This is where I indulge myself properly…
…writing and performing in equal measure
In 2018 I persuaded my long-time friend and acting colleague, Peter Franksson, into a joint venture. Both of us liked to write. Both of us liked to act. What if we pooled our resources to produce our own material?
We formed JAPE Productions, and started by writing comedy sketches under the title THE RED ROSE TATTOO. This would be a radio-style show performed in front of a live audience, and featured Jacqui Padden (a talented actress) to balance our male voices.
It was Jacqui who proposed our next venture: a professional tour of a John Godber play MEN OF THE WORLD. Rehearsals began towards the end of 2019, with various venues around the north-west booked for the Spring of 2020.
You don’t need me to tell you how the pandemic left its mark, but we turned a problem into an opportunity by switching to audio drama – and haven’t looked back.
We now produce a podcast under the title THE JAPE COLLECTIVE, and have been joined in our endeavours by Sandie Keane, a professional female voice artist. The Collective includes a wide range of recordings, from comedy sketches in ALL AT SEA! to serious drama in SIGNS.
Another (DUMMY CABS) made the transition to a live show by a sister company, and two more (WHO CARES? and THE QUIET ONE) have been snapped up for broadcast in the USA.
Podcast followers will find us on their favourite platform, but YOU can access ALL of our Collective right here!
For more about JAPE, please go to our WEBSITE.
