The Writer's Toolkit Paul Kalburgi

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 looked for different ways to collaborate. I find it so inspiring working with people from different aspects of theatre-making, and seeing what happens when we all bring our ideas together.” - Hilary Bell
Connect with Hilary
Visit Hilary’s websiteVisit the 7-On blogBook tickets for A Christmas Carol at Ensemble TheatreHilary's plays at Currency PressConnect with Paul
Buy the book, The Writer's ToolkitVisit Paul's websiteConnect on Instagram @PaulKalburgiConnect on Twitter @PaulKalburgiSupport the show!
This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.
Buy me a coffeeMake a donationWant to advertise or sponsor the show?
Click here to get in touch


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-writers-toolkit/donations

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 Shannan
Visit Shannan’s websiteConnect on Instagram @shannanejohnsonConnect on Instagram @theprofessionalpenConnect on Twitter @shannanejohnsonWatch Truffle Sauce on BlavityWatch Shannan on Film CourageConnect with Paul
Buy the book, The Writer's ToolkitVisit Paul's websiteConnect on Instagram @PaulKalburgiConnect on Twitter @PaulKalburgiSupport the show!
This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.
Buy me a coffeeMake a donationWant to advertise or sponsor the show?
Click here to get in touch


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-writers-toolkit/donations

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 very things that will drive them apart. 
“Nick Green and Andrea Scott are two of the most exciting voices in Canadian theatre.” - Now Magazine, Toronto.
Connect with Andrea
Visit Andrea’s websiteConnect on Instagram @andreammscottConnect on Twitter @andreammscottAndrea’s published plays at Playwrights Canada PressAndrea’s published plays at Scirocco DramaConnect with Nick
Visit Nick’s websiteConnect on Instagram @ngreen4321Connect on Twitter @NicholasGeeNick’s published plays at Playwrights Canada PressConnect with Paul
Buy the book, The Writer's ToolkitVisit Paul's websiteConnect on Instagram @PaulKalburgiConnect on Twitter @PaulKalburgiSupport the show!
This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.
Buy me a coffeeMake a donationWant to advertise or sponsor the show?
Click here to get in touch


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-writers-toolkit/donations

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 Drama Desk Awards and 7 Olivier Awards the play collected.
Words of Wisdom
"Make sure when you write a play you've read it from the point of view of each of your characters, so you chart their psychological and emotional journey individually so that it's all cogent, all makes sense, and has a sense of movement and progression". - Simon Stephens.
Discover Simon's work
Simon's plays at Drama OnlineSimon Stephens: A Working DiaryConnect with Paul
Buy the book, The Writer's ToolkitVisit Paul's websiteConnect on Instagram @PaulKalburgiConnect on Twitter @PaulKalburgiSupport the show!
This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.
Buy me a coffeeMake a donationWant to advertise or sponsor the show?
Click here to get in touch


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-writers-toolkit/donations

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, process and projects, with more inspiring playwrights and screenwriters. Be sure to like, subscribe and follow to be notified when new episodes are published. 
Connect with Paul
Buy the book, The Writer's ToolkitVisit Paul's websiteConnect on Instagram @PaulKalburgiConnect on Twitter @PaulKalburgiSupport the show!
This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.
Buy me a coffeeMake a donationWant to advertise or sponsor the show?
Click here to get in touch


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-writers-toolkit/donations

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 deadline... "The pressure of a deadline I find a very good spur. If it's commissioned work, obviously that's one thing. If it's something that is speculative - so I'm just writing it for myself, or I'm just chipping away at my own project, I have to find a different type of deadline. Sometimes that's a competition or something I can just enter. Generally, I always advise people to do that - find a deadline of some sort. Otherwise, time can just roll by".
Conversation Highlights & Links
[03:00] Kathryn's new play, The Campervan[08:30] Writing routines, time-blocking, and setting deadlines[17:35] Finding community, online and in-person[23:45] Balancing time in the classroom with writing[28:36] Finding the funny and discovering the talent within[31:34] Hands-on learning through self-producing[33:53] Melody Rules (RNZ podcast: The Worst Sitcom Ever Made)[38:20] Writing on My Life is Murder[39:50] - Final Scene Connect with Kathryn
Visit Kathryn's websiteConnect on Instagram @KathrynIsAWriterConnect on Twitter @KBurnettDotComDiscover Kathryn's writing workshopsConnect with Paul
Buy the book, The Writer's ToolkitVisit Paul's websiteConnect on Instagram @PaulKalburgiConnect on Twitter @PaulKalburgiNext time...
Be sure to follow or subscribe and we'll let you know when the next episode is published.
Support the show!
This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.
Buy me a coffeeMake a donationWant to advertise or sponsor the show?
Click here to get in touch


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-writers-toolkit/donations