkit/donations