Time to Get Started...
A bit about me and my new venture 'Reviews, Remarks, and Roundups'
Hello! Welcome to my Substack. Before I get on with it, I thought I’d tell you a bit about me, so you know what you’re signing up for. It’s also to give me a bit of practice with this website as my knowledge currently goes no further than the video tutorial I have just watched on YouTube!
So… my name is Sean, and I am a freelance writer and theatre maker from Liverpool. My professional background up until recently has been in education, but given the year I had last year in getting my writing out to audiences (more on that later), I’ve decided to take the plunge and put writing at the forefront of my career.
I have always been into writing since I was young which caused me to commit my education to strengthening my skills and ability in the field. I graduated from Newcastle University in 2018 with a 2:1 in Journalism, Media, and Culture, and then qualified as an English teacher within the Further Education sector in 2021. When I finished my undergrad, I was very much a fish-out-of-water and had no idea where to start as a journalist. I found the competitive nature of the media industry somewhat intimidating and was simply not ready to try, sadly. Returning to uni two years later and becoming a teacher was an amazing, rewarding experience but, after a few spouts of bad luck and an intense amount of stress, I decided to put that career path on an indefinite pause.
Inevitably, I’ve jumped ahead. Let’s go back… After moving back home, away from four of the best years of my life in Newcastle, I saw one of my friends perform a play she had written. I have always been into the theatre industry, but this experience opened my eyes to the freedom that comes with writing for the stage. A few days after watching her show, (1st October 2019 to be precise), I embarked on writing my very own play and, apart from my family, my dog, and my mates, it’s the only thing that I am (truly and healthily) obsessed with.
‘I Am Steven Gerrard’ (IASG) is a play that explores the concept of masculinity and what it means to be a ‘real man’ in society today. After completing a few writing groups around Liverpool, I entered a scriptwriting competition in 2022 on a bit of a whim and by January 2023, I had madly won said competition. That’s when the real work started with producers, an actor, a director, and the many other talented people that come with getting a production ready. And in January 2024, we completed our debut and sold-out run.
Since then, we have managed to secure a second run at Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio in August 2024 which I could not be happier about. Playwriting is a passion project of mine, although ideas for a second script are simply not coming to me which is extremely annoying; call it my equivalent of the ‘difficult second album’. I have no idea where to start and it’s unnerving not being certain if what I’ve achieved with IASG can be done again or exceeded. That being said, the prospect of getting to start the writing process all over is as equally exciting.
Anyway… enough about me and more about this newsletter! As a writer and reader, I am very interested in opinions, and often fall back on several writers for suggestions, guidance, and tips when it comes to anything to do with the arts and culture – whether that’s a good book, a great new album, or anything of the sort. So, I’ve decided to give it a go myself and to just allow myself to write more (and hopefully find the ideas and voice to finally start that new script).
Reviews, Remarks, and Roundups will be split into three categories. ‘Reviews’ will occur as and when I consume something new – it might be a play, a concert, a Netflix original. ‘Remarks’ (basically a rubbish synonym of ‘opinions’ but I just fancied the alliteration) will also come about when it feels necessary, and finally ‘Roundups’ will be posted on the last Friday of every month and contain anything and everything I’ve been up to!
So, here it goes… I hope you like it!
Sean